21st Anniversary Celebration of the Granting of the Charter to the Borough of Sutton and Cheam
16mm film Colour Sound; Silent 1955 15:28
Summary: 21st Anniversary Celebration of the Granting of the Charter to the Borough of Sutton and Cheam
Title number: 688
LSA ID: LSA/897
Description: Fireworks introduce this record of the 21st anniversary celebrations for the municipal borough of Sutton & Cheam, marking the period between 1934 and 1955 . Sutton High Street is filmed decorated in celebration of the event, with the Municipal Offices on the corner of the High Street and Throwley Road bearing a banner across its upper corner with the dates 1934-1955. Inside the offices a council member leafs through documents before turning to pick up a roll of paper, which he unfurls revealing it to be the charter of incorporation carrying its wax seals. The next scene is announced on screen as 'The mayor views borough improvements from the air' and takes place at Surrey Flying Club. The mayor visits the clubhouse at Croydon Aerodrome before boarding a single engine propeller plane and taking to the skies. There follows a series of shots that appear to represent the locations the Mayor is looking down on, including a new car park, the Borough of Sutton & Cheam Ridge Road branch Library, and the Church of St Oswald on Brocks Drive, Sutton. Back at the aerodrome, the plane lands and the Mayor gets out. The final scenes record a Civic Service on Sunday 11th September 1955 at the Borough Sports Ground on Gander Green Lane with an address by the Right Revered Bertram Fitzgerald Simpson, the Lord Bishop of Southwark. Boys and young men in altar servers' dress are led by a man carrying the processional cross and walk out onto the grounds. In the audience a procession of medal wearing war veterans leads a group of Borough council members in robes including the Town Clerk, the macebearer and the Mayor. A brass band plays and the audience sings hymns from the grandstand. The Bishop of Southwark climbs on to a podium beneath the Union flag and the Borough flag, and addresses the throng. Amongst those present are brownies, sea cadets, girl guides, army cadets, cub scouts and boys brigade members. The Mayor joins the Bishop on the podium and takes the salute from the youth organisations as they march past.
Keywords: Boroughs
Locations: United Kingdom; England; London; Sutton; Cheam
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