Houghton-le-Spring in the Fifties

HOUGHTON-LE-SPRING IN THE FIFTIES Never before publicly shared colour cine footage of Houghton-le-Spring in the early 1950s from the collections of Houghton Heritage Society. We get to see the crowds and rides at the Lake and Market Place fairgrounds (inc. rides owned by Murphy, Culine and Jobson) during Houghton Feast, plus guests and members of the armed forces making their way into the parish church for the traditional Houghton Feast Sunday service. We also get glimpses of properties on Hetton Road in the snow, including the old Brewery and the cemetery, plus Houghton Secondary Modern School and its field which was eventually devoured by the A690 dual-carriageway scheme. There is a clip of the Rector, Rev Oswald Noel Gwilliam, at a function in a church hall, along with a hint of the Market Place's Wheatsheaf pub, and a special scene of a wedding at Mautland Street Methodist Chapel. Also featured are the Rectory Park and a view of the Cottage Homes. Enjoy this rare footage for the first time!