Spotlight at the Fair

The annual mop fair in Stratford-Upon-Avon, including the roasting of an ox.

Edwardian holidaymakers throng to the attractions at Lancashire's premier seaside resort.

An enterprising family make the most of, not one, but eight seaside beaches dotted around the north of England, all in one summer.

The family enjoys a sunny but windy day on the pier in Clacton-On-Sea.

Carousels, doubling up on the helter skelter and an enormous key feature in the annual funfair on Mitcham Green.

A colourful miscellany of footage from both sides of the Pennines.

An actuallity film of a fairground carousel in action. Filmmaker unknown but it has been suggested it is R.W. Paul. The film was made on Hampstead heath, London, UK.

This captivating early film - by an unknown filmmaker - offers a glimpse of glorious Blackpool and the many delights it offers holidaymakers.

Michael Wood tells the extraordinary story of an ordinary woman in a time of revolution. Born during the reign of Henry VIII, Mary Arden is the daughter of a Warwickshire farmer, but she marries into a new life in the rising Tudor middle class in Stratford-upon-Avon. There she has eight children, three of whom die young. Her husband becomes mayor, but is bankrupted by his shady business dealings. Faced with financial ruin, religious persecution and power politics, the family is the glue that keeps them together until they are rescued by Mary's successful eldest son - William Shakespeare!

Old film taken in Lancashire, North England in May 1904.

From political conferences to the George Formby Society's annual bash, and Pleasure Beach to the weather, an Arena documentary on the seaside town of Blackpool and its history.

The best of the action from over 30 years of FA Cup finals at Wembley Stadium.

Short documentary film about Maryland, a corner of Stratford neglected by the Olympic ‘regeneration’. Seen through the eyes of veteran grime emcee Chronik.

Documentary featuring a cavalcade of Northern comedy stars including the great Frank Randle, George Formby, Arthur Askey, Norman Evans and many more. The North of England has always enjoyed its own very particular brand of comedy, best seen today in Coronation Street. 80 years ago however Mancunian Studios produced feature films for the northern masses. Funny Up North tells the story of the Mancunian Studios, its eccentric owner John E Blakeley and its cavalcade of stars including such household names as Arthur Askey, Jimmy Jewell, George Formby and the legendary Frank Randle. Hosted by Professor Chris Lee, the authority on northern cinema, Funny Up North takes you on a journey from its humble beginnings to its sad demise in the 1960s.

Lively holiday in Blackpool, with jazz accompaniment.

This Traveltalk series short visits several points of interest in England, including the port of Liverpool, war destruction at Coventry, the historic Warwick Castle, and Stratford-on-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare.

At the Tuileries funfair, a young woman moves through a universe saturated with lights, sounds and colors. Her smile seems unalterable, her eyes take in every detail with an almost unreal intensity. The attractions, the crowd and Paris appear as a mesmerizing show. As we lose ourselves in her gaze, we are carried to the edge of perception, where beauty reveals its fragility.

A scholarly king and his three companions swear off the society of women for three years, only to have a diplomatic visit from a French princess and her three ladies-in-waiting thwart their intentions.

In a small Japanese town, Ko-Ko is appointed to the unenviable position of executioner. Knowing he must successfully perform before the appearance of the Mikado in a month's time, Ko-Ko finds a suitable victim in Nanki-Poo, who is distraught over his unrequited love for the maiden Yum-Yum. Nanki-Poo agrees to sacrifice his life if he is allowed to spend his remaining days with Yum-Yum, who is betrothed to Ko-Ko. Filmed live from the 1982 Stratford Festival in Ontario.

Tommy Fawkes wants to be a successful comedian. After his Las Vegas debut is a failure, he returns to Blackpool where his father—also a comedian—started, and where he spent the summers of his childhood.