Description: Note: time codes for individual films, made from DVD copies.

May Day

dur. 04:07

Intertitles: Labour Demonstration to Hyde Park; Waiting to Move Off.

We see men, women and children standing around in the street waiting. The march sets off and we see demonstrators carrying banners. Floats follow. One float, which seems to be depicting some kind of scene, carries a banner which reads: 'PACTS WITH FASCISTS BOMBS FOR DEMOCRATS' and a smaller sign reading: 'UNITY PEACE DEMOCRACY SOCIAL ADVANCE'.

(00:58) Another float carries American and French flags and banner reading 'UNITED WORLD DEMOCRACY WILL ENSURE PEACE' and another smaller sign reading 'WAR'S TARGET' with the image of something caught in crosshairs. Women march holding the ends of lengths of ribbon attached to an open umbrella being carried by a man, and two men march with a banner that reads 'SOCIALISM OR SMASH'.

Another float passes with signs reading 'ORGANISED LABOUR SAYS- RESIST CONSCRIPTION'. Another float has the image of a set of scales tipped on one side with the words 'Co-operative trading' and 'WEIGHTED IN THE CUSTOMERS FAVOUR'. Next we see a Royal Arsenal van and another van with the words 'R.A.C. Pharmacy dept.'.

We see men marching with various banners and holding up their fists to the camera as a protest symbol. We then see a demo block of women marching, and a tram passes the camera.

(02:30) We then see a closer shot of the 'co-operative trading' float. We now see that the back reads 'CO-OPERATORS COMBINE FOR COLLECTIVE WELLBEING'. In the background, we see a double-decker bus with an advertisement for something called Whiteways.

There is a tableau stage float with a woman sitting in a destroyed house and a number of men dressed as fascist leaders from different countries. On the side of this float it reads 'YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED NO FASCISM FOR BRITAIN'. Another float carries a group of people sitting together and carries the words U.S.S.R. BRITAIN FRANCE USA' 'DEMOCRACY FRONTIER'.

Other banners read 'WAR WILL CEASE WHEN MEN REFUSE TO FIGHT'. 'DEMOCRACY IS PEACE' 'USSR, BRITAIN, FRANCE, US'.

(03:15) Intertitle: At the Park.

Herbert Morrison at Hyde Park gives a speech which we see intercut with shots of the crowd.

Intertitle": The End

Help for Russia

dur. 08:45

(00:17) Intertitle: A Pictorial Record of Bermondsey's Great Parade, Sunday November 9th 1941

(00:36) Intertitle: The Home Guard

(00:45) The film opens with the Home Guard marching down the road watched by onlookers. We cut between different camera angles recording different sections of the march. What look like members of the general public, including some children walk alongside the Home Guard. This part of the march includes a block of men playing drums.

(02:38) Interitle: Civil Defence

We see the Civil Defence move along the same street. These men wear uniforms and are riding on vehicles that look like fire engines.

We see a marching band, followed by a horse-drawn float with a banner that reads "HELP FOR RUSSIA IS HELP FOR YOU!", and then more marchers wearing uniforms, helmets and carrying British flags. There then appears to be a block of the march of people in plain clothes, possibly regular members of the public, followed by two more horse-drawn floats. This is followed by a van carrying a section of a bombed house (seen more later). A number of cars follow, one has a horn attached to the roof.

(03:57) Intertitle: Tableaux by Civil Defence and Others

We see a float with a banner (which we are not able to read) and someone possibly impersonating Winston Churchill. This is followed by more marchers on foot and more floats. One horse-drawn float is being steered by a woman in a costume consisting of an elaborate dress and flower corsage.

As part of the 'tableaux' we next see a float carrying a section of a bombed out house with a woman inside, and a man in uniform standing by. Followed by a van float with two signs: one reads: 'BERMONDSEY'S AID FOR RUSSIA WEEK', the other has a painting of the Grim Reaper, a nazi, and another figure and reads 'YOUR MONEY MEANS DEATH TO NAZISM'.

(05:04) We see a float carrying two men dressed as Uncle Sam and Joseph Stalin, as well as a third character that it is harder to identify.

More floats, including one with a large banner reading: 'HELL FOR LEATHER HELP FOR RUSSIA', one carrying a coffin with a swastika on it, and another with a hanging effigy of Hitler, British and Soviet flags, and a sign reading 'BRITISH SOVIET UNITY WILL FINISH HIM OFF!'. We see another float carrying mostly young women, towing a cart carrying a sign which reads: 'BERLIN WE ARE COMING!'

(06:00) We see a group of nurses in uniform standing with wounded men, as well some women in rural-looking clothes. It may be that these men and women whom the nurses are with are supposed to represent Russian civilians. This group is then seen on a float labelled 'Central Baths [unclear]' , where a nurse holds the pose of handing something to one of the women in rural clothes. We the see an open lorry with women sitting out the back of it, followed by a group of marching women, possibly more nurses.

(06:40) We see another float with a man impersonating Hitler (joined by the same Uncle Sam and Stalin impersonators seen earlier. Three people sit on the back of this float and hold a large 'V' (i.e. V for Victory). We then see another float where one man pretends to beat another man who is laying on the floor of the float - the meaning is unclear. We see a cart carrying a hanging effigy of Hitler followed by people holding signs with slogans about helping Russia.

(07:13) Intertitle: Air Training Corps

We see young cadets being lead in a march by adults, as well as another marching band.

(07:37) Intertitle: In the Park

The march culminates in a park. We see some members of the general public looking at the camera. A speech is given by someone, who's clothes would indicate that they are a Mayor (most likely Albert Charles Starr, Mayor of Bermondsey 1929-1930; 1941-1944). We see the crowd watching the speech and two banners: one for the Bermondsey branch of the National Union of Public Employees and another with a hammer and sickle symbol and the words 'COMMUNIST PARTY'.

Intertitle: The End