Attention Midlander’s! Don’t Forget 2pm tomorrow: Walsall Sea Scouts Archive Film Screening @ The Crossing, Walsall Tickets £3.50

                                          3^RD  WALSALL  SEA  SCOUTS  PRESENTS          

     THE  KINESCOUT  PRODUCTIONS  1929  -  1957

   BY  SARG  (LEONARD  STANLEY) 

Tickets £3.50 and all proceeds will go to Walsall Sea Scouts.

 

With help from MACE’s Heritage Lottery funded Full Circle Project plus some Government funding a set of old films have been restored and put onto DVD in order that they may be shown to members of the public at St Pauls the Crossing Walsall on Tuesday 17^th April at 2pm.

The footage includes a 30 minute long synopsis of a feature film “Haunted  Harbour” inCops and Robbers” using members of the 3^rd Walsall Sea Scouts to act out comical scenes. The script for this particular film was written by the nationally renowned Boys Book author and friend of Lord Baden Powell Percy Westerman.

Although supposedly depicting scenes from other parts of the country, all the filming was done in Walsall and it will be apparent to a local audience that the end of the Bridge at Potter Heigham is actually the White Heart Hotel in Caldmore!  There are also scenes shot in and around the old Sister Dora Hospital.

Interesting fact: Did you know the Walsall Sea Scouts were part of the team that organised the 1948 Olympic Sailing Team. 

It is not only a record of what our young Walsall people were doing in the mid 1900`s but an historical record of things of popular interest and an insight to some of the thoughts on how modern technology might be developed in the future (our time now) all with a comic turn! 

The films themselves will be stored from now on at MACE in their humidity and temperature controlled archive store, as they are considered to be of historical interest.

Photography © Lucie Kerley

Calling all Scouts! 2-4pm Tues 17th April at The Crossing @ St Paul’s, Walsall Come & Enjoy a screening of L.G Stanley’s Third Walsall Sea Scouts Archive Films.

Brian Griffiths holds one of the 16mm reels from the L.G. Stanley Film Collection which documents the adventures of the Third Walsall Sea Scouts.

A few months ago I was contacted by Trevor McFarlane of Full Circle Group –  Cheslyn Hay & District History Society. Trevor had been notified of some cinefilms belonging to Brian Griffiths that had been originally  shot by the one and only L. G. Stanley (Sarg) born 13 February 1899, of the Third Walsall Sea Scouts.

“His father and Grandfather owned a substantial Leather Business making buckles and this expanded with the advent of plastics and moldings. The firm Alfred Stanley and Sons stood at the corner of Brace Street and Wednesbury Road. They lived in Slaney Road. When Sarg was 5 his father had a house built at 40 Gorway Road and the family moved there.” Excerpt from ‘History of the Third or How I Remember It.’ by Brian Griffiths. 

L. G. Stanley filmed many scouting activities and events in Walsall from the 1930s onwards. One of the films from the collection is entitled: Haunted Harbour. It is a Kinescout adaptation of the book by Percy F. Westerman.

Brian Griffiths remembers the 1957 The Jamboree; Indaba & MOOT, in Sutton Park :

“The Sea Scouts of Sutton Coldfield and Walsall Sea Scouts played host the World of Scouts and helped to organize the World JUBILLE JAMBOREE INDBA & MOOT in Sutton Park

There is a film that covers this event.

(Which is to be screened on 17th April 2012 at The Crossing at St Pauls, Walsall.)

At odd weekends just before the Jamboree, I had attended several County Meetings with Sarg. Just taking a few notes of dates, times and venues, later following the tuition given to me as a Work Services clerk in the army, I typed out notices, alternative minutes and schedules. This led Sarg to ask me if I was going to attend the event.

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” No” I said. “I will still be doing my National Service.”
“How much longer have you to serve”? was the next question.
“About four days after the Jamboree finishes”.
“I’ll see what I can do”. Knowing Sarg, that was just about anything. Sure enough, about a week before the Jamboree a Brigadier came into my office. The Civilian officer and I jumped to attention, but the Chief Engineer for Western Command stood the pair of us at our ease and asked if I was Brian Griffiths. I didn’t deny it. He asked what part I had played in the organization and I explained that I had taken notes attending meetings at County level, without letting on how many. He granted me leave to attend the Jamboree. It was a good job I had only four days left to do, before my “Demob” The Chief Clerk of the office and R.S.M.at Chester Castle were unhappy that I had influenced the Chief Engineer, but it was worth it.

The crew who shot the film of the comings and goings of the Jamboree were very busy all day and every day. Sarg was busy at meetings and finding old friends, inviting them to see the Guardship in the middle of Powell’s Pool. A Pulling Crew had to be maintained at all times.A telephone switch board had been installed in the after cabin. It had eight phone lines plus mine, also a typewriter and a primitive duplicator. The job in hand was exactly the same as the one I had left at The Command H.Q. at Chester. Typing and duplicating Minutes, similarly, results from events, It took a little organizing to see the camps and sights, I saw a lot of guests and they all needed tea and biscuits. Luckily my cousin was in the Galley. Each of us doing our own jobs, I have no idea how much David saw on the Jamboree.
There were 31,426 Scouts at the Jamboree from 88 countries were under canvas Sarg’s part in this memorable event was to look after all water activities on the various lakes in Sutton Park and in particular the major carnival and displays on Powell’s Pool. The Guardship was a special feature and over the course of the fourteen days 650 Scouters and guests came to the Guardship to see this unique training facility.

The Crossing St Paul’s Church Darwall Street Walsall WS1 1DA

Phone: 01922 645992

 To book tickets please contact The Crossing for more details.

If you have any old films, cine or tape or moving image materials relating to the Midlands region and would like to know how to look after them, please get in touch with us at MACE (Media Archive for Central England) to learn how to preserve them for future generations for years to come.

Tel: 01522 837752
Email: info@macearchive.org
Web: www.macearchive.org

Photography © Lucie Kerley

MACE’s Emma Morley Enjoys Flatpack/Still Walking’s ‘On Location Walking Tour’

Today hasn’t completely gone to plan as my iphone crashed this morning and I couldn’t tweet or blog in the day. But I had a great time with my family on Flatpack Festival’s On Location Walking Tour in which we walked around various familiar spots in Birmingham, and found that they were locations in some familiar dramas, including Hustle and the brilliant film, Brassed Off.

Our Tour Guide, Mark Wilson was engaging, confident and a great storyteller. It was great to hear him telling stories that you can hear on on our DVD release, From ATVLand in Colour, including Chris Tarrant’s  Frank Carson hotel and Lenny Henry/Trevor McDonald stories (Watch the DVD to hear Chris tell them!)

What I enjoyed about the tour was that we could explore the hidden Birmingham. It’s so easy to traipse around the shops and not take a moment to look at what is around you. To look at some of the beautiful buildings in Birmingham, from the BCU School of Art Building to the old Eye hospital, beautiful buildings that have doubled as fictional locations on TV and Film was refreshing and, a more gentle, relaxing way of looking at the city. Much better (and cheaper) than shopping! Also, as I went with family, we could share our own memories and thoughts on our Birmingham ancestors. Those who follow me on Twitter know me as an East Midlands girl but my maternal ancestry is firmly rooted in Birmingham, going back to the 17th Century (and perhaps earlier).

Perhaps on another blog entry, I’ll fill you all in on that interesting story!

You may be interested in reading more here:
Mark Wilson’s website: http://btvfloc.wordpress.com

The On Location Walking Tour formed part of the Flatpack Festival, but it is also one of a number of Birmingham walking tours by Still Walking. Check out their website below:

Still Walking Tours: http://stillwalking.org

Emma, MACE

MACE’s Emma Morley’s off to Birmingham for the Flatpack Festival on Sunday

On Sunday, I will be exploring Birmingham through the world of moving image at the Flatpack Festival.

Flatpack, which is now in its sixth year is, as they describe,  ‘an eclectic jamboree of film, taking over venues all over Birmingham from 14-18 March 2012′.

The Independent has called Flatpack “The country’s most creatively curated film festival”

Like me, why not visit their website HERE and browse through the events that are happening over the weekend in venues you wouldn’t think would be screening film – from coffee shops to a narrow boat!

And, if you enter Media Archive for Central England into the search bar of their website (top right of their homepage) you’ll see that films from our archive are being used in a variety of screenings, including the Ikon Slow Boat from 11am til 6pm tomorrow and Bikermania Shorts from 5pm til 6.30pm at the Custard Factory Theatre. And, personally, if I had time, I’d stay at the Custard Factory and watch the classic ‘I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle’ which I haven’t seen in 20 years!

I’ll also be going on Mark Wilson’s On Location Walking Tour, which sets off from Snowhill Station at 12pm. (There is a second tour at 2.30pm).  The tour, I’m reliably informed, will include the ATV Centre, off Broad Street, the topic of our highly successful DVD release, From ATVLand in Colour.

I’ll be blogging and tweeting (@emmasianmorley) on Sunday with photos and thoughts on the day, so do look out for that, if you’re not going to Flatpack yourself.

Emma, MACE

Sneaky Peak Behind-the-Scenes Photos of Cipher’s Rehearsal of Upcoming ‘Past Lives’ Musical/ Archive Film Performance

Cipher

Over the past year and a half the @MACEarchive Media Archive for Central England‘s, @HeritageLottery Funded, Full Circle Project Curators Kay Ogilvie (@KayOgilvie) and Lucie Kerley (@luciekerley) have worked alongside local community and history groups throughout the midlands to collect over 200+ home-movie, industrial and amateur film collections relating to the East and West Midlands.

One of our West Midlands Full Circle Groups Norman Bartlam and the TNT News Team with the Mayoress Councillor Ward at a film screening event in Ladywood, Birmingham.

Dave Sturt and his creative musical troup – Cipher have collaborated with visual artist Anthony Hatton to produce a thought-provoking and engaging visual and live musical experience using little seen footage from the Media Archive of Central England, including local images of Lincolnshire, Derbyshire, West Midlands and Nottinghamshire.

Cipher's Dave and Theo

Cipher's Dave and Tony

MACE were delighted to be able to work with Cipher to give these previously hidden, film heritage gems new musical accompaniment in order to bring these silent home-movies to life! For more information see here.

Cipher during a rehearsal session of "Past Lives".

For tickets, please contact the venues directly.

Tour Dates:

08/03/12 - Lincoln Performing Arts Centre T: 01522 837600

09/03/12 – The National Centre for Craft and Design, Sleaford      T: 01529 308710

27/03/12 - South Holland Centre, Spalding T: 01775 764 777

25/05/12 – Holymoorside Village Hall, Chesterfield  T: 01246 567118 or 861997

27/05/12 – The Broadway, Nottingham T: 0115 952 6600

30/05/12 – Solihull Arts Complex T: 0121 704 6962

24/06/12 – The Ritz cinema, Belper T: 01773 822 224

27/06/12 - Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry T: 024 7652 4524

29/06/12 – The Public, West Bromwich  T: 0121 533 7161

07/07/12 – The Quad, Derby T: 01332 290606

08/07/12 – Gothic Warehouse, Cromford  T: 01629 824297

19/07/12 – Stamford Arts Centre T: 01780 763 20

http://www.cipher.f9.co.uk/index.htm

The music is composed by renowned musicians Theo Travis(flute, sax – David Sylvian, Steven Wilson, Robert Fripp) andDave Sturt (fretless bass/sound design – Gong, Steve Hillage, Bill Nelson). They will perform with guest musicians Deirdre Benscik (cello) and Clare Bhabra (violin) from the renownedSinfonia ViVA

Past Lives Rehearsal with digitally projected Full Circle films in the background.

Chair of Belbroughton History Society and Full Circle Depositor Sarah Bradley chats with pupils at Belbroughton Primary School during a screening of some local archive films from the MACE Full Circle Project.

Child engaging with vintage cine-film camera that was found during the MACE Full Circle Project at BBC Reel History Event in Leicester.

Dave Sturt chats to Sarah Bradley about her father's beautifully shot cinefilm collection, some of which will feature in the Past Lives performance.

the workshops…….some venues will be running workshops on the day of the performance – please ring to check.  They will demonstrate how to create a soundtrack and will give people a chance to play to a scene from the film. The workshop willinclude basic improvisation techniques, ‘capturing a mood’, exploring musical themes, using music technology in live performance and discovering the hidden potential of musical instruments. Interested musicians of all ages and all standards welcome.

our sponsors…….

A very big thank you to the following sponsors who have helped make this happen – The Heritage Lottery, Arts Council England, Derbyshire County Council and The QUAD, Derby

For more information about Dave Sturt or Cipher check out:

http://www.session-bass-guy.com


http://www.myspace.com/davesturt


http://www.cipher.f9.co.uk


http://www.jadewarrior.com


http://www.planetgong.co.uk


http://www.billnelson.com

 

If you have any cine film, tape or moving image material relating to the Midlands region and want to know how you can preserve these items for years to come and have relevant material digitised as part of the Full Circle Project, please get in touch with:

Lucie Kerley – Full Circle Project Curator: Community & Acquisition – 07919 896 505 or 01522 837756 (Wednesday’s) email: lkerley@lincoln.ac.uk

To learn more about the Full Circle Project, and check out the MACE website  for more Midlands film gems!

Introducing ‘Midlands on Film’ a series of DVD titles celebrating the region through Moving Image

This is going to be a busy year in DVD releases for MACE, not only have we just started to co-produce a documentary on the history of ATV Today, the Lincoln School of Media continue to produce a series of DVDs of local interest to the Midlands region.

‘Midlands on Film’ is a series of nine DVDs celebrating  people and places of the region through moving image preserved in the archive.

Heralded by the release of Nottingham on Film in 2011, Rebuilding Coventry, Made in Leicester and Derbyshire on Film will follow early in 2012 .  Further titles showcasing the range of material held at MACE will cover Lincoln & Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Shropshire and Birmingham. A further title, yet to be confirmed will profile either The Black Country or Worcestershire.

Growing out of the varied material in the collections, many topics and themes are explored across the series: Industry and farming; cityscapes (including the rebuilding of Coventry and redevelopment of Birmingham) and the region’s rural landscapes; And of course home and community life, including the celebrations such as the Coronation in 1953 and the Silver Jubilee in 1977, all reflecting the changing world in which we live.

The production of these nine DVDs is a collaboration between MACE and the School of Media at the University of Lincoln and has been made possible by the generous financial support of EM Media through the UK Film Council’s Digital Film Archive Fund.

Further details on some of these titles will be uploaded to our online shop in the coming weeks and you will be able to click ‘NOTIFY ME’ to be emailed when they become available. Updates on this will be blogged about in due course.

Meanwhile, From ATVLand in Colour and Nottingham on Film are popular titles that can be purchased now

CLICK HERE to visit our online shop

Stirchley Happenings Annual Christmas Archive Film Screening Gets Local Brum Community Feeling Full Circle Festive!

Merry Christmas from members of the Birmingham Full Circle Community Group - Stirchley Happenings!

Last weekend, Saturday 17th December from 4pm, the Stirchley Happenings Full Circle Group held their annual Christmas film screening at the Stirchley Community Church and all were invited!

As a pre-feature film short to raise awareness of their involvement in the MACE Full Circle Project, the group showed a 15 minute archive film compilation  of Christmas in Birmingham…

Then they showed their main film – Miracle on 34th Street, the 1947 version.

Members of the audience take their seats ready for a screening of Birmingham related Christmas archive films put together especially by MACE's Phil Leach.

What good film doesn't deserve popcorn!

Ho! Ho! Ho! Hat's on!

It was magical! Christmas at its best!

I wanted to shout

“I believe! I believe!”

As the last scenes were played and the credits rolled, audience members, old and young, hearts were filled with festive joy!

If you have any cine film, tape or moving image material relating to Stirchley, Birmingham or the wider Midlands region and want to know how you can preserve these items for years to come and have relevant material digitised as part of the Full Circle Project, please get in touch with:

Lucie Kerley – Full Circle Project Curator: Community & Acquisition – 07919 896 505 or 01522 837756 (Wednesday’s) email: lkerley@lincoln.ac.uk

For more info on the Full Circle Project check out: http://www.macearchive.org/Full-Circle.html

Photography © Lucie Kerley

TNT Ladywood News Team’s History Show wows Ladywood residents by revisiting @MACEarchive ATV News stories & Full Circle film screening

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Earlier this month the wonderful TNT News Team & Ladywood History Group put on a fantastic exhibition and film screening event which ran over two days, 9th-10th December. It was held at the Parish Church of St John and St Peter, Darnley Road, just off Monument Road, Ladywood, Birmingham.

It was a fantastic day in the beautiful renovated church, complete with exhibition boards featuring local news stores and event covered by both the TNT News Team and Ladywood History Group’s Norman Bartlam, over the past 10 years or more. The event, which was attended by over 300 people over the course of the weekend, was a huge success and an opportunity for the younger members of the Ladywood community to show people the amazing work they had produced being part of TNT News Team.

When TNT & Ladywood History Group first got involved in the MACE (Media Archive for Central England) Heritage Lottery Funded Full Circle Project, they were excited to see which ATV and Midlands News stories were held on film and preserved by MACE. The groups decided to breath new life into the stories and revisit them in 2011 to see how things had changed. They have put together a compilation of their work – The History Show, TNT News November 2011 – to be preserved at MACE for future generations to enjoy for years to come.

The TNT News - The History Show - November 2011 Compilation on DVD - revisiting stories from ATV and Midlands News, held at MACE.

Members of the community that had been featured in stories captured on camera by TNT came to visit the exhibition and also Mayoress Councillor Ward also gave her stamp of approval to the young people’s hard work and urged members of the community not to forget that our past is just as important as our future and should be preserved in the best way possible.

Mayoress Councillor Ward attended the TNT News & Ladywood History Group's 10th Anniversary Celebratory film screening event.

MACE's brand new film and tape store at the University of Lincoln funded by Revitalising the Regions.

If you have any cine film, tape or moving image material relating to Ladywood, Birmingham or the wider Midlands region and want to know how you can preserve these items for years to come and have relevant material digitised as part of the Full Circle Project, please get in touch with:

Lucie Kerley – Full Circle Project Curator: Community & Acquisition – 07919 896 505 or 01522 837756 (Wednesday’s) email: lkerley@lincoln.ac.uk

http://www.macearchive.org/Full-Circle.html

Photography ©Lucie Kerley

9th-10th December – Ladywood History Group 10th Anniversary Exhibition & Full Circle Archive Film Screening of old Ladywood

On Friday 9th December 2011, one of the Media Archive for Central England’s Birmingham based Full Circle Groups – TNT News and Ladywood History Group – invite you to attend an exhibition of photographs and memorabilia of old Ladywood at The Church of St John and St Peter, Ladywood, from 11:00am – 7:30pm and Saturday 10th December from 10:00am – 1:00pm.

On Saturday, 10th December, people are invited to attend a screening of films from the @MACEarchive ATV collection relating to Ladywood, as it was when featured in the news in the 1950s and 1960s. And don’t miss the cutting of the cake by the Lord Mayor of Birmingham at 10:30am to celebrate this special occasion!

Come along and see if you recognise anyone on the films!

Or of you have any old cine films or homemovies relating to Ladywood, Birmingham or the wider Midlands area that deserve preserving in a film archive and would like to know how they can be digitised free of charge as part of MACE’s Heritage Lottery Funded Full Circle Film Search Project, then please speak to MACE’s Full Circle Curator – Lucie Kerley, who will be in attendance at Saturday’s event.

You can also contact Lucie Kerley via email on: lkerley@lincoln.ac.uk

TONIGHT from 7pm!! Come Celebrate Black History Month with @MACEarchive’s Full Circle Project and @The_Drum, Aston with a special screening of archive film and Philip Donnellan’s Controversial Film: The Colony, Bring along any old cine-films!!

Tonight, Wednesday 12th October, The Colony at The Drum

Controversial at the time of its original broadcast, this is a powerful film which explores the lives of Caribbean migrant communities living in Birmingham and the Midlands. Including interviews with Stan Crooke a railway signal man from St Kitts living in Balsall Heath and Bernice Smith a Jamaican teacher working at St James’ Primary School in Handsworth. This screening compliments the launch of the BBC’s ‘Reel History of Britain’ featuring Melvyn Bragg.

by Philip Donnellan

Click on the photo to book tickets!

The Drum are helping our Full Circle Film Search by looking for home-movies, or old cinefilm shot by your relatives that relate to your local area! http://www.the-drum.org.uk/news/full-circle/

MACE’s Full Circle Project pairs up with The Drum to search for home-movies

If you have any old cinefilm or  home-movies relating to the Birmingham, Aston and wider Midlands area and are not sure what to do with them… Bring them along to The Drum this evening and speak to myself, Full Circle Project Curator – Lucie Kerley – email:lkerley@lincoln.ac.uk or call: 07919 896505 if you are interested in hearing about the possibility of digitising this material in order to make it accessible and preserve it for future generations.

www.macearchive.org

http://www.macearchive.org/Full-Circle.html – For more information please check out.

See you there!!