John Krish obituary in the Telegraph

Inter-City Advert (1977)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oEpP8kD1NY

Inter-City 1250 (1982)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4tldQOJJ10

A Mug's Game : Or How To Squash a Lemon Head (1967)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dFFVfq3lRc

Solutions ? (1972)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kE7AXC7nM8

The Driving Force - DVD Trailer

The BFI have uploaded the London bus extract from Bridge of Song which complements the River Trent lock extract on the waterways video.

Up and coming film shows at Kidderminster Railway Museum

Saturday April 13th
Railways Remembered with Rob Foxon
Mallard and the Record Breakers

Rob will be showing some more of his extensive library of 16mm cine films with the theme of speed.  The films and subjects will include the Cheltenham Flyer, the LNER Silver Jubilee, the German record-breaker for steam and speed, the Coronation Scot, the world record for speed made by Mallard in July 1938, and then the development of high speed rail travel including the Advanced Passenger Train.  The show starts at 7.30pm and finishes about 10pm.

--

Saturday May 3rd

A Day of Classic Transport Films with Keith Bullock
We are running 21 films during the course of the day and evening to a set programme, including many from the British Transport Film Archive and many rarely seen films. There will be five shows during the day, each one lasting approximately one hour
and one show during the evening lasting two and half hours with an interval. All films are 16mm and shown through a traditional projector onto our ten foot screen. You can choose which of the films you want to come and see - all of them if you are really keen! The shows are as below

11.00am -12.00 midday - Aspects of railway history
Work in progress (1951)
Around the clock (1945)
The time of their lives (1950)

12.30pm – 1.30pm – Railway operations and people
Farmer moving south (1952)
This is York (1953)
The third Sam (1962)

2.00pm – 3.00pm – Weather and railways
Floods in the north (1948)
Snowdrift at Bleath Gill (1955)
602 must go through (1952)

3.30pm – 4.30pm – Road, Water and Trams
Omnibus for all (1963)
Broad waterways (1959)
London Transport Cine Gazette 12
(the elephant will never forget) (1953)

5.00 – 6.00 – Railway operations and trains
Elizabethan Express (1954)
Fully fitted freight (1957)
Lets go to Birmingham (1962)

7.30pm – 10.15pm – a general mix of transport films
London Transport Cine Gazette No 5 (1950)
Ocean Terminal (1952)
St Pancras re-laying (1947)
30 million acres (1947)
The Phoenix works (1950)
Under the River (1959)

Daytime shows - £2.50  (for each show)
    £2.00 for SVR members (please bring card)
Daytime five-show ticket - £7.50  (five for the price of three)
    £6.00 for SVR members (please bring card)
Evening show - £5.00
  £4.50 for SVR members (please  bring card)

Railways Remembered - Rob Foxon film show dates

Usual caveats apply - please check details before travelling - OCR isn't perfect!

--


2013

2nd October (Wed) 7.45pm. Railways Remembered,
Harborough Railway Association, Conservative Club, Fairfield Road, MARKET HARBOROUGH, Leics, LE16
From Wagon Load To Freightliner - Freight Trains. Details: 01858 446300.

12th October (Sat) 7.30pm. Bygone Britain,
Broughton Astley Village Society, Village Hall, BROUGHTON ASTLEY, Leics, LE9 6PT.
The Highways 0f Yesterday. Details: 01455 282622.

16th October (Wed) 7.30pm. Railways Remembered,
The Benn Hall, Newbold Road, RUGBY, Warks, CV21 2LN.
Mallard & The Record Breakers. Details: 0116 289 0531.

17th October (Thurs) 7.30pm. Railways Remembered,
Palace Theatre, Appletongate, NEWARK, Notts, N624 lJY.
Mallard & The Record Breakers. Box Office: 01636 655755.

21st October (Mon) 7.30pm. Railways Remembered,
Corn Market Hall, London Road, KETTERING, Northants, NNIS
Mallard & The Record Breakers. Details: 0116 289 0531.

24th October (Thurs) 7.30pm. Railways Remembered,
Rolls Royce Pavilion, Moor Lane, DERBY, DE24 9HY.
Mallard & The Record Breakers. Details: 0116 289 0531.

7th November (Thurs) 7.30pm. Bygone Britain,
Palace Theatre, Appletongate, NEWARK, Notts, NG24 NY.
The Highways 0f Yesterday (Road Transport Archive). Box Office: 01636 655755.

11th November (Mon) 7.30pm. Railways Remembered,
The Rothley Centre, Mountsorrel Lane, ROTHLEY, Leics, LE7 7PR.
Mallard & The Record Breakers. Details: 0116 289 0531.

14th November (Thurs) 7.30pm. Railways Remembered,
The Memorial Hall, Grimsby Road, CLEETHORPES, N.E. Lines, DN35 8AH.
Mallard & The Record Breakers (inc Cleetlmrpes on Film). Details: 0116 289 0531.

17th November (Sun) 2.30pm. Railways Remembered,
Phoenix, Midland Street, LEICESTER, LE1 lTG.
Mallard & The Record Breakers. Box Office: 0116 242 2800.

25th November (Mon) 7.30pm. Railways Remembered,
Peak Railway Association, Library Theatre, Tudor Square, SHEFFIELD, Sl
Mallard & The Record Breakers. Details: 0114 268 0948.

28th November (Thurs) 7.30pm. Railways Remembered,
Palace Theatre, Appletongate, NEWARK, Notts, NG24 lJY.
Special Xmas Programme. Box Office: 01636 655755.

10th December (Tues) 7.30pm. Railways Remembered,
Friends Of The NRM, National Railway Museum, Leeman Road, YORK, Y026
Mallard & The Record Breakers. Details: 0116 289 0531.

15th December (Sun) 11.30am & 2.30pm. Leics Film Archive,
Phoenix, Midland Street, LEICESTER, LE1 lTG.
The Bygone Leicester Moving Picture Show. Box Office: 0116 242 2800.

30th December (Mon) 7.30pm. Railways Remembered,
The Rothley Centre, Mouutsorrel Lane, ROTHLEY, Leics, LE7 7PR.
Special End Of Year Programme. Details: 0116 289 0531.

2014

13th January (Mon) 7.30pm. Railways Remembered,
Peak Railway Association, Library Theatre, Tudor Square, SHEFFIELD, Sl IXZ.
New Year Programme. Details: 0114 268 0948.

22nd February (Sat) 7.00pm. Railways Remembered,
Trinity Church Hall, Higher Market Street, FARNWORTH, Bolton, Lanes, BL4 SEX.
Mallard & The Record Breakers. Details: 0161 703 9353.

26th February (Wed) 7.30pm. Railways Remembered,
The Benn Hall, Newbold Road, RUGBY, Warks, CV21 2LN.
New Programme. Details: 0116 289 0531.

lst March (Sat) 2.30pm. Railways Remembered,
Town Hall, Broad Street, CHIPPING SODBURY, S. Glos, B837 6AD.
Mallard & The Record Breakers. Details: 0116 289 0531.

1st March (Sat) 7.00pm. Aviation Archive,
Town Hall, Broad Street, CHIPPING SODBURY, S. Glos, B837 GAD.
Combat Aircraft Of WWII. Details: 0116 289 0531.

7th March (Fri) 7.30pm. Railways Remembered,
Kettering & District Locomotive Society, Corn Market Hall, London Road, KETTERING, Northants, NN15 7QA.
The LMS Film Unit. Details: 0116 289 0531.

17th March (Mon) 7.30pm. Railways Remembered,
Corn Market Hall, London Road, KETTERING, Northants, NN15 7QA.
New Programme. Details: 0116 289 0531.

20th March (Thurs) 7.30pm.
Railways Remembered, Rolls Royce Pavilion, Moor Lane, DERBY, DE24 9HY.
New Programme. Details: 0116 289 0531.

17th April (Thurs) 7.30pm. Aviation Archive,
Rolls Royce Pavilion, Moor Lane, DERBY, DE24 9HY.
From Imperial Airways To The Jet Age (New Programme). Details: 0116 289 0531.

8th May (Thurs) 7.30pm. Railways Remembered,
Palace Theatre, Appletongate, NEWARK, Notts, NG24 lJY.
Diesel Power On British Railways. Box Office: 01636 655755.

19th May (Mon) 7.30pm. Railways Remembered,
Peak Railway Association, Library Theatre, Tudor Square, SHEFFIELD, Sl
New Programme. Details: 0114 268 0948.

The British Transport Films Collection
Volume Eleven
Experiment Under London

On 19 August 2013 a new volume will be added to the BFI’s best-selling series of transport and travel films, The British Transport Films Collection.

Marking London Underground’s 150th anniversary, Experiment Under London Volume Eleven in this series of double-DVD sets, presents six films documenting the construction of the Underground’s Victoria Line, which were produced by the BTF Unit for London Transport.

During the Autumn of 1962, engineering work began on the first new underground railway to be built under Central London in over sixty years. Made between 1961 and 1969, the films show, in meticulous detail, the mammoth undertaking of building the Victoria Line, one of
the most complex civil engineering projects that London had ever seen. It was officially opened by the Queen in March 1969.

After the initial film showing the proposals and the tunnelling technology that will be used, the other five films are Cine-gazette style reports that not only show the technical engineering achievements but also the human endeavour required from the workforce
and the cooperation of the public.

This digitally mastered double-disc collection, which is accompanied by a booklet of film notes, is a must, not only for the transport enthusiast, transport workers and engineers, but also for documentary aficionados and anyone interested in Britain’s industrial history.

The Films

• Experiment Under London (1961): experimental excavations in preparations for the new Victoria Line underground;
• The Victoria Line Report No.1: Over and Under (1965): the chief civil engineer for LT's new underground line from Victoria to Walthamstow describes the work in progress from early 1963 to mid 1964 at Oxford Circus;
• Report No. 2: Down and Along (1965): modern techniques of tunnelling, the use of a mechanical digging shield in a running tunnel, and the digging by hand of vast underground caverns for junctions and cross-overs;
• Report No. 3: Problems and Progress (1967): the difficulties met by the designers and contractors, particularly at Kings Cross and Oxford Circus; the diversion work at Finsbury Park and the problem of accurate track laying;
• Report No. 4: Equip and Complete (1968): installing model escalators, testing new rolling stock and automatic train control, installing power supply and the operation of the Walthamstow-Highbury section;
• Report No. 5: London's Victoria Line (1966): the design, construction and completion of the new line showing the various phases and engineering techniques involved.

Special Features

• A Hundred Years Underground (UK, 1963): the story of London Underground from its inception to modern times with contributions from distinguished Londoners including a young John Betjeman, singer Jessie Matthews, Lord Morrison of Lambeth and sculptor Henry Moore;
• The Queen Opening the Victoria Line (1969): mute rushes of the official opening ceremony.

Product Details

RRP: £19.99 / cat. no. BFIVD975 / E
UK / 1961-1969 / b&w and colour / 167 mins / DVD9 x 2 / Original
aspect ratio 1.33:1


...and a clip has been published on YouTube, showing how a steel umbrella was erected over Oxford Circus road junction on August bank holiday weekend 1963 (amazing how quiet the streets are!).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcxOGxUIsJw

It's probably also worth mentioning that the 167 mins running time only refers to the main sextet of films - A Hundred Years Underground runs 39 minutes (minus PAL speedup), so it's a pretty substantial extra.

Another fine effort from Barry Coward featuring BTF footage and out-takes

Dr Beeching explians the need for ratinalisation of the railways in Britain...

Barry Coward has compiled some glorious BTF out-takes of Kings Cross for our enjoyment.


"Kings Cross has changed over the past year, and when the frontage is finally clear will look even more magnificent, though I suspect Network Rail will soon be tempted to clutter the area will retail units. I have just complied a memory of how it was in my childhood days."

Website updated - www.britishtransportfilms.co.uk

Terrestrial TV transmission dates updated with a few corrections and several extra dates of Channel 4 broadcasts, courtesy of Robin Carmody.

DVD pages updated to include BTF Collections 10 & 11 plus extracts from earlier BFI press releases.

The next British Transport Film Collection DVD from the BFI - Volume 11: Experiment under London - is due for release on the 17th of June 2013. More details as we learn of them.

Engines Must Not Enter the Potato Siding

I'm delighted to pass on the news that the legendary 1969 Tuesday Documentary made by the BBC is now available on BBC iPlayer as an official programme and the poor quality timecoded rip off 'leaked' on to Ebay is now obsolete (though grateful thanks to whoever it was that put it up there at the time!)

Engines Must Not Enter the Potato Siding (BBC - 1969)

The BFI have released an official copy of Snowdrift at Bleath Gill (1955) to Youtube.

Snowdrift at Bleath Gill (1955)

London on the Move DVD

An interesting account of how the recent DVD release from the BFI was put together.

Automatic Fare Collection and You (1969)

To help market the launch of the latest BFI DVD compilation - London on the Move, the BFI have posted Automatic Fare Collection and You (1969) on YouTube....

Re-Shaping British Railways

This article was taken from 'Industrial Screen' magazine - May 1963 - and offers an interesting insight into the distribution and screening of this important film for the rail industry staff.

--

A twenty-three minute visual version of the  British Railways Board ('Beeching') Report was recently made by British Transport Films. The film used contemporary and historical scenes, maps, animated diagrams and a series of explanatory statements recorded for the purpose by Dr. Beeching during the final weeks of his work on the report. 

The film was first used for briefing senior staff at B.R.B. Headquarters and in Regional Headquarters in a series of showings which took place two days before the publication of the report. On the day of publication it provided the core of the special B.B.C. Television programme, the greater part of the film being shown in sections, each followed by live discussion in the studio - with Dr. Beeching, union leaders and economists taking part. This combined film and television operation was described in The Observer as 'a masterpiece of public relations' and there can be no doubt that it contributed enormously to the number of reasonable and agreeable reactions which followed. 

A total of 85 16mm. copies and 12 35mm. copies of the film were also prepared for use in a country-wide series of staff screenings - timed to begin live days after publication of the report. 

Since, for maximum topicality, production work continued on the film up to the iast possible moment - and was immediately followed by a crash programme of copy printing in both gauges - a special burden was laid upon George Humphries Ltd. who met all their commitments with time to spare. The 35mm. prints were used in commercial cinemas hired for private staff screenings in the mornings. There was one audience of 1,600 in the cinema at Ashford and a total of 3,000 staff saw the film in the New Oxford A.B.C. in Manchester on 1st and 2nd April. The 16mm. copies were shown by British Transport Films on 123 machines located in various parts of the country together with their two rail borne cinema coaches and three daylight cinema vans which were hired for the job. B.T.F. also hired twelve additional mobile 16mm. units which worked around planned circuits and they used a pair of Moviematic projector cabinets in tours embracing such locations as works' canteens. It was reckoned that by the end of April the film was seen by 100,000 staff, and showings continued into May.

Simon Murphy, Curator, Film and Photographs at London Transport Museum has confirmed that London Transport Museum has licensed the LT part of the BTF output to the BFI and that volume 10 of the DVD series will be out later in the summer. All films are remastered and represent a considerable improvement in quality over the EAVB/Beulah discs, many of which were made from 1990s one-inch tape masters.

--

Here is the BFI blurb:

BRITISH TRANSPORT FILMS VOLUME TEN

LONDON ON THE MOVE

Following the nationalisation of transport in 1948, the British Transport Commission set up its own in-house film production unit. Launched on 1st May 1949, and led for 25 years by Edgar Anstey - a founding father of the British documentary movement - it became one of the largest industrial film units in Britain.

This, the tenth in a series of double DVD box sets, presents a selection of films covering both bus and underground that The BTF produced for London Transport in the post-war period and includes classic such as All that Mighty Heart, Under Night Streets, Overhaul, as well as rare gems like Power Signal Lineman and Our Canteens.

This selection has been digitally remastered for this two-disc set, which is a 'must' not just for the transport enthusiast, but also for the documentary aficionado who will recognise traits and innovations in British non-fiction filmmaking.

DISC ONE

All that Mighty Heart (1951)
Our Canteens (1951)
One for One (1964)
Cine Gazette No.14: Do you Remember? (1955)
The Nine Road (1975)
London on the Move (1970)

DISC TWO

Under Night Streets (1958)
Power Signal Lineman (1953)
Omnibus 150 (1979)
Cine Gazette No.10 (1951)
Moving London (1983)
AFC: Automatic Fare Collection and You (1969)
Overhaul (1957)

Special features:

Moving Millions (1947, 15 mins): A Central Office of Information film made by the Crown Film Unit in 1947 illustrating the scope of London Transport activities at their most extensive including bus, underground, trams and trolleybuses.

UK | 1947-1983 | black and white, and colour | 223 minutes | Ratio 1.33:1

BFIVD894