Description: “Heston Community Centre Carnival, Whit Monday 1947, Heston Park”. “Photographed by Gladys Gollop and Ted Dean (Southall Cine Society)”. The carnival queen is led onto a float and climbs onto the throne fixed upon it. “Carnival Procession”. Two clowns wander past with a large brass band following behind. A truck with sea cadets passes by with a sail boat in tow. Marching drummers follow and the shop ‘Maxwell Hailing’ (Lithographic Plate Makers) can be seen behind them. Another marching band is followed by school children in fancy dress. The ‘Sporting Youth’ float holds a boxing ring with two boxers standing idly on the ropes. Hounslow Hospital has float number 17, with costumed nurses attending beds at the back of a truck. Butlin’s float has bikini clad ladies lounging on deck chairs and towels. More fancy dress characters follow including a Dalmatian, the tin man and straw man from the Wizard of Oz, and a witch. We see another float with a lot of bunting and wooden boxes with ‘Kellogg’ written on them. Another float passes with sand and people lounging. Heston Cadets, ‘Sjab Cadet Division’ has a period hospital scene on the back of its truck. More children in fancy dress come past.

We see a large crowd gathering. The mayor and other important guests are shown. “His Worship the Mayor introduces our M.P.” We see the Mayor and MP step up to a microphone. Flower maidens and prospective carnival queens parade up to the stage. “Crowned by Miss Pamela Bramah”. The carnival queen is crowned. “Heston’s Queen Valerie”. The queen sits on her throne. “Presentation of the Queen’s Gifts to her retinue”. One by one young girls come up to the queen on her throne and receive small gifts. The queen gives her speech. “Good neighbours all, the day is yours! _”. Her speech continues amongst a few spurts of giggles which she quickly stifles. The queen begins a small procession.

A clown wanders past the screen. “Holiday Avalcade”. Eight young women begin a synchronised sports demonstration. “One hundred pigeons carry greetings to other Community Centres”. Several pigeons can be seen in a basket. The pigeons are released from the baskets into the sky. “The first messengers arrive...”. A man standing next to a stripy hut watches as two pigeons land on the roof.

“In the FLOWER SHOW marquee”. “The judges at work”. Two men look at the flowers on the table. We see a show card with first prize on it, place amongst a bunch of flowers. We see more flowers being admired by two ladies. Then we see more flowers. A woman looks closely at a jar of pickles. A man touches several sponge cakes, presumably checking for squidgyness, he then settles on one of the cakes and cuts a slice. First, second and third prize in the cakes are then shown. We can now see a table full of cacti with labels ‘Class 12’ and ‘Class 13’ next to them. “Display of Rug Making by our Handycraft Section” . A woman holds a sign saying “ALL MADE FROM OLD CLOHTES”. Now we see many floral and print rugs.

We see the large crowd gathered on the green. A marching band parades by. A mother feeds her child from a milk bottle. “PUNCH & JUDY by Mr. Stanley Harvey”. “as in the film ‘CAPTAIN BOYCOTT’”. We see children gathered around a Punch and Judy show. “KIDDIES CORNER”. A miniature railroad track stretches across the green; children sit on the train as it rides down the tack. A young girl rides a white horse. A horse and cart pulls along a group of five children. “Judo – by Mr. Koizuma & members of the Budokwai”. We see a man give a judo demonstration on his own, perhaps illustrating appropriate ways to fall. Then we see the judo demonstration in action as two men repeatedly throwing each other to the ground. “May I have this one with you?”. The two men take a few steps together before resuming their judo throws. “How it is done – in SLOW MOTION”. The throws are shown again, this time in slow motion.

We see people sitting outside the medical tent. “Grand Pageant: Elizabeths of England”. “On a summer’s day at Tower Green, London”. A medieval themed stage with people in period dress, a man reads from a scroll as others watch on. “Oyez, OYEZ! The mighty Spanish Armada – DEFEATED! AD 1588”. People cheer. A horse a cart pulls up. More costumed people arrive. “The First Elizabeth”. A woman dressed as Queen Elizabeth I walks across the green and onto the stage area. “Rise! Sir Walter!”. The Queen knights a man then returns to her horse and cart. Children cheer. A medieval dance takes place. Children dance around a maypole. “An autumn day at Glamis Castle, Scotland. A.D. 1936”. A boy rides a motorcycle in a circle. A man wearing a Tam o' shanter gives a speech at a podium. “..Crowned today at Westminster – our own Elizabeth – Queen! A.D. 1936”. People cheer. Men and women dance together in kilts. Women demonstrate highland dancing on the stage. “Another Elizabeth – who sends personal greetings to Heston. A.D. 1947”. A quick scan of a typed letter dated 1947 and signed off by the Lady in Waiting. Crowds gather. “Our Carnival Queen symbolising the Third Elizabeth, greets the Vanguard Crew”. The Carnival Queen gives another speech.

“RABBITS!!”. We see people holding down a row of bunnies. A rabbit chews on some straw in its hutch. “The Bashful Buck”. A white rabbit’s ear flops over. We see more rabbits in cages and people crowding round to see them. “LIONEL MARSON of the B.B.C. auctioneering at the Flower Show”. A crowd gathers around Lionel Marson as he auctions items. “Heston Cavalcade of Sport: With National and International Champions in Tennis, Running, Swimming, Skating, etc.”. “LIONEL MARSON introduces...”. Lionel speaks into the microphone. “Lorna Kerswell, English Amateur Winter Tennis”. “Heston & Isleworth Boys Association FOOTBALL TEAM”. “Irene Bennett, Middlesex Junior Diving Champion”. “Frederick Wooldridge, County Swimmer”. “Sylvia Cheeseman, All England 200 metres Champion”. “Horace S. Oliver, Marathon winner”. “Alec Olney & George Beaton”. “Thames Valley Harries –“. “Ken Ansola”. “Jack Wigley –“. “and Alec Olney”. “Henry Howes, Skating Champion”. “Johnny D. Cronshey, World Champion Skater”. “The Queen’s Head, Dart Club”.

A crowd gathers behind some bunting. “Choosing lucky programme numbers”. A man speaks into the microphone, a large crowd watches him. “Mammoth Tombola”. A giant tombola is taken off a truck and carried onto the stage. A man dressed as a magician turns the tombola enthusiastically as a blonde woman stares into the crowd. A woman walks onto the stage. “Mrs. Hinks wins the armchair (and ‘moves’ in)”. She sits on the chair with a child on her lap. The Carnival Queen watches the tombola being spun again. “Our President presents...”. A woman in a wig is given a silver bowl. Two other women receive prizes and stand next to her. We see a man waving his arms in the crowd. “Who said I was shoving?”. Girls in white dresses and tiaras sit in a row. The Carnival Queen steps up to the microphone and gives another speech. “The Queen says “GOOD NIGHT”. We see a sign for the military tattoo. A man dress as a beefeater comes up to the microphone. “The Searchlights were not there –“. “Thanks! Mr Shinwell”. A shot of the crowd is hard to make out as the light quality is poor. “Did this really happen? Or was it just a dream?”. We see a man’s feet in black shoes wriggling in the grass. He appears to be wearing a royal cape on back to front, like a duvet, his crown is wonky and his eyes are closed. END