HERE is some rare footage showing Derby and its many landmarks back in 1966.
The film called 'This Is Derby' was produced in 1966 for a schools project by Norman Fitchett with children from Pear Tree Junior School.
The film, now kept in the Media Archive for Central England, was created to look at the history, geography, industry and leisure activities in the city.
The school owned an 8mm camera and Mr Fitchett volunteered to capture images of Derby for the project, some of which were filmed when the children were on a town trail.
The film begins with shots of the River Derwent and Boy and Goose Statue in Derby.
Next there are shots of stalls at Morledge Market and a policeman directing traffic. There are shots of Cockpit Hill and the Castle & Falcon Pub.
This is followed by shots of busy street scenes and shops including Woolworths and H Samuels.
Then we see shots of the Old Silk Mill Gates. There are shots of a group of children with clipboards on a trip around Derby and making notes.
Next there are shots of Michael Thomas Bass statue, Derby Central Library, St Werburgh's Church, the Museum and Art Gallery, St Mary's Gate, County Hall, Derby Cathedral, The Olde Dolphin Inn, Markeaton Park, the ring road, Derby and District Colleges of Art and Technology buildings, River Mead House, Well Street, St Peter's Schools building, Breadsall Hill Top County Junior School sign and building, a match at the cricket round and at Derby County football ground.
Then there are shots of Castlefields Shopping Centre, the Boy and Ram statue, Derby Market Auctions Office and shots of men with cattle at the market. Then there are shots of buildings in Friar Gate, houses being demolished, Willow House flats housing in Huntingdon Green.
Then there are shots of St Albans Catholic Church, Pennine Hotel, Mecca Casino, the Eagle Bar, Laurie House Multi Storey Car Park and Top Rank bingo. Next we see vairous factory buildings including: Royal Crown Derby china building, Aiton Pipes, Ley's Castings Ewart Conveyors, Rolls Royce Ltd, Qualcast, FW Hampshire Co Ltd International Combustion Ltd, British Railways Workshops Carriage and Wagon Works, Fletcher and Stewart Ltd, British Railways Board Research Department
Engineering Research Division, Taylor Woodrow Design Research & Development Centre.
Then we see the group of schoolchildren looking up at a statue of Jedediah Strutt on St Peter's Street. Then we see children walking next to the River Derwent, shots of a plaque at Herbert Spencer's birth place and the Crown Derby factory. Finally we see the children at the war memorial, shots outside Ope & Taylor Ltd Chemists, children at plaque showing height of a flood 22 May 1932 and shots outside the Old Bell Hotel.
Watch the video here:
This is Derby (1966) from MACE Archive on Vimeo.
