Braintree, 1950's - Film 8711

A year in the life of Braintree, Essex filmed by an amateur cameraman. Amateur home movie. 1958 Snow, sledging. First Essex County Show on new site in Braintree hampered by sea of mud. Open day at College of Further Education. Fire at a plastics factory. Floods at Stisted and Bradwell. Thaxted morris dancers in the Market Square. The 'Changing Scene', the old river bridge at Shalford next to partly constructed new bridge. Steam gives way to diesel, scenes at Braintree Station of one of the last steam trains and its replacement by a single carriage diesel locomotive. Fox hunt by the Essex Foot Beagles. Steeplejacks demolish a chimney piece by piece at Warner and Sons. The gardens of Langleys House at Little Waltham. Morris dancers. More shots of the railway station. Streets in Braintree, demolition of a building by the Lloyds Bank on Bank Street and improvements to paved area. New large building under construction, possibly a school. Back to Bank Street and White Hart Corner, new building on old bomb site. Old buildings in the town being demolished or have been earmarked for it including many lovely old 17th to 19th century houses - philistines.