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A Good Name

1953 , Hornchurch (Greater London)

Cat no. 590

The history of Hornchurch explaining the role of the District Council in providing essential services.

The film begins with shots of St. Andrew's Church, the Horn Church after the figure of a horned cow on the building. There is a succession of shots from the church tower shooting towards Romford, Brentford, Southend and then towards the Thames. A port area of the Thames whilst the commentary discusses the Saxon landings at Rainham. Shots of Rainham. The next sequence covers some of the old manor houses in the district, including Upminster Hall, now the headquarters of Upminster Golf Club. A section on parish churches shows Cranham Church and Rainham Church before returning to St. Andrews Church, Hornchurch. At Corbet's Tey we see the smithy, explore the district and visit Warley Woods. Transport scenes, showing cars and buses. Scenes of streets, houses and shopping facilities in suburban Hornchurch. At a plastics factory at Ardleigh Green male and female workers in the offices at work on the production line. A sequence, showing a train speeding through the countryside and then arriving at Hornchurch station explains that Hornchurch is largely a dormitory town. Local government. There are scenes taken of a polling station on polling day, showing a woman casting a vote. There are shots taken inside the Council Chamber, showing the outgoing Chairman of the Council handing over the chain of office to the incoming Chairman of the Council. Dramatised shots of a bemused ratepayer opening his rates bill are shown either side of a section that shows how the rates are spent. Council services include refuse disposal. There are scenes shown at a landfill site, showing how some commodities are collected for recycling. A section on sewage disposal shows scenes of the water quality being checked in the laboratory. Council employees trim the verges and cleaning the streets. There is an exterior shot of a library, of sports facilities, parks, street lighting, the fire and ambulance services. The bemused ratepayer in his chair still looks perplexed. A new housing estate is planned and shown in the construction stages. A completed house is shown to the camera. This is a private estate, with houses for sale. The next estate shown, Hacton Estate, is an estate of prefabricated houses, designed for rent. Gradually, these are acquiring individual characteristics as people develop gardens. Local schools are shown. At the Hacton County Primary School, children play in the open air. There are exterior shots and interior shots of the woodwork shops at a Secondary School. At a recreation ground a game of cricket is in progress. The Haynes Park Bowling Club play bowls at Haynes Park and there are football matches played at Upminster Recreation Ground and Harrow Lodge.

Featured Buildings

Cranham Church; Rainham Church; St. Andrew's Church, Hornchurch; Upminster Hall; The Council Chamber; Hacton County Primary School

Keywords

Housing; Local government; Urban development

Intertitles

The Manor Rule. The Parish Church. The Present Day. You elect your council. The work of the local authority. The immediate future.

Other Places

Ardleigh Green; Corbet's Tey; Cranham; Rainham; Upminster

Manifestations

A Good Name

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