Notice of a couple of shows of rare actuality film of Blackpool and the North West of England taking place this weekend in Blackpool. Organised by the British Film Institute, the North West Film Archive and the National Fairground Archive as part of the latter’s ‘Admission all Classes’ project, the programme is as follows:

Saturday 12th January

Pavilion Theatre, Winter Gardens, Blackpool

11.30am – BFI presentation of historic Blackpool

Blackpool High Tide (1913)
The Open Road (c.1925) Blackpool extract
Blackpool: A Nation’s Playground (c.1935)
Mining Review 2nd Year No 12 (1949)
Holiday (1957)

Grand Edwardian Magic Lantern Show

Professor Heard and company take us on a musical, magical excursion from the age of Victorian magic lantern show to the birth of the cinema picture palace.

2.30pm – North West Film Archive presentation of historic Blackpool

Blackpool Seafront (1899)
Royal visit to Lancashire (1913)
Prince of Wales visit to Blackpool (1927)
Blackpool Kaleidoscope (1963)

Grand Edwardian Magic Lantern Show

7.00pm – Electric Edwardians: the Films of Mitchell & Kenyon
With piano accompaniment
commentary by Professor Vanessa Toulmin

Sunday 13th January

The Grand Theatre, Blackpool

1.30pm – Mitchell & Kenyon: North Lancashire and Cumbria
Including:
Employees Leaving Williamson’s Factory, Lancaster (1901)
The Return of the Lancaster Volunteers (1901)
His Worship the Mayor Leaving Lancaster Town Hall (1902)
Opening of the Blea Tarn Reservoir (1902)
Panoramic View of the Morecambe Sea Front (1901)
Parade on West End Pier Morecambe (1901)
Parade on Morecambe Central Pier (1902)
Douglas Harbour Paddle Steamer (1902)
The King’s Ride in the Isle of Man (1902)
Employees Leaving Furness Railway Works, Barrow (1901)
Employees Leaving Messrs Vickers and Maxim’s in Barrow (1901)
Royal Visit to Barrow & Launch of H.M.S. Dominion (1903)
Workers at Carr’s Biscuit Works, Carlisle (1901)
Scenes of Carlisle (1901)

7.30pm – Mitchell & Kenyon: Central Lancashire
including:
Workforce at Horrocks Miller & Co, Preston (c. 1901)
Preston North End v Wolverhampton Wanderers (1904)
Preston North End v Aston Villa (1905)
Turn out of the Preston Fire Brigade (c. 1901)
Return of the East Lancashire Regiment (1902)
Preston Street Scenes (1904)
Whitsuntide Fair at Preston (1906)
Leyland May Festival (1905)
Les Montagnes Russes, Blackpool’s Latest Attraction (1902)
Blackpool North Pier (1903)
Steamboats at Blackpool North Pier (1903)
Blackpool Victoria Pier (1904)
Blackpool Promenade Extension (1905)
Lytham Club Day Carnival (1902)
Lytham Trams and Views along the Route (1903)
Panaromic view of Southport Promenade (c. 1902)
Southport Carnival and Trades Procession (1902)
The ‘hands’ leaving work at North-street Mills, Chorley (1900)
Chorley Coronation Processions (1911)

For booking on Saturday, visit the Blackpool Live site. For booking on Sunday, visit the Blackpool Grand site.

And while we’re considering things Lancastrian, do take note of the North West Film Archive‘s excellent new DVD release, Liverpool on Film 1897-1967, which includes Lumière films of Liverpool taken in 1897, as well as other silent actuality material, handsomely presented. What better way to celebrate Liverpool as the 2008 City of Culture?