On thread 1930's Cine film of Newbury I explained how many bits and pieces of home film taken in 1930 by a H.T. Cadd of Newbury had come into my possession and I was collating them into a viewable DVD.

As an amateur I am pleased to say that the project is completed (a professional would not say that ) and I would be pleased to supply anyone who is interested with a copy (free of charge I hasten to add).

Bearing in mind some of the "goings on" that happen on the web I can understand that people are not keen to supply home details to some unknown stranger so I would like to call on any suggestions as to how this distribution could be achieved. It has been suggested U-Tube but the whole DVD is 1 hour and 5 minutes long and almost 4 gig. That is a bit big for uploading. Admittedly the parts that I can specifically contribute to Newbury (1935 Carnival Procession, Regatta on the river) could be uploaded to U-Tube but it is the DVD as a whole that is fascinating not just it's separate parts so I don't want to go cutting it apart.

Is there a Cine Club or Old Film Society of some sort in Newbury that would undertake to pass them on? Just somewhere neutral that people would not be wary of contacting and to whom I could send copies. Or some society that might even copy the DVD for others to be able to view. There is no copyright on on memories of the past. I leave it to any of you good people who are interested to help in this matter.

Dave Smith

I can arrange to copy and make available DVDs for anyone interested. I could put several copies for collection in a Newbury shop (Natures Corner) and people can just pop in and ask for one. A letter to that effect in the Newbury Weekly News would make Newbury people aware who don't do .net.
If you think that is a reasonable solution, then PM me and I will give you my name and address.

Brian
              One of these days I will get the hang of how to work this forum. I keep doing things wrong.

Terrific idea if that is OK with you. Have sent a PM with my phone number if it is any easier.

Dave Smith

Just to confirm that anybody who wants a copy of the DVD along with David's explanatory letter, they are available, free of charge, from 'Nature's Corner' in Bartholomew Street opposite the entrance to Kennet shopping. You don't have to say who you are, just ask for a copy and it is yours to keep.
I plan to drop a note to the letters page of the Newbury Weekly to say that they are available to anybody with an interest but Newbury.net gets first shot.
Enjoy

Popped in to NATURES CORNER today,first visit,thought it was a petshop,nice surprise to find a couple of useful things....powdered semolina![rare],and obtained my DVD .....came home,tea and a biscuit,and settled down to watch......very good,too....WELL DONE  Mr Smith.....nicely done,the sound track you applied was superb,and helped it along tremendously...Thats my first viewing,now to go frame by frame,and glean out some clues,if poss, on some of the locations of old Newbury.......will be in touch.

Hi Dave

I have watched the DVD twice now, you have made an excellent job of the cine film and the sound is brilliant. I find it so fascinating watching the subjects posing for the camera on many of the clips, and being real people from Newbury makes it extra special. I will treasure this DVD. Well done and thank you.

the marina piece,we think, is from Great Yarmouth......the pub is the clue.

Thanks Uncle, another piece of the jig saw to chase up. The places this young man got to! As it is turning out he seemed to have filmed everywhere but Newbury. Just goes to show that one should not assume anything.

Dave Smith

Not much of Newbury in the films, but they're still interesting.

Brian and Dave, I'll buy you a pint should our paths ever cross.

Quoted from Uncle

the marina piece,we think, is from Great Yarmouth......the pub is the clue.

Well spotted Uncle. From here on we are going to have to rename you Hawk Eye. As you say one can JUST make out a sign for the Falgate Inn, Potter Heigham. This looks like the Potter Heigham Regatta and the boat going under the Old Road Bridge at Potter Heigham is the Princess of Light, one of the "Light" class of vessels built by Herbert Woods Boat yard. From the web site "Broadland Memories.Co.UK" one can see an exact view from the bridge as seen in the DVD. On the Broadland Memories site there is also a mention of ".....the Potter Heigham Village pageant which is mentioned in 1907 etc.......". An old photograph shows many persons attired in similar costumes to those on the film. I will now endeavour to find out if that section of the DVD is of the "Potter Heigham Village Pageant".

    23.3 you are quite right. Because of the home addresses on the boxes of film and my not knowing Newbury I made an assumption that these films were of Newbury. It looks very much as if I was wrong. They seem to be scenes of everywhere but Newbury. Please don't tell me that the Carnival Procession is that of Aberystwyth Carnival. The procession seems to be the only scenes of Newbury left.

Dave Smith

Uncle,
            Or Hawk Eye as I should continue to call you. The name on the "case" in the boat is T. Ridge and underneath Newbury. Is that the chap doing the paddling or the owner of the canoe? I would think that the chap is a friend of H.T.'s as he appears on later occasion. Another "clue" in the investigation.

Dave Smith

T Ridge was a man of many names - Thomas Steven James Bertram Ridge.

He was a wine merchant and landlord of the Burton House 1901-1939.  Of course he may well have had a son named Thomas which would be another possibility for the chap in the film.  The Burton House was a near neighbour of the Jack so it is entirely possible that he and Horace A Cadd were friendly (though he was 15 years older than Horace).

Not having seen the film (must get into town and get a copy),  I wonder if the boating is part of a local Local Victuallers Association outing? Horace and Thomas may well both go on their trips.

Quoted from blackdog

T Ridge was a man of many names - Thomas Steven James Bertram Ridge.

He was a wine merchant and landlord of the Burton House 1901-1939.  Of course he may well have had a son named Thomas which would be another possibility for the chap in the film.  The Burton House was a near neighbour of the Jack so it is entirely possible that he and Horace A Cadd were friendly (though he was 15 years older than Horace).

Not having seen the film (must get into town and get a copy),  I wonder if the boating is part of a local Local Victuallers Association outing? Horace and Thomas may well both go on their trips.

Blackdog,
                 All this is getting so interesting. It was UNCLE who noticed in the Regatta sequence a board advertising the "Falgate Inn, Potter Heigham". Following up on his lead I found a site Broadland Memories dedicated to the Norfolk Broads and a photo taken from the old road bridge at Potter Heigham (Nr. Grt Yarmouth) that was the same view as in the regatta sequence. It transpires that a regatta is held every year at Potter Heigham and so, again. it was not an event of Newbury as I had thought but one from further afield. At the same time Uncle noticed that in the fore part of the canoe a young man was paddling on the river was a "case" with a name on it. I was able to pick out that this name was T. Ridge. Newbury. This young man appears in another sequence skating on a frozen lake so I would assume we that H.T. Cadd and T. Ridge were friends and the information you have just revealed makes it all the more possible. Goodness. we have a great deal of information about the fathers but nothing about the sons. or any descendants who may in fact be the people who would really like to see these images of their forebears. I wonder what more will be revealed?

Dave Smith

Hi Dave

The 'Our Gallant Tank Corps' clip 59min 20s in, is Hungerford. The tanks are turning right into bridge Street, on this corner is The Bear Hotel but we don't get to see the hotel in any of the footage. The garage that can be partially seen on the left is now a BMW dealership. As they turn right, the gentlemen watching with bikes are in front of a low wall and two gate posts, the low wall and one of the gate posts is still there today. There is a view where the buildings are very dark, the large building is the old Hungerford fire station.

Mark.

yes,marcsie,it is hungerford....the single rowing boat scene[T,Ridge] looks like a stretch of river Kennet,maybe West Mills in the background?