British Pathe

"A British Travel & Holidays Association Film" Commentary by John Glen. Produced by Associated British-Pathe Ltd.

Continued. Vintners' Company ceremony in London. Swan-upping (sp?) or swan upping. Procession through a London street. C/U of sign which reads: "Vintners' Hall." Men in traditional...

"A British Travel & Holidays Association Film" Commentary by John Glen. Produced by Associated British-Pathe Ltd.

Continued. Vintners' Company ceremony in London. Swan-upping (sp?) or swan upping. Procession through a London street. C/U of sign which reads: "Vintners' Hall." Men in traditional dress enter the hall. C/U of a flag which reads: "Vintners Royalty" and features a picture of a swan. M/S of group of men standing on a boat drinking a toast. The Vintners and Dyers Companies perform the swan upping ceremony. They herd together the swans and mark the young cygnets. Various shots of boats moving along the river Thames and of swans and cygnets. M/S of man in strange striped hat and jersey battling with a swan. More shots of men in boats and of the swans being labelled and set free.

C/U of a sign which reads "White Tower A.D. 1078". Low angle of the Tower of London. Annual custom of "beating the bounds". Choirboys are handed canes by Beefeaters. Various shots of the boys beating the walls of the Tower with their canes. C/Us of some of the Ravens of the Tower. Spectators watch the ceremony. The boys hit the ground with their canes. C/U of a Beefeater. L/S of the boys parading beside the Thames with Tower Bridge in the background.

Easter Parade at Hyde Park. Various shots of glamour girls - some aboard Stagecoaches. Two women wear elaborate hats. C/U of a woman with a Scottish style hat - it features miniature bagpipes! Two mounted police are seen riding through the crowds. More stagecoaches pass through the crowds. Those aboard wear various costumes. Lots of nice hats. A pearly king and queens are seen. Some wear old fashioned costumes. One man is seen who has fake birds perched on his shoulder. Narrator ends by saying: "...such a mingling of old custom and modern habit is the very essence of life in Britain."

"Short mute version" exists which has slightly different title "Old English Customs - a British Travel Association Film" - ends at Mead sequence described in record c. Also 16mm print exists.