General Interest No.3

A collection of films featuring Norwich city centre, the Tombland Fair, crop harvesting, people enjoying winter sports and military preparations.

The film begins with shots of Norwich Cathedral's spire followed by a panoramic view of the city skyline. Scenes of the city's busy streets include shots of the top of Prince of Wales Road, London Street, Guildhall Hill and from a tram ride along Haymarket and Orford Place. The second sequence shows people gathering for various fairground rides, Christopher's brother Gregory at the coconut shy and a cattle market at the Tombland Fair. The following sequence shows Mr Battle, the gardener at Blaxland’s St Catherine’s Close home, washing and maintaining an Austin and Daimler, Christopher trialing back projection by filming his father's small dog Millie running along the pavement then his mother in the back of a car. The forth segment was filmed at a farm in Colney belonging to Christopher's mother's family and shows farm workers harvesting the fields using horse-drawn machinery. The workers stop for a break and drink. The film cuts to Gregory riding a horse. The next sequence shows Gregory and Stephen (Christopher's other brother) sledging, Christopher skiing and playing in the snow on Mousehold Heath. A lady brings flowers from the garden. Christopher prepares his motor car for drive with Tess, the family's Labrador. Shots both from inside the car and from the pavement as he drives along various streets. The final segment shows the Blaxlands relaxing in their garden at St Catherine’s Close, Christopher dressed in military uniform and Stephen with a camera. Workers help to dig a trench in Chapelfield Gardens. Soldiers place sandbags in front of the TA Centre windows opposite the Blaxlands' home, followed by shots of more soldiers congregating in a yard and being sent off to various places on buses. Mr Battle digs an Anderson shelter in the Blaxlands' garden.

Featured Buildings

Norwich Cathedral; Norwich Castle; The Guildhall

Featured Events

Tombland Fair

Keywords

Fairground; Farming; Agriculture; Countryside; Winter; Animals; Cars; World War 2; 1930s

Intertitles

THE ANCIENT TOMBLAND FAIR. NORWICH. Photographed by J.C.BLAXLAND.

Background Information

John Christopher Blaxland bought a 16mm Cine-Kodak in 1932 whilst still a schoolboy. He filmed, and was filmed, at his home, St. Catherine's Close, All Saints Green, Norwich which later became the headquarters of BBC East. Christopher had a cinema in the attic, where later the BBC had their first editing rooms. He stated that if it had not been for the war he would have gone into film production. Christopher's father was a well-known surgeon at the Norfolk and Norwich hospital. Christopher died in 2003. The Tombland Fair had been celebrated around Easter time for centuries.