The scene from Melbury House

[Jukebag]

Came across this nostalgic piece of film from the late 60s/early 70s. Lots of classic cars to be seen driving about as everyday runabouts. Spot the black FHC E-Type S1 at the 7.05 mark, out in the rain, and a white TR4 or 5. You'd be lucky to see any of them on a scorching day let alone in the rain.

Notice noone having to wear those annoying hi viz jackets. Today even the bloke sweeping the water off the roof, and the bloke up that very tall tree would be required to wear a green hi viz jacket, not to mention a hard hat and safety climbing gear.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3CL0o4Zh6aw

Edited by Jukebag on Monday 3rd July 19:44

[Mr Tidy]

Thanks for posting that OP.

A glimpse into a an era when life was so much simpler!

[Jukebag]

I know the usual thing people would say: "noone looking down at their smart phones" etc. But for me, the thing that most people tend to take for granted is that we had far more privacy then. Today, every thing you do in public now is under constant surveillance, cameras everywhere destroying peoples privacy, when you're on a bus your filmed, in a pub, cafe, shop, restraunt, even going in the swimming pool with your kids you're being filmed. Even your emails can be read and your internet browsing is snooped on by intelligence agencies and gov departments, and departments like the NHS can have access to that information.

[Roy C]

"The Scene from Melbury House" was released on DVD in Volume Five - "Off the Beaten Track" - of the British Transport Films Collection.
Here are the sleeve notes:
"As a training exercise for their apprentice camera operators, British Transport Films used surplus "roll ends" lengths of film to record the varied daily lives of their neighbours as seen from the high roof of their building in London's Marylebone. The material was then composed into a shape not inappropriate to its musical accompaniment, drawn from the London Symphony of Ralph Vaughan Williams - who was also a neighbour and a friend of the unit. This is a very rare outing for this title, as very few prints were ever made."

I knew the area well as my grandparents lived nearby.

[aeropilot]

Fabulous....

However, I don't think its 1972.......from the brief glimse of a Police black Wolseley 6/110 area car going by, and the Met had long retired its fleet of 6/110's by 1972...!! The last ones delivered to the Met was in 1965.

I'd guess late it was late 60's......maybe 1968/69....as there is a Volvo Estate with white/yellow refective plates fitted, so its not before '67.

I seem to recall snow in London around xmas time in 1969.....so I'd go with xmas '69.

[Roy C]

Correct. 1972 was the release date of the film.
It was only shot and put together as an exercise and never originally meant for public viewing, so it wasn't created with any urgency.

The King's Troop Royal Artillery is shown riding down Lisson Grove (past the "Sea Shell" chip shop and The Globe pub), en-route from their original barracks in St John's Wood to Hyde Park for a ceremonial gun salute (a regular occurrence). They moved to a new facility in Woolwich in 2012 and the St John's Wood site was sold for £250 million.

Edited by Roy C on Wednesday 5th July 07:04

[Riley Blue]

Jukebag said:

I know the usual thing people would say: "noone looking down at their smart phones" etc. But for me, the thing that most people tend to take for granted is that we had far more privacy then. Today, every thing you do in public now is under constant surveillance, cameras everywhere destroying peoples privacy, when you're on a bus your filmed, in a pub, cafe, shop, restraunt, even going in the swimming pool with your kids you're being filmed. Even your emails can be read and your internet browsing is snooped on by intelligence agencies and gov departments, and departments like the NHS can have access to that information.

Bizarrely perhaps, but I didn't think any of that. I simply enjoyed a short film about London in the 1960s.

[TorqueDirty]

Riley Blue said:

Jukebag said:

I know the usual thing people would say: "noone looking down at their smart phones" etc. But for me, the thing that most people tend to take for granted is that we had far more privacy then. Today, every thing you do in public now is under constant surveillance, cameras everywhere destroying peoples privacy, when you're on a bus your filmed, in a pub, cafe, shop, restraunt, even going in the swimming pool with your kids you're being filmed. Even your emails can be read and your internet browsing is snooped on by intelligence agencies and gov departments, and departments like the NHS can have access to that information.

Bizarrely perhaps, but I didn't think any of that. I simply enjoyed a short film about London in the 1960s.

Yes and let's not miss the irony that everyone in the film was presumably filmed without their consent. Did I briefly spy a "Naked Lady!" in the window of one of the flats. Guessing no one knocked on her door (oooh err missus) and asked if that would be OK.

The other thing that leaps out at me is that few (if any) of the people in the film are grossly overweight (unless the above mentioned naked lady was in fact a rather feminine man with Moobs). Perhaps it was the editing but I doubt it. Boiled cabbage 5 times a probably played a part in this!

A wonderful film that made me both smile and feel old at the same time - even though I was born just about when this was shot.

I love the gentleness of the film. Nobody seems to make short films like this anymore.


TD

[Mike-tf3n0]

It was indeed a gentler age, In the early 60s I was commuting into Marylebone on the last of the steamers and then the very modern diesel railcars. At the time this film was made I was living on Kensington High Street and working on Berkeley Street, it vividly recalls life then and I have watched it several times with great pleasure, there was nowhere better than the Royal Borough on a sunny Sunday morning for a gentle stroll and a pint! I wish I could afford to live there again but doubt I would like it as much!