Meet Mavis – a textile worker from Ilkeston’s A. Booth and Sons……

If you have enjoyed watching the latest MACE online film screening of ‘Clothing the Nation’ about the East Midlands Textile Industry here is a chance to view some more images and to find out about one particular textile worker from Ilkeston. Mavis (shown below) worked at A. Booth & Sons, Ilkeston, manufacturers of nylon stockings 60 years ago.

Mavis an ex employee of A. Booth & Sons holding the company brochure

Mavis aged 16 years – working at A. Booth & Sons in the 1950s

It was fascinating to talk to Mavis about her time at Booths where she worked as a ‘pairer’ – matching the left and right legs of nylon stockings. She started at Booths when she was 15 years old and spent approximately 17 years working there.

Mavis showed me this publicity brochure (it was fascinating to look through) she was going along to Erewash Museum nearby to lend it to them for exhibiting. Mavis said she enjoyed her time there and was voted ‘Personality Girl’ at one point in her career. You can see clips from a film about the A.Booth and Sons Ltd factory in Ilkeston by searching our online catalogue.

Kay

Rare film footage of 1930s Ilkeston Carnival found………

Paul Booth of Ilkeston, Derbyshire, deposits his father’s cine film collection with MACE film archive as part of the Full Circle project

The Arthur Cyril Booth Collection

Like many of the early filmmakers, Paul Booth’s father – Arthur Cyril Booth (d.1980) took up filmmaking after getting interested in photography. Arthur was the organist for the parish and also played the organ at the La Scala cinema in Ilkeston (still going strong!). Paul said: “My father  was into gadgets of the times –  like for example cine cameras. He filmed on mostly 9.5mm. He was a practical man who in WW1 built aeroplanes – which were made out of fabric then. After the war he became an upholsterer in Ilkeston. He owned a Brough Superior motorbike and used to go biking down to the French Riviera”.

The wedding of amateur filmmaker Arthur Cyril Booth and Cecilia Booth c.1930s

Arthur filmed the Carnivals in Ilkeston in 1936 and 1937 and we’re really looking forward to seeing this footage. He also filmed a pilgrimage to Dale Abbey, Derbyshire and the May Procession, a Lourdes Trip made by members of the Our Lady and St Thomas RC church in Ilkeston. Other footage includes some seaside scenes at Mablethorpe, Wolverhampton Illuminations and his parents wedding. Arthur’s films will be carefully stored at the MACE film archive in temperature controlled conditions so that these original films will be preserved for posterity. As part of the Full Circle project, copies of these films will be made onto DVD for Paul and his family ad the local community to share in this heritage and enjoy past events. If you have any films you wish to preserve please contact Kay Ogilvie, senior curator Full Circle on kogilvie@lincoln.ac.uk

Vintage Film screening event brings in the locals at Ilkeston, Derbyshire……..

Susan Smith, Director of Wash Arts outside the new arts premises at Bath Street, Ilkeston - waiting for the crowds!

MACE and Wash Arts  joined forces to bring vintage cinema to the streets of Ilkeston as part of the launch celebrations for the opening of the  new Wash Arts premises on 154 Bath Street. We trawled the MACE film archive http://www.macearchive.org and searched for films relating to the Ilkeston area and came up with some real gems. One of the films screened was about the local firm A. Booth & Sons, manufacturers of nylon stockings – and we were so pleased when one of their ex-employees turned up to view the film…

Mavis Smith ex employee of A. Booth & Sons holding the company brochure

This event not only helped launch the new Wash Arts premises, but also the Full Circle film search project in their area. Some of the people who came to view these vintage films also had films of their own tucked away in their attics and we look forward to meeting up with them to view and assess their collections.

Mavis Smith aged 16 years - working at A. Booth & Sons in the 1950s

It was fascinating to talk to Mavis about her time at Booths where she worked as a ‘pairer’ – matching the left and right legs of nylon stockings. She started at Booths when she was 15 years old and spent approximately 17 years working there. Film is a window into history and as such is a valuable historical resource. Any film lost or thrown away is a piece of history lost – and this is why we are carrying out a film search in the area to try and find and preserve any films that may be hidden away.

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A section inside the publicity brochure of A. Booth & Sons

Mavis brought along this publicity brochure to the film screening (it was fascinating to look through) she was going along to Erewash Museum nearby to lend it to them for exhibiting. Mavis said she enjoyed her time there and was voted ‘Personality Girl’ at one point in her career.

Some of the audience for the screening of vintage films at Ilkeston

Information about Wash Arts can be found at http://www.washarts.co.uk and about the Full Circle Film search project at http://www.macearchive.org  If you have any films you would like to preserve for future generations to enjoy please contact senior curator of Full Circle Kay Ogilvie on kay.ogilvie@tiscali.co.uk

Vintage Film screening & Exhibition in Ilkeston – Friday 3rd February 1.30pm All welcome….

A clip from the archive film footage to be shown this Friday

Ilkeston’s history will be brought to life on film at a special screening of vintage film footage this Friday.

A range of clips stored by MACE, the Media Archive for Central England, will be shown at the Wash Art’s premises at 154-156 Bath Street Ilkeston DE7 8FH. The event has been organised by MACE’s Full Circle project curator Kay Ogilvie and Wash Arts’ Susan Smith to raise awareness of the importance of preserving amateur home movies which are seen as vital to the region’s screen heritage.

And amateur film-makers are being invited to bring along archive footage of their own which could be added to the growing MACE library.

The clips on show at this month’s event will showcase some of the changing face of Ilkeston, a visit to A. Booth & Sons nylon stocking manufacturers,  Chris Tarrant visiting Charnos in 1978 and asking some very personal questions and some of the past industries and shops that kept Ilkeston a busy thriving town.

A scene from the film about stocking manufacturing at A. Booth & Sons, Ilkeston 1950s

The screening, part of the MACE Full Circle project is on Friday 3^rd February, from 1.30pm to 4.30pm, will be free For more information, please call Susan Smith on 0115 9328171  Refreshments will also be available on the day.

The Exhibition Includes work created by participants of ‘Pass The Source’ open source digital art project, photographer Tony Fisher’s images of Cotmanhay, open studio and poetry reading by Dave Wood.

Scenes in the factory of A.Booth & Son, Ilkeston 1950s

To find out more about the Media Archive for Central England and to see archive film from Ilkeston and the Midlands, please visit www.macearchive.org. To find out more about Wash Arts please visit http://www.washarts.co.uk/  or contact susan@washarts.co.uk