London’s Screen Archives enables Londoners see their past come alive on film. Managed by Film London, we are a unique network of historic film collections that cares for, collects and screens heritage film across the city. Together we preserve London’s rich film heritage from feature films to home movies, public information films, newsreels, and records of the capital’s many different industries.
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Easter in the park, Ilford (1939)
This film offers a rare chance to see a toddler trying to start a car, before he trots through a London park with pipe-smoking father.
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Overview
Short, rich home movie in the Ronald Bond collection, showing a family trip in 1939. A toddler runs towards the camera before returning to the car – a Ford V8 Pilot – to give the starter a crank, before taking his seat behind the steering wheel. The child is then seen strolling through the park, holding hands with his suited, pipe-smoking father, and then sitting with his family, clutching the leather case for the cine-camera. Great glimpse of pre-war social life
High Beech, Epping Forest. 2 year old Ronald is seen here with his godparent Mr Bill Loader who had been a steward on the ship SS Beltana along with Ronald’s father. Ronald is seen here with his godmother’s scarf tied around his head as he had earache. Despite being poorly, he’s cheerful and even tries turning the starting handle on Mr Loader’s Austin V8.
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