So very evocative of the time: A still from Russell’s film.
This is a quick one that’s popped up via Facebook and the hero behind the Aldridge Cinema project: Russell Smith, who’s found and converted some cinefilm of Aldridge Carnival in the late 1960s – it’s really rather wonderful and very high quality.
Russel said:
Short clip of Aldridge Carnival year probably ’68 or ’69 – not politically correct these days with the Black and White Minstrals float…nor Health and Safety with children on the back of lorries while the crowd throw coins at them. But just look at the turn-out. A real sense of community. Starting at the Community Centre a proceeding down the High Street.
Lets put some Children on the back of lorries… no safety rails and drive the lorries close together while the crowd throw coins… and for good measure lets blacken some faces… could only be 1968 and the carnival. Look at the numbers turning out! From my fathers cine collection.
Aldridge Carnival, like those of Brownhills, Rushall and Pelsall, was hugely popular.
Fellow local blogger and top chap The Stymaster transferred this film of Rushall Carnival in the mid to early 70s some time ago.
Not forgetting of course, the Brownhills Carnival film from 1934/5 made by Edgar Pritchard, and supplied to the blog by Reg ‘Aer Reg’ Fullelove:
Although the first two have passed into history, Pelsall Carnival still continues. If you have any recollections of this event, or any pictures, film or other material relating to Brownhills or any other local Carnival, please do contact me. There must be a huge amount of this stuff in shoe boxes, family albums etc, yet nothing seems to exist in the public domain.
It seems odd that events such as this – that were the cornerstone of our communities for years – seem to have little or no historic record. I congratulate and thank all the people who’ve worked hard to get films like this online – from Russell Smith, The Stymaster, Wendy Jones to older members of the community like Reg Fulleove.
Please do comment here or mail me:BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com. Cheers.