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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Davis Family Films: Michael's Mothers Funeral; Water Pageant, City & Westminster (c1966?)
Westminster sightseeing and scenes from the Lord Mayor’s Show, Bonfire Night, Christmas and a family funeral in this short home movie from the 1960s.
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Overview
Taken from the Davis Family Films mid-60s archive, this home movie starts with a firework display on Bonfire Night before moving on to Guildhall and the Lord Mayor’s Show (possibly from 1966). The mayor’s gold coach is followed by floats and fire-eaters, marching past a City bombsite. This is abruptly followed by a family funeral, before we get scenes from Christmas in the West End and then a quick tour of Westminster.
An eclectic film, with several things worth noting, such as the themed floats at the Lord Mayor’s Parade, which celebrate banks, education and computers, the latter featuring boffins in white coats at a pretend giant computer. The scenes from the funeral include interior shots at the wake, while the film of Christmas includes West End lights and giant fir trees – plus the Davis’s own rather meagre tree. Finally, the neat tour of Westminster has a lovely shot of the buildings on Whitehall from across the lake. The film was shot by Haringey’s Davis family and found and donated by the new owner of the Davis family house. Bruce Castle Museum
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