History in Film

The year is 1902and this short film taken outside St James Church, Hull, is full of interest.
The year 1902 saw the end of the Second Boer War and the British Army adopt Khaki Serge instead of Red Coats, Vladimir Lenin was spending a year at the British Museum reading room, a man named Harry Jackson was convicted this year on fingerprint evidence, the first man to be caught this way.  During that year the Royal Navy introduced its first submarine HMS 'Holland,' a device some thought ungentlemanly,  then too Arthur Balfour became Prime Minister for a short while, his education act enabled local councils to build and run schools while Elgar's 'Land of Hope and Glory' had its pompous premier.  That year saw Hibernian win the Scottish Cup and failed to win it again for 114 years, and the Ibrox disaster occurred when wooden planking gave way and 25 were killed falling through the gap with over 500 injured.  A new King was crowned at much expence, Edward VII became monarch after many years of waiting but I suspect he did not give up his many other women just because of the job.  The citizens of Hull would have flown flags and banners, decorated the buildings and had a party to celebrate this great event, and drink a great deal I expect. 
This appears to be a well populated church with those from all classes in attendance.  In 1902 people dressed in their best for church and it is clear many here have the funds to dress well.  Many 'top hats' sit on heads, only the higher classes wore these while the middle class managers wore bowlers or similar.  Note how long it took all those to dress in the morning!  Service at 10 or 11 must have meant getting up at least three hours beforehand for the women.  Just think of the fuss in the morning as they struggled to get ready.  
Vast numbers of children tumble out, all as obedient as kids today I note, each one desperate to be in front of the camera.  Again it appears they are very middle class but behave as all young ones do.  I wonder how many were to read Kipling's 'Just So' stories that year or possibly E Nesbit's 'Five Children and It.' 
Almost all the men wear waistcoats with watch chain showing, some carry sticks, useful in rough areas, but all also wear those itchy 'Long Johns' and 'Granddad' vests as well as shirt, tie, jacket and overcoat!  How comfortable in the sunshine was that?  Most also had moustaches or beards, the 'Gillette Safety Razor' had only recently seen the patent application applied for and would not arrive for four more years.  Some say it was his success in supplying troops during the Great War that saw these razors become standard, most men in the picture would have used an open blade while shaving, hence the beards!  
Would these upright people have read Arnold Bennett's 'Anna of the Five Towns,' or Sherlock Holmes adventure 'The Hound of the Baskervilles?' 
The church was full but how many were there because of social convention?  How many were true believers?  Social pressure ensured full churches and the teaching, if good, affected the way society behaved.  The churches were less full after the Great War when faith was tested to the nth degree.
The church itself was demolished in the 1950's.
How interesting to look at people who no longer exist!  I wonder if they ever saw the film of themselves, what did they make of this new contraption that captured you on film moving about?  The young ones were all interested at the novelty, some old ones clearly disapproved of being filmed, was there a fascination with the wonderful new inventions that kept arriving in those days?  Did they see the future of the world as a glorious experience?  Could they imagine it all going wrong a few years later?    

The Blurb on YouTube is this:-

 

Gy Jones.

This is a congregation leaving St. James Church in Hull, England in 1902. A rare view right into the turn of the century (most of the films from this time are in extremely murky condition). Set at a natural speed with some added sound ambience to give it the feel of a looking through a time machine. The film is from the Mitchell and Kenyon collection.

 

 

Our History Mate

The exhibition goes over the 60's 70's and 80's, three dramatic decades for those who lived through them all, not always enjoyably it must be said.  The 60's were the best musically, so much invention and wonderful stuff from the USA west coast in particular.  On top of that the attitudes were very different, at least at face value level, at heart human beings never change.  The Hippy days if peace and love were a delusion but an enjoyable one, however for most they were hidden behind a veil of drugs that brought many an early death.
The 60's brought the Vietnam war among other things and while the 'West' enjoyed material prosperity (I got £5/10/- a week in '66) some 50 million were being killed in the 'Cold War' in Africa, Central and South America, South Eats Asia and elsewhere.  We were protected by 'M.A.D (Mutually Assured Destruction) and several million men spread across western Europe. A few thousand nuclear bombs kept some awake but not all of us.

Fashions changed somewhat and it is noticeable how many women donated aged dresses for the exhibition and not one man!  I suspect some men are still wearing things bought in the eighties, I would be but they appear to have shrunk in the wash.  I doubt my flares would fit and I seem to lack the desire to wear such these days.  80's fashion, like its music, was vile!  Men with permed hair and rolled up sleeves singing puerile songs did not do anything for me especially as we were faced with the totalitarian Thatcher regime.  Today Thatchers daughter lack both her brain and her heart and few would have expected that to be possible.  The 70's began well and for me was the worst decade of all however this changed near the end when God began to really do things in my life.  The music died around 1974 and was replaced by 'Abba!'  Platitudes, empty ballads and glitter ruled the radio waves, not in my house. 

There was of course two wars at this time, the Falklands war that generated much attention and the IRA Provos shooting people in the back in Northern Ireland generating the UVF and others to offer needless reprisals.  The UK got fed up with this war and wished it would go away especially on the occasions the IRA set off bombs around the UK.  London however (apart from me) did not panic in a manner we see today re Islamic terrorists.  We handled the Irish problem far better than the Islamic one I say.  
The Falklands saw as needless a war as can be imagined.  While ruining their country the military Junta decided to avert attention with a landing on the 'Malvinas.'  They lost around 3000 dead we around 3 billion pounds and a hundred or so men.  One or two ships went down and all in all the whole thing was ridiculous.  How easily wars can be begun for wrong reasons, how difficult to finish and how often those responsible walk away scot free.  Are you listening Mr Blair?

  
The Beatles are not what they were, I wonder if they have not been eating right?

The thing to have in the 70's for young men and no doubt a lot of females was a 'Chopper' bike.  These American styled bikes were popular but too flashy for me.  I had to use my sisters bike years before and others obtained what they could and added 'Cowhorn' Handlebars to their junk bikes.  I think I would rather have one of those than the 'Chopper.'
At the time I used the bus or a proper bike I now remember, cycling to London for a cheap holiday.  Ha! 

I know you girls all dressed like this when at work.

Mary Quant came along at the right time and changed fashion in the 60's.  Born in 1934 she became famous in the 60's with mini skirts, which I noticed occasionally, and other things I didn't.  She, unlike so many, married a husband and was still with him when he died in 1990.   At 83 she does not design much today I would think.  

Fashion

I was thinking today about my desperate desire to obtain the purple corduroy, safari jacket that once meant so much to me. I wished to add it to the maroon cords that I wore in days gone by. It seemed just right at the time. However I could never afford the £5:10/- that the jacket would cost. My hopes were dashed as I was only earning £7 at the most in those days. I yearned for years for that jacket, and sometimes, while howling at the moon I still do. A decent jacket is the only item of clothing that really matters to a man, and once he has the right jacket, with the right number of pockets (and why oh why is there never TWO inside pockets in a jacket), life is perfect. Men who fuss about other items of apparel are either under thirty, worried about getting old, or just very sad. The desire to appeal to the fashion conscious of today has long since slipped my memory, as anyone who meets me can tell. Some appear willing to go out of their way to indicate this!

I was listening to Joe Caulfield's show from last night, and very funny she is too, but it was interesting how she, and the women in the audience, thought the number of comments about fashion and relationships were funny! Joe often makes humour out of women's fascination with clothes! I mean, how can you find so many jokes about getting ready to go out? All you do is get ready, but no, a woman has to go to a friends, and get dressed there. No man would even think of this! Relationships, yes OK in their place, but don't go on about it. Some years ago a lass I worked with displayed the girls attitude to clothes well. Her man pointed out he had two pair of trousers, a jacket and a suit. She had three wardrobes! When the kids came along this lessened, but then the girls developed the same habit. He never changed, and probably still has the suit!

Anyway, 2007 has not provided me with much, and I cannot even fond the cord these days! I did eventually find some, not quite the same 'jeans' design, and costing £34! However M & S appear to have the correct thing. I bet they are expensive! I think it is time to wander round the charity shops again.

How to be an Idiot No 66.

Shopping!

Why women enjoy this type of thing I am not sure. But there are times it is indeed enjoyable to shop. Having managed to pay off my debts, and rejoicing in merely being on the breadline as opposed to under it, I went shopping with a glad heart and empty pockets. However, with the cold days approaching I had noticed my only good pair of trousers were rather too thin for the cold days ahead, so a thicker, warmer pair were required. Now for almost 25 years I wore cords. Blue, green, brown, maroon, almost any colour, Wrangler, Levi and preferably, cheap types!
Now however they cannot be found anywhere! Proper cords have disappeared from the shops as the indolent youth of today want strange shaped things they refer to as 'fashion! Ptah! Now as you know I am not one to complain, in spite of wandering about every suitable shop in the locale, and being unsuccessful in my quest, but complain I can. Far too many expensive goods on offer, and the only cords to be found were overpriced in M&S. Tsk!

However, I ended up in Tesco once again, and splashed out £6 on a pair of , what I thought, were suitable goods. These trousers appeared thicker than the ones hanging in the cupboard, they were an appropriate colour, the same as the pair in the cupboard, and were only £6, the same price I had paid months before when the sun rose early and shone all day - except when it rained. Anyway I took them home satisfied with my purchase and glad to be at last able to wander out amongst polite society without freezing things that are best not frostbitten. Let joy break out.

Today I tried these trousers on. For one thing they size on the label appears a lie, my stomach should not push against the belt like that, the others with a similar size label appear fine. The length is OK and the fabric , well the fabric is exactly the same as the original pair I thought too thin! The professional idiot has replaced his thin trousers with a pair exactly the same!

Is it any wonder I find it hard to get a job.........