Lincolnshire A Century on Film – Reel 5 Hope & Glory?

DVD PAL

Reel Five covers the early years of
Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, when post-
war austerity was giving way to
exciting new developments. Tractors and
combines were replacing horse power; at
Lincoln Central station, busy with
passenger and goods trains, the skyline
was transformed by the construction of
Pelham Bridge, opened by Her Majesty
the Queen; a major South Holland
institution was born as the first
annual Tulip Parade brought colour and
excitement to the streets of Spalding;
in Gainsborough, the opening of a new
petrol filling station was a cause for
celebration; Louth had its new grain
silo and maltings; and the Scartho
scouts were building their own swimming
pool.

But tradition was still very much in
evidence. The Belvoir Hunt was in full
cry again; trawlers set out from
Grimsby, one of the world’s great
fishing ports; there were paddle
steamer trips to Spurn Point; a sewing
bee was held in preparation for the
village fête, where bowling for a pig
was still the highlight; and at a
Sleaford secondary modern school, the
curriculum included agriculture, metal
work and the baking of rock cakes.

But despite the air of calm and
security, the WVS were learning to
build emergency cookers in case of
nuclear war; and with the swinging
sixties just around the corner, a
traditional family holiday at Skegness
now seems to mark the end of an era.

• Running Time 70 mins approx
• PAL DVD