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        Exercise Wake

        A busy Saturday in Kidderminster: shoppers crowd the pavements, a policeman directs traffic. Suddenly the alert is sounded and the full force of the Cold War descends.

        Home movie 1954 20 mins Silent

        From the collection of:

        Logo for Media Archive for Central England

        Overview

        Exercise Wake depicts Kidderminster Borough Council's response to the threat of aerial attack. Tin-hatted civil defence personnel raise the alarm via a telephone kiosk and a carefully planned operation unfolds; including a mass of ropes, ladders and pulleys used to lift casualties from upstairs windows in damaged houses. Even the challenge of making a cup of tea is tackled with typical British resourcefulness: simply build yourself a functioning oven!