Roberts: Carnival Procession and Weddings

Summary

Home movie of carnivals, parades and weddings at Bishop's Castle filmed by Erskine Roberts.

Year:

1938

Duration:

0:13:30

Film type:

Black & White / Silent

Genre:

Home Movie

Company:

Master format:

9.5mm

Description

The film begins with footage of a carnival procession through Bishop's Castle in Shropshire. A Royal Airforce marching band ascends High Street followed by floats, one of which is carrying the carnival queen and her attendants, and a fancy dress parade. At the culmination of the carnival a crowd gathers and the carnival queen delivers a speech from a stage. She eventually leaves the stage with her retinue.
This is followed by shots of a group of people gathering on Market Square in Bishop's Castle in front of the Castle Hotel to (possibly) mark the coronation of King George VI in May 1937. There are many union flags in evidence, a speech is delivered and the crowd sing before it marches down High Street from Bull Street. This section ends with an illuminated crown suspended in the dark.
Next is another carnival and begins with a marching ('mounted') comic band (band members are wearing paper horses) that marches off to join the carnival. We then see a fancy dress parade.
After this there is footage of a wedding. This begins with shots of man in a pinstripe suit who initially wears a flat cap but then replaces it with a bowler hat. The best man then takes the bowler and acts the fool. We then see the bride and groom posing outside the entrance to Saint John the Baptist Church at Bishop's Castle with crowds of people outside. Guests leave the church and then pose for photogrpahs on a terrace at a large house. Men then gather around a car, presumably awaiting the departure of the newly weds, while two women watch from a first floor window. The section ends with a group of women smoking cigarettes.
A second wedding also features on this compilation and includes footage of the bridesmaids, crowds outside the church and the bride and groom emerging from the church and posing for photographs.


Credits

No credits specified


Notes