Join us for a special screening and talk by Professor Ray Johnson MBE from Staffordshire Film Archive for a fascinating look at days gone by in Stafford District and surrounds.

This screening will feature a specially curated programme of archive films and footage from the Staffordshire Film Archive showing some significant events and heritage films relating to Stafford and districts history. Ray will host the evening and provide an engaging and enlightening talk to help bring the archive films to life. Footage shown on the night will include footage about the salt industry in Stafford, Cannock Chase, canals, railways, and lots of other interesting local footage about where we live.

Content will include:

• Arrival at Stafford Station, 1940s

• Staffordshire Hunt at Seighford Hall 1934

• English Electric producing the first diesel-electric passenger locomotives 1949

• A Walk along Greengage Street with Geoff Elkin (Brine Baths etc)

• Lotus Shoes - factory scenes 1954,

• Queen Mothers visit to Lotus in 1953

• The Salt Industry - film and recollections of Salt Works on Stafford Common and at nearby Baswich 1960s

• Cannock Chase - opening of Beaudesert Scout & Guide Camp by the Princess Royal in 1938

• King & Queen on Cannock Chase 1942

• Surveying and building Stafford Bypass 1959-1962 - first stage of the M6 Stafford Rangers at Wembley 1972

This screening is bought to you courtesy of the Staffordshire Film Archive (www.filmarchive.org.uk). The archive was founded and developed by Ray Johnson MBE and is housed at the Media Archive for Central England (MACE) (www.macearchive.org). Alongside thousands of original archive films are many hours of complementary material generated by Ray to inform and enhance the films; interviews, relevant audio/visual materials and complete documentary video productions - several broadcast on television here and abroad.

The Pocket Film Festival activities have been made possible with support from Film Hub Midlands through funds from the National Lottery. Film Hub Midlands support people to watch, show, and make films in the Midlands.