Transport

The Somerset & Dorset Railway

Recalling one of the country’s favourite lines: from beginnings to heyday and the route today.
The Somerset & Dorset remains one of Britain’s best-loved railways. As well as boosting trade in the region and helping people get to and from work, it passed through some stunning scenery and is fondly remembered by holidaymakers and day trippers. This souvenir DVD is the fascinating story of how the railway grew from humble beginnings in the 1850s, when it linked the Somerset towns of Glastonbury and Highbridge, into a mainline route. Eventually it connected the Bristol Channel to the English Channel, and the Midlands and North to the South Coast. Memories of journeys on the famous Pines Express to Bournemouth are particularly cherished.
The story is enhanced by rare archive film, much of which has never previously been released. It is also illustrated by evocative photographs, slides and maps, and most of the old station sites and prominent surviving landmarks are shown as they are today. You will also enjoy the recollections of engine drivers, firemen and other staff who worked on the S & D, as well as those of railway historians, authors and volunteers who are working to keep the spirit of the line alive at Washford, Midsomer Norton and Shillingstone. This is the most comprehensive DVD record of a greatly missed line and will be enjoyed by railway enthusiasts everywhere.

Ship Shape And Bristol Fashion (Volume 1)

This is the first volume of a fascinating series of DVDs which celebrates Bristol’s long and distinguished history as a major port. These three fully narrated colour archive films were originally commissioned by the Port of Bristol Authority from 1950 to the early 1960s, and were subsequently presented to Bristol Record Office as archive material. They are now available to enjoy on DVD, in association with historical specialists 1st Take. Bristol was once known as ‘the cradle of the British Empire’ and its favourable situation was central to its success. See how products such as food, timber, petroleum, fruit, wine and tobacco were handled by the skilful and hardy Bristol dockers in the days long before ‘health and safety’ ruled. This is an evocative record of an era when commodities were still loaded and unloaded at the Avonmouth, City and Portishead Docks by men in flat caps armed with their famous hooks, before containerisation and mass- mechanisation transformed the scene. Relax and enjoy this window into a bygone age.

Somerset’s Lost Railway

This is the story of the Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway, a quirky, colourful independent standard gauge light railway, which served the people of North Somerset from 1897-1940. It is fondly remembered by those who travelled on it, and trains were even known to stop to allow passengers to jump off to pick flowers or blackberries! This delightful tale is told with the help of some superb rare photographs, precious archive film from the 1930s, an award-winning model railway, and aerial footage of what remains of the line today. A real treat for railway enthusiasts everywhere.

The Subterranean Railway

The dramatic story of the men who made the world’s first, and still the largest, underground railway. Since Victorian times, London’s underground railway has played a vital role in the daily life of generations of Londoners. This intriguing new documentary celebrates the vision and determination of those pioneers who conceived this revolutionary transport system and the men who tunnelled to make the tube.

Based on the popular book by Christian Wolmar, Britain’s leading commentator on the railways, and enhanced by stunning archive material and evocative film, this DVD reveals London’s hidden wonder and shows how the railway beneath the streets helped create the city we know today. The story continues through two world wars, when the Tube proved the best shelters of all, and up to the present day, with the onset of privatisation and the arrival of driverless trains.

The production benefits from access to rolling stock and rare archive material stored at London Transport Museum’s sites in Covent Garden and Acton, including the only surviving locomotive from the world’s first underground railway.

If you are interested in any aspect of Britain’s transport heritage, or indeed the evolution of modern London, you will find this new film absolutely enthralling.

Praise for Wolmar’s book of the same title:

‘An astonishing account of one of the world’s most amazing feats of engineering.’ Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London 2000-2008.

‘Christian Wolmar is a Pulman among story-tellers….His pride and passion carry his story along.’ TOM FORT, Sunday Telegraph.

Fire & Steam

A fascinating and lively account of how the railways changed Britain forever. Presented by Christian Wolmar – the country’s leading commentator on the railways - and based on his book of the same title, this new DVD includes dramatic location film from all over Britain: from the picturesque Settle-Carlisle line and the elegant Forth Bridge to the site of the world’s first railway station and London’s teeming commuter network.

The railways changed people’s lives in every conceivable way. They could now take holidays by the seaside for the first time and travel across Britain for events like the Great Exhibition. Thanks to the railways, fish and chips became the national dish and league football the national game. Such dramatic changes are key to the story, which begins at the world’s first passenger railway, the Liverpool and Manchester, and concludes with the high-speed train on the Eurostar line in Kent.

Enhanced by rare archive film and historic images, and boosted throughout by Christian Wolmar’s ebullient presentation, this DVD is essential viewing for anyone interested in the railways, or indeed the history of modern Britain.

Steam Journeys From Bristol

This is your chance to experience one of the best railway photograph archives in Britain. Join railways author Rex Conway on a tour of main line journeys from Bristol, superbly illustrated by photographs which were captured during his countless expeditions around the country during the twilight years of steam in the late 1950s and 1960s. Rex worked all his life as a professional photographer, and his hobby was railways, so the two came together and resulted in thousands of high quality photographs. The steam engines of that era are captured in all their glory and you can also enjoy a rich variety of station views for those who take pleasure in railway architecture.

Complemented by modern film, this nostalgic journey begins at Temple Meads, where Rex remembers watching trains as a young child in the early years of the Second World War. It also includes visits to Mangotsfield, Patchway, Lawrence Hill, Sydney Gardens in Bath, Gloucester, Patchway, Lawrence Hill, and the Steam Museum in Swindon.

Moving People

This new DVD features film that was captured in Hong Kong and Singapore in 1990, to illustrate the mass transit systems in those countries. Although the DVD is paced to satisfy the keenest rail enthusiast, it also provides a pleasurable viewing experience to everyone, with evocative and impressive views of urban scenes and rural landscapes. Highlights of this fascinating production by Crystal Key include a breathtaking view from the driver’s cab.

The Life of Brunel

The life of the most famous Engineer in British history, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, is captured in this superb new production.

His prodigious output includes twenty-five railway lines, over a hundred bridges, including five suspension bridges, eight pier and dock systems and three ships.

The only son of a French civil engineer, Brunel went to work with his father in 1823 on the building of the Thames Tunnel, and was later appointed resident engineer at the site.

In March 1833, aged just 27, Brunel became chief engineer of the Great Western Railway. His work on the line that linked London to Bristol, helped to establish him as one of the world's leading engineers. Impressive achievements on the route included the viaducts at Hanwell and Chippenham, the Maidenhead Bridge, the Box Tunnel and the Bristol Temple Meads Station.

Brunel then persuaded the Great Western Railway Company to let him build a steam boat to travel from Bristol to New York. The ss Great Western became the largest steamship in the world, and made its first voyage to New York in 1838. The journey to America took fifteen days and over the next eight years made 60 crossings.

The next steamship that Brunel built in Bristol was the ss Great Britain, the first ocean-going ship to have an iron hull and a screw propeller and, when launched in 1843, it set a new record as the largest vessel afloat.

Brunel was equally ambitious in the design of the GWR’s London terminus, Paddington Station, which he was charged with rebuilding in 1849 to accommodate the crowds expected to converge on London for the 1851 Great Exhibition.

Pressure of work led him to an early grave, as he died on 15th September, 1859, watching the Great Eastern in her trials.

This film, produced by Digital Videox, is packed with fascinating archive images and modern day comparisons, and is narrated by the renowned actor Ian Richardson. As an extra feature, you can enjoy the spectacular firework display at the Brunel-designed Clifton Suspension Bridge, completed after his death in 1864, to commemorate the great engineer’s bicentenary.

Around Bristol By Bus

Beautifully restored Vintage Buses from the 1950s and 1960s convey Bristol Transport historian Peter Davey to a wide range of locations associated with the city’s Tramway and Carriage Company.

You will visit the former depots at Avonmouth, Ashton Gate, Hanham, and Eastville, and the main terminii at the Centre, Prince Street and Old Market.

The story is brought right up to date with a trip to Muller Road depot and City Line's new headquarters at Hengrove.

Anyone interested in Bristol's history - and Bus enthusiasts nationwide - will cherish this presentation.

Bristol International Balloon Fiesta

This presentation beautifully illustrates the full glory of Europe’s largest annual balloon fiesta, an attraction that has become one of the UK’s most popular outdoor events, with half a million visitors each year. You will also enjoy a behind-the-scenes insight into what makes the fiesta such a success.

Set in the rolling parkland of Bristol’s Ashton Court Estate, the fiesta includes mass balloon launches, providing a spectacular show for those at the event and also for spectators throughout the area. There is also a wide range of other activities, including daredevil stunts, and fun for all the family in a carnival atmosphere.

The history of ballooning in Bristol, which goes as far back as the pioneering days of the late 18th century, is also explored, revealing another dimension to what may appear to be a very modern story.

There is also a special report on Cameron Balloons, the world’s largest manufacturer of hot-air balloons, who produced the balloon that completed the first solo round-the-world flight in 2001. The company’s founder and Managing Director, Don Cameron, adds insightful comment to the story, and so it is fitting that the presentation should end with a balloon flight piloted by Don himself!

Bristol Seaport - One Thousand Years of History

Join Port photographer Colin Momber on a magical dockside odyssey.

The growth and prosperity of Bristol has been intrinsically linked to its port since a small community was founded at the confluence of the rivers Frome and Avon over 1,000 years ago.

Colin Momber tells this fascinating story, with the help of men who worked as dock pilots, shipwrights and dockers. The journey is illustrated by a wealth of photographs featuring the City Docks, Avonmouth, Portishead and Royal Portbury.

You will also enjoy extracts from a superb colour archive film, made in 1963.

Since the closure of the City Docks in the early 1970s, the activities of the Port of Bristol have been beyond the public gaze. Yet the success of Portbury and Avonmouth has seen Bristol re-emerge as a major port – and one which has played a key role in the city’s prosperity.

The story is brought up to date with footage of the biggest ship ever to enter Bristol, when she docked at Portbury in April 2002.

Balmoral: The Classic Cruise Ship

A delight for anyone who has ever been captured by the magic of the pleasure steamers. This video focuses on two spectacular summer voyages, including visits to Bristol, Clevedon, Penarth, Minehead and Ilfracombe.

You will also meet the Balmoral's enthusiastic and hard-working crew, dedicated volunteers who help to keep the ship afloat and passengers who come back for more time and time again!