Pinner Cine Society Scrapbook For 1983/1984
Super 8mm film Colour Sound 1983-1984 20:06
Summary: A selection of films including; Harrow marathon; Shrove Tuesday; Opening Visual Arts Exhibition; Pinner Fair; Opening of Safeway in Pinner; police tug-of-war; Pint-to-Pint race; Pinner fun day; Filming "wrapping a parcel" at PCS.
Title number: 20083
LSA ID: LSA/26533
Description: The film starts with the Title Card ‘Scrapbook for 1983/4’ from Pinner Cine Society.
The first film clip opens with the hand drawn Title Card 'Harrow Marathon’; there is a long yellow banner with the Harrow Marathon on it attached to some railings by the junction between Long Elmes and Headstone Lane. The runners are seen running round the corner and along Headstone Lane (in the direction of Hatch End) wearing sports wear of the time and displaying running numbers on their chests. They are sharing the road with a variety of cars from the time including Ford Escort's and Cortina’s, a Volkswagen camper van and a green local bus. Some spectators line the street. Towards the end of the clip an attendant for the event is seen wearing a yellow vest marked with London Road Runner Club and waving a red flag, standing in front of some houses. The runners shown in the film are from the previous years marathon, 1983, as per the narration which also mentions that they hope to have about a thousand entries, each raising sponsorship for different charities.
The following clip opens with another hand drawn Title Card (in the same style as before) reading Shrove Tuesday Pancake Race. The narrator mentions that it took place on the Sunday before Shrove Tuesday. There is a large crowd of people standing in the High Street (outside the Pinner Parish Church - St John the Baptist). The spectators are wrapped up in coats and hats as it is winter. Local Pinner resident and celebrity, Ronnie Barker can be seen talking to some of the crowd and then later seen holding a collection tin and chatting. The town crier walks through the crowd, and interacts with a laughing girl. The crowds are also watching a group of Morris Dancers in their costumes. Unfortunately the sound drops out so they dance in silence. Contestants are seen signing up for the race, crowding round a table, a list of names being written down. We see one of the races, with a group of a half dozen women runners, taking place. they run down Pinner High Street (we can see the Parish Church in the background) flip the pancake then run back for the finishing line. We see a second race with children running towards the town crier at the half way mark shaking his bell against his leg. The last race we see is the morris side preparing to race down the High Street, though this time safely on the pavement, with the fool in the middle. They pass the camera with a skip in their step and the item ends with a group of children practicing tossing pancakes as the narrator asks, "Does anyone want a well used pancake?"
As the music changes we see tree lined streets, with pink blossom on the trees, perhaps showing the changing of seasons, moving into late April. We lose the voice over at this point but the visual shows first the outside of ‘Gayton Library’ before cutting to a meeting inside. The meeting is a launch for this years annual Visual Arts Societies' Exhibition with the members of Harrow Arts Council from the 14 - 28th April. We then see a number of people admiring the exhibitions, including paintings, photographs and ceramics adorning shelves and tables in the hall. The camera focuses in on a mounted poster showing the activities of Pinner Cine Society.
The film then goes back to the outside for the Spring bank holiday Pinner Fair. It’s a sunny day for the fair, the camera person is on the Ferris wheel and we see Pinner from the this point of view, going round the big wheel, with views across the shops, houses, and trees. Around the wheel are fair stalls and a helter skelter. There are various shots of the fair arriving along the streets in the centre of Pinner, large lorries looking like they might be stuck getting around the corner, three policemen are discussing something in shot before heading to help, children on bikes and adults watch. The fairground is in view, a selection of different rides and a lot of people; rides include an old fashioned merry-go-round as well as more modern rides. There are a lot of people. The camera team returns to take some night shots with a low light camera to film the fair ground staff dismantling the fair and cleaning away.
A new supermarket opens in the film sequence "Safeway comes to Pinner" announced with another illustrated title card. A sandwich board announces the opening on Tuesday 19th June at ten There is a large group of spectators and potential customers waiting for the supermarket to open, outside; inside the employees look ready for the customers; a brass band plays outside, and there are some scenic shots of Pinner buildings from the upper floor of the car park as well as the cars parked there.
The next clip is the "Police Tug-O-War" with yet another title card, on Little Common, Pinner. The groups taking part were ‘E Division, Hertfordshire Police, Running Horse (possibly a pub) and DPG.’ The two teams in battle were E Division and Running Horse, according to the narration. One was wearing yellow shirts and one in blue and pulling the rope in opposite directions. They are in front of a crowd of spectators young and old watching the entertainment. Cars can be seen parked behind the crowd and a stills cameraman can be seen in some shots.
As well as the Police tug o war there was also the "Pint-to-Pint race" on Little Common a play on words with a point-to-point race perhaps. The event was held on Friday 6th July. A group of spectators watch and competitors start the race on the common, some dressed in fancy dress. They run to take a drink of beer there before heading off in the pairs (one in a wheelbarrow and one pushing) dashing into the town to the pubs in the race. Spectators line the park and then in the town as the competitors race towards the various pubs. They run past various town buildings on the pavement with traffic and spectators in view. A pub sign can be seen clearly, this is The Queens Head, Pinner's oldest pub. They race through the town and then come to a stop behind some buildings, possibly in a car park. The competitors stop there; get out of their wheelbarrows and head to a long table in front of wall that has a lot of full glasses of beer and a small crowd of people nearby.
The scene that follows is outside Pinner Village Hall, newly opened the previous year ; there is bunting around the building and a crowd of people standing in front. A few people are standing by the main doors facing the crowd, one is probably the mayor, who is wearing his formal dress. He is talking into a microphone. The crowds are then seen to applaud. Inside the hall there are a number of stalls selling bric a brac, outside there is a large animal shaped orange bouncy castle with a number of children on it. There is also a miniature steam railway offering rides for 10p; a number of children of varying ages parade around a ring in a variety of fancy dress costumes. There is a table display by ‘Harrow and ‘Wembley Society of Model Engineers’ showing a selection of model steam engines. Outside a number of police are there in uniform showing their police rover car and motorbike. A boy in an orange jacket is looking at the car.
The final clip is called ‘Wrapping up’ and a man is showing people how to wrap a parcel of goods in brown paper and string. This takes place inside a village hall. Three other people then come to the tables to start wrapping a number of goods. It could be a game show of some sort. There are a number of photographers and filmmakers in the hall with cameras and lighting equipment.
At the end there is a title card that says ‘That’s All, See you next year'.
Cast: Ronnie Barker; Mayor
Further information: The version of the film that you are watching on the website has been edited to remove offensive content.
Keywords: Suburban Life; Police Tug O War; Morris Dancers; Village fairs; Ronnie Barker; Pinner Cine Society
Locations: Pinner, Harrow
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