Scenes of Crewe 1974
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- Опубліковано 3 жов 2020
- This gem of a film was found during the summer of 2020 by Kim Madeley and given to me for historical archive purposes.
Shot on Super8 cine film with no sound, the 5 inch reel is simply labelled “Scenes of Crewe”. Although there is little detail about its background, it is known that the film was made by students of Dane Bank College and probably dates from around 1974.
It is believed that the film was a project for students in the college Arts or Media department.
There are four distinct “chapters”, with the opening scenes featuring activity at Crewe railway station. This is followed by a brief glimpse of Moreton Road as an introduction to Queens Park.
The third section features the Hilary Centre on Salisbury Avenue, and the film concludes with life on Nantwich Road in the area between Ruskin Road and Smallman Road.
Each chapter was shot direct to camera with no subsequent editing. The end result is not really about a cinematic experience and far more about those students behind the camera learning what worked well, and what less so.
The result, however, is an accidental but delightful record of a town just getting on with its business - caught at a moment in time that seems worlds away to us now.
This is a digitised version of the original Super8 which sadly had no soundtrack. I do not own the copyright to the original music added as a soundtrack for this upload.
Hi,my name is Phil I did 50yrs on the footplate 8yrs on steam i started at edgeley shed in 1961in 1962 I was made a fireman at Trafford Park shed in 1964 I moved back to edgeley I finished my time out at longsight as a driver i finished in 2011 Regards Phil.
This is so beautiful. I was born in 93 and we made our own films as students at South Cheshire college. I love being able to see a glimpse of the lives before I was around, when things were so so different. My favourite bit is the train driver messing around at about 3:45, and when you can see the students faces in the train windows
Also love the choice of music - Schubert Serenade, it's a piece of music that's very special to me. Thank you so much for this, and thanks to the people who filmed it!
Nearly 49 years ago, wow, how time has flown by.
As a 48 year old, born in Crewe I agree. All the best has gone.
What a delightful film, from a time when the World still had a modicum of sanity about it. I have worked on The Railway for 32 years so the content around the station held a special interest for me. The shot of the Commer vans near the end stirred some memories too, I served my apprenticeship on the Spanners when I left school in 1975 and used to work on those things, interestingly, they had Vacuum brakes, just like some rolling stock.
That's lovely.... memory lane...The Railway Station, Queen's Park and Nantwich Road... how things changed.
A right shithole now 😂
This is amazing to watch. I was an 80s baby but I truly appreciate history.
God bless you for this video
Are you from the Crewe area? 😊
Was born in the 80s in Crewe but much of that is as I remember it, particularly the park. What a wonderful find, thank you for sharing!
Loved watching the film, I was born in 1961 and my sister four years earlier, we've spent our whole lives in crewe dad work in the 'works' all his life and mum had various jobs started at fodens then at ERF then took up pub work and worked at the Prince of Wales on West Street for many years moving then to the pioneers club in underwood Lane, so many happy memories of visiting my nan and uncle John who lived in Hammond Street and going to critchleys butchers with her on a Saturday to get the meat for our dinner and tea, despite how crewe has turned out now the memories still linger on and it was lovely to watch this with a tear in my eye of past memories, oh I could go on forever but thanks for posting and please if you find anymore post aswell
It’s a gem, isn’t it? Thank you for sharing your memories Neil 👍
I lived in the Prince of Wales from 1969 until 1973 and attended Ludford st secondary until 1975. Crewe was a great town to live in, I used to enjoy going to watch the Crewe Kings speedway team and I still keep up with how the ‘Alex’ are getting on, even though I now live in Western Australia.
My grandad worked in the works from when he was 15 till about 70 , what was your dad called they may know each other
@@charlottedavis4824 hi charlXx sorry for late reply, my dad was called Dennis Walker otherwise known as Joe, he was a fitter and Turner then later on operated a crane there then lastly was a coil winder with a chap he called Walter, my uncle John Walker also worked there he was know as Harry, not sure what department he worked in, dad retired through ill health in the mid 80s and my uncle around the same time but he died in 1984 and my dear old dad lived into his 80s passing away in 2014, be nice to know if they knew each other
@@ptvfr800 hi my mum worked at the Prince of Wales as a cleaner and barmaid for many years, Jean Walker was her name and she used to take me there as a boy to play upstairs with the son of the landlord and landlady his name was Mark but can't remember there surnames, great memories
A lifetime ago a different world but great days and happy memories for me better world then.🎄😎
Such a shame Crewe railway station has become a shadow of its former self over the years. Being left to go to rot. With a lot of its roof lost,and the rest left damaged and leaking.
Run down is an understatement.
Definitely lost all its glory since my first ever visit in 1980.
Interesting video.
Crosville territory,another sad loss too.
THanks! Some great early 70s cars too. A nice park with big flower beds, hardly any litter and nobody on a mobile phone. I don't suppose anybody was even thinking "I could really do with a mobile phone now".
If only you could go back. Such simpler times I think
Hi Mike, you may remember me from Crewe Memories and the meet ups and Facebook page we used to have. It was good to see this, it made me smile because seeing old Crewe in action is so much better than just seeing pictures. Loved it x
Hi Belinda, good to hear from you and glad you liked the film.
Superb, the well known EN Carless bike and model shop is visible, spent lots of time in there, usually on the way to the Station where we spent even more time, simpler and probably happier times?
As a 16 year old born and raised in crewe. This was really cool to see but unfortunately crewe isn't like it was back then :(
Agreed :(
I don't know Crewe but was thinking along those lines. In particular those nice local shops. I'd be surprised if any of those were still there, doing the same business.
@@timhaigh2557 there not
All them shops are long gone. Crewe used to be a good town but unfortunately times change. Since all the political shite from the 80s😡😡💞💞💞💞
I’m afraid to say that nothing is like it was back then. Sone will say that’s a good thing but I for one disagree. England was a much nicer place
Brilliant, I was born in 1974 Crewe, thank you for this. :)
Whoever has uploaded this I thank you so much. This brought back so many happy memories 💞💞💞💞💞
Thanks so much for posting this. I spent a lot of time at Crewe in the early 70's around this time trainspotting :-)
Me too! Watching that group on the platform end at 4:28 reminded me how often I was there with friends scribbling down loco numbers.
Absolutely brilliant! Seeing around our home region in days gone by
Brings a tear to my eye seeing that again.
Thank you
I was born and raised in crewe, I am now 19. This is really interesting to watch.
Crewe is a shit hole now mate. Compared to then. It's changed sooooo much.
From Fraser Mitchell, husband of Leslie
I joind BR in September 1971, and went to Crewe for a few days at the Webb Training Centre on Wistaston Road to be introduced to the London MIdland Region. I have to say not much seems to have changed ! The station is now slightly less dingy, and trains can now rush through on fast lines whereas they always had to stop or crawl through at 25 mph. This was a legacy of the LMS, and before that, the LNWR and the train crew arrangements. Very few train crews from the south could ever get past Crewe, they always had to be be replaced by "Crewe men".
Of course BR passenger trains then conveyed more than just passengers ! There were parcels and other stuff, and you can see the trolleys used, some of the old type, and the newer "BRUTEs" (British Rail Utility Trolley Equipment". Mails were still swapped around between trains too, just like you can see in the film "Night Mail". Even with HS2 coming to Crewe, the station will remain broadly unchanged, I suspect, as the cost of a rebuild would too great.
Give my regards to Fraser, I’m sure he’ll recall me from the 4th floor of Rail House in Roth’s 1980s
@@mikechristelow944 From Fraser
Mike, you are well remembered !!
Glimpse of the Manchester Pullman there in its original livery behind 86218. And a Class 50!
Then it must have been before the northern section of the West Coast Main Line was electrified and the 87s still in the future.
@@danielsellers8707 Yes, the 87s would have been under construction just about then
Happy memories playing on those toys with my brothers in the 80s. Thanks for sharing this.
Good to see some stunning super 8 footage, i've started shooting super 8 the last 5 years or so .Stumbled across this tonight, takes me back to a memory of my 1st visit to Crewe Park around this time or later , i went with my dad ( guess 1974 0r 1975 was only 3 so earliest memory ) the Cafe was all Bricks on the floor, and a temporary mobile cafe was set up near by . ( as seen in this footage ) ( their was a fire in 1972 ) ,the boarded up part are remains of cafe so must have been after this footage, but a few years before the 1977 Cafe was built.
I was born in London but moved to Crewe in 2016 and I have to say I feel very sad as Crewe now is not much like it was back then.
I wish Les Ross would reinstate the headcode boxes in his 86 - would look amazing!
The only good news is there’s still a great chippy in walking distance of Crewe Stn!
YES i used to go train spotting 1974/5 and riding the trains, a mersey rover rail card at the time was 50p, would last all weekend and would take us down to Crewe - great days
So did I. You could go as far south as Crewe and as north as Preston. I'd almost forgotten about them.
Excellent. I was born in Crewe 1960 and I recall a great deal of this. Thanks for sharing.
Those carraiges look spanky new. Love the binos salut from the driver. Brilliant.
A wartburg night (car) for those who have never heard of them appeared in the street scene. The dealerships couldn't even give them away. I felt sorry for those who became unfortunate owners. If you were unlucky enough to be behind one on the move you couldn't escape its own built-in smokescreen from its micymouse 2 stroke engine.
Thankfully they are extint now 😁 .
Fabulous video. How times have changed in almost 50 years.
Remembering playing on that side in Queen’s Park on a Sunday afternoon and the park was looked after so much better then is now
Thank you for sharing ☺️
Wow thanks for posting this
Came across this by chance; brought back many memories. Was born in Crewe in 1948. Dad worked in RR since before WWII; oldest brother in BR. Spent two summers of 67/68 working on Crewe Railway Station; saw the last steam train pass through. After St.Mary's, was at Crewe Grammar (now Ruskin) on Ruskin Rd. So 1974 seems relatively recent! But a very nice film, unrepeatable.Thank you. Neil from Singapore
Thanks for posting.
Class 86s everywhere! I was a trainspotter around this time in London. The classic cars too! BL ADO 16s abound. (Austin/Morris/Riley/MG/Wolseley/Vanden Plas) . Rover P4 Mk1 Ford escort and Mk2 Cortina. Thanks for sharing
Manchester Pullman on the afternoon return from Euston on Crewe "middle road" with all grey and white coaches apart from a first class put into the rake.
I remember when one of the parlour cars got damaged at Longsight in 74 !
The driver of 86013 making the "binoculars face" with his hands looks like my dads's mate, Alan Roe.
I joined the railway at Crewe Locomotive Works in 1974 and was also attended Dane Bank College. Thank you for sharing.
Great to see. I travelled by train to South Cheshire college, Dane Bank Avenue from 1975 for a couple of years, walked back and forth on many occasions...
There are so many fascinating cars in the Abbey Road style zebra crossing segment; some big American car 13:55 (with a pedestrian blocking the view); Rover P4; Mk 1 Capri; a Wartburg! 😀
I think that's an early Toyota 14:50
Yes I remember the wartburg very well. My mates dad had one in gray . I think they were known as a wartburg night..in saloon or estate. One thing was for sure they were like a mobile smoke screen because of the 2 stroke engine 😁
Awesome scenes, memories flooding back. Hoped to see my Dad who worked on here. I love these intercity trains and station. Crewe Arms is nearby if I remember correctly. I was in Crewe last year shame about the indoor market all stalls closed and John who had the cafe has gone. Thanks for posting. My mom and I visited family from this train station many times in the 70s. Great vid.
@@michelles2299 what a shame.
There's not been a indoor market properly for years. Even before you commented last year. Only just seen this video and thought I would comment. The indoor market now, is just full off eateries and only one maybe two stalls that sell stuff. The old indoor market set up disappeared years ago.
Wonderful. A "gem" indeed.👍
Fabulous film. At the time I lived just up from where the last segment was filmed. I remember all those shops really well,especially the one on the corner of Smallman Rd & Carless & Challinors across from there. The corner of Ruskin Rd has changed a bit. The houses there are residential in the film & appear to still have their large front gardens which is just pavement now.
Superb, the piano background music a great choice.
it's the Standchen or 'serenade' by Franz Schubert. A classic.
This film took me back when I was a young man, I remember Queen’s Park and Nantwich road, nice film of Crewe as I knew it.
Wow, I love here and this is what it was like 40-50 years ago. There is such a massive difference
The footage was filmed post July 1974 as this was when the Commer Minibus parked outside The Hilary Centre was first registered.
Excellent. Spent most of my life here in Crewe, its home even though it has changed a lot.
Spent a lot to of my childhood at your house,your mum looking after me and my sister,good ol' days!!!hope you and all the family are good!!!
@@stevenoconnor1882 hi Steven, it's been a very long time! Unfortunately my mum passed away almost 5 years ago and my dad passed away last year. How have you been, are you still in Crewe?
@@mathewgallimore1484 really long time mate!!!I'm really sorry to hear about your mum and dad☹️yeh I'm still in Crewe, definitely not what it was when we were young!!!!are you??I've been ok mate plodding on with it you know,how have been?
@@stevenoconnor1882 yeah I'm back in Crewe, moved back here in 2004, spent 10 years down in Essex before moving back. I'm all good though, life has its ups and downs but no worse than others, keeping busy and getting on with life.
@@mathewgallimore1484 yeh same here,just crack on with it!never knew you went to Essex??what made you come back?
Wow this is a amazing video what sprung to my mind about 10 mins in to this video is the population of people to knowadays, and I use to love the colour blue and the yellow on the trains proper back in the day railways its a modernised knowadays but it Doesn't beat back in the 70s 80s and 90s, the good old days have gone but life goes on , godbless you ,, netty Lee
I grew up on Smallman Rd Mr Floods what a shop, Woods chipy and Jans sweet shop
Lived in Crewe for 40years a I loved the old Crewe, nowadays it's really not the same anymore. Sad really God bless Creweski .😢😢❤😂😂
13:46 I think that’s my old Geography teacher Mr Aston crossing the road in the brown suit and striped tie. He had a striking resemblance to actor Donald Sutherland from the film ‘Don’t Look Now’ (1973).
Magic, thanks.....................
I wish there was more of this
4.12 the dude suited and booted on the station steps is the late George Tomlinson (Toby jug) he was the BR plant and machinery manager....
I was put on a placement with B T Challinors "Wistaston Road" Shop (one of about four shops they ran in Crewe,others being in Hightown,Victoria Avenue)shop after starting at Bedford Street Annexe Student Training Centre which I did NOT really enjoy much.
Does anyone remember "Derek Carless,Model Model Shop"near there? The B.T Challinor's became Brigford's Estate Agents.
Any more Videos of Crewe town centre in the 70s & 80s? also any of Alsager from the same period?
I remember the Derek Charles’s model shop, opposite the end of Ruskin Road more or less. I was at the Boys Grammar School ‘76-81 so used to pop in every now and then.
Interesting film. I would suggest this is probably earlier then 1974. By 1974 line had been electrified to Glasgow and class 86 locos were replaced by newly built class 87
This reminds me of the time in 1974 i attended a weeks introductory course at LMR railway training centre for a graduate career in BR. Also of the time i spent with my uncle Reg and aunty nelly at Wollaston and visits to the railway signalling school and the Diesel traction depot.
There's a frame at 4:01 that shows the reflection of the camera operator holding his camera in the window of the passing train. Pause and use the < > keys on a PC or laptop device to move the film back and forth frame by frame.
I enjoy it very much
9:59 mins.When the ladies are been brought out of the ambulances,looks like the old Cheshire Constabulary Force Training Centre.Trained there 1985/1987 good memories.
Nice video ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐👍👍😎
As a product of 1975, I was about to be born into this town. It is a shame what has been allowed to happen.
Mr Floods shop on the end and woods chippy,lived round the corner carlisle st.
I love the ways men always used to wear shirts and ties everywhere!
I was about six then,happy days,when Crewe was a good town.
So why is Crewe such a bad town now ? and compared to where ?
Just as I remember it, although I think 1972. Reason, the Class 50 at the stations had gone by 1974, and the Class 87 is absent- those were introduced in 1973.
Oh Mr. Porter what shall I do? Want to go to Birmingham, they sent me on to Crewe...etc. Song and film, Will Hay
Thanks for posting that, I'd forgotten how drab it all was when we grew up! All you people with nice cars on Mobility have a look at the eggshell blue three-wheelers parked outside The Hillary Centre. That's what you got back in the day if you were entitled to a disabled vehicle - no choice,and any colour as long as it's blue. Old bloke next door had one, I remember being taken up to A&E in it after the dog bit my face as I'd repeatedly hung over the edge of the settee while it had a bone. Got a good hiding before I got sent for stitches for not doing as I was told. As you did!
Have you seen Crewe recently? Far worse now than it was back then.
love that scenes from nantwich road with volare song in the background
My goodness. The days when the little, blue Invacars were on the roads.
Absolutely fabulous.. notice the driver of the 86 at 3:40 mocking the cameraman. I wonder if he's still around.
You can actually see them improve. By about the 13th minute they're getting the hang of the zoom pan and the jerky movements are almost all gone. The exposure levels definitely need work, but that would be another class. People forget that you could not see what you took as you took it, or even immediately after. You had to wait till it came back from processing. There was so much groundwork needed to get it right. You needed to have your wits about you.
That would also use about 4 x 50 foot rolls of super 8 at 18fps, which gave you 4 ish mins per roll. I think it cost about 4 quid a roll by the 80's ( actually it was in a cartridge ), so it wasn't cheap then.
I found I enjoy going back to super 8 & have shot several 50 foot reels since 2018 , about once a year for certain things, makes you less snap happy & concentrate on the scenes, editing in camera
@@LyndonSoulGroove Yes, the old ways kept it relenent: they were more disciplined.
Watch everyone running across the zebra crossing as some cars never slowed down on nantwich road.
I have somewhat fond memories of the Motorails as Crewe was our first proper engine change as back then drivers and loco's went together as depots hoarded their engines like dragons eggs so the many changes and the weirdness at Carlisle where at some point a pilotman was required for the ScR driver to be allowed on MR metals as the 47 trundled along to pick up its consist to take to Carstairs where the train was split, new engine up front that was passed out to Stirling, then another engine to Perth and from Perth yet another engine change for the Inverness bound train. It was a union thing linked to forced demarcation I think ASLEF called it where if you listened to 'em BR would be forcing them poor men to drive all the way down from start to finish, learning the vast arrays of works books and route learning and so an engine and crew could only be made to work to the depots limit before having to turn back sometimes light then the idea dawned on BR... what if... we used the same engine and just rotated the crews in and out along its journey, ASLEF were not keen on that but how it works today say with a 390, one train, several crews.
Great reflection of the person behind the camera at 4:01 approx
Seeing as most of it apparently seems to be outside the the station it's a 7 out of 10 from me!!
The "head codes" on the front of the train engines definitely date this footage pre 1976 which was when these became superfluous. However, the lack of class 87 locos (introduced 1973/4) on the express services suggests this may be a little earlier than 1974, unless it is just luck that no 87's were filmed on the day.
The 87's were introduced for the demanding WCL up to Glasgow, which in 1974 had only just been electrified. Also, BR wanted to showcase the new fleet of MKIII's. So I guess they were around in '74 but mostly on those services. The trains we see are probably Birmingham/Manchester etc, and I did notice the Manchester Pullman running through the station in it's distinctive light grey coaching livery. This was a non-stop daily service to Euston, for the business class. It ran until circa 82/83. The class 86's were well up to the job for lengthy trains, typically 12 or 16 on (overnight sleepers for instance) but the 87's excelled themselves over Shap and Beattock, with 12 or 13 on. I recall the overnight Bristol to Glasgow Central with 18 on, sleepers and day coaches, but all MK I, so a class 86 was usual motive power as they had dual air/ vacuum braking. If you got a good run out of Preston, through to Carnforth, the 86's could handle the train, at line speed, flat out though!
Worked on rail house when they were building it...1968
Anyone else remember when the winds were bad in the 70s?
I have never been to Crewe, I understand it was a major junction and workshop, what is missing now? Has it been rationalized?
Was that Mr Flood's shop at the end on the corner of Smallman Road or am I not remembering correctly
Yes, that was Floods
Yes I grew up on Smallman Rd, you could get anything from Mr Floo
No chavs beautiful
Yeah the days before chavs! Those were the days.
A very good point.
The station scenes would be 1975 onwards as there are a lot of intercity MK3 rolling stock (built for the newly launched HST) on the trains which weren’t in service until 1975 👍
I think all the rolling stock is (apart from the obvious Mk.I vehicles) Mk.2d, e, or f. Mk.3 stock was originally captive to HSTs none of which were in service on the West Coast at this time. The Electric Scot service introduced in 1974 was all predicated on Mk.2 vehicles, Mk.3s can be easily distinguished by the roof runnels which ran the length of the vehicle and earlier vehicles did not have these. The Manchester Pullman switched to Mk.3 stock from May 1985.
All change at Crewe
9:05 the death slide, as modern health & safety would call it, in the 80's I just called it fun. Also concrete under equipment, back in the day you learnt not to fall off (well not twice at least)
I remember the seemingly endless warnings that criminal types were putting razor blades on the big slide and kids were getting big cuts to their legs. Smoked my first consulate at the top of the big slide around '79 as a 9 year old, my mate said your mum will never know coz they smell like mints, she knew.
Can anyone tell who’s music it is please ?
The credits at the end tell you, and if you click on the "Show More" under the description immediately above these comments the music is listed automatically by UA-cam.
@@mikechristelow944 Thanks very much Mike. Perfect music for the scenes
Looks like crewe used to be a nice place!
Spot the rare Reliant Robin van without the side windows at the 14:12 mark. Never seen one like that before.
Followed by a Wolseley Hornet!
Did you see the nearly new wartburgh Knight
Ahhh...when life was still good. Just.
Think I can see Rajas in the distance
Only been through on the train.
Bom dia, não tem tradução para o português do Brasil, estou na cidade do Rio de Janeiro. Congratulações!!!!!
Crewe
Film making is an artform which many don't realise.It is obvious this film was made by students and apart from this films historical interest it is difficult to watch. You can see they knew nothing about camera movement and camera dwell on subjects of possible interest. Trains are particularly difficult things to film and getting too close is one of the pitfalls.
Somehow a Poundland wasn't able to survive here lol
Plant and Machinery foreman George Tomlinson coming down the steps RHS at 4.20
And electrician John Morris
People who know train station and the hospital👇
Every so often the naïve kid calls it Cree-Wee
Looks very grey and poor. I don't think I'd like to live in a place like this.
We're all very grateful for that. I'm sure where you live is jolly spiffing.
It just happened to be cloudy when they filmed it.