Pathe Films – a glimpse into our gardening past

Bomb crater, blitzed gardens 1942

London. M/S of Westminster cathedral, the camera pans across to a bomb crater near it which has been turned into a garden. M/S of Mr Hayes who has grown and tended the flowers and vegetables. Various shots of him in the garden.

Various shots as girls of the National Fire Force walk into a big allotment with their gardening tools. The garden has been grown where rubble used to be and now boasts a variety of vegetables. Various shots as the girls tend the garden. C/U’s of little tomatoes and apples. M/S as cabbages are gathered.

See the video here.

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War Garden Parade 1914

World War One; home front; agriculture; war work; war gardens. Produce from village war gardens on display. Opens with parade. Man leading horse pulling a wagon of produce and Union Jack stuck on front. Boy Scouts walk behind the wagon carrying gardening tools and flags. Then a local marching band. This procession comes marching into town square; as other people watch. CU lots of lettuces; other vegetables piled high on truck; pan to men standing beside truck; and another truck loaded up with marrows and potatoes and things — less leafy than the other one; continue pan to more people and another truck — this one is sort of decorated with vegetables and flowers hanging on it!

Shot of rally/ meeting with crowd gathered in front of a building — line of priests stand on platform in front of building’s long porch and a long balcony overhead is also packed with people. More of people bringing produce — a small donkey hitched to wagon; little Boy Scouts sit on curb; more horses; wagons; food.

See the video here.

Bomb crater allotment at a house in Bayswater 1942

London. Various shots of a house in Bayswater. Various shots of a bomb crater in the garden, the owner has adapted it into an allotment which grows vegetables and flowers.

See the video here.