Lydney in 1961
Videos of Lydney shot on 8mm film by the late Mervin Dunn in the early 1960's.
Videos made from 8 mm cine film. Shot by the late Mervin Dunn in the early 1960's and supplied by Dave Dunn. Dave added: "The cine film is not of good quality and has been copied to VHS and then transfered to a computer but it is interesting material".
Lydney in 1961
Dave wrote: "This video shows part of Newerne St. from the bottom of Highfield Hill to the level crossing on Hill St. I remember the Royal Albert Inn was the first building on the right on the corner and was once partially demolished by a runaway lorry. Its easy to see how this happened. I well remember Powell's grocery shop and post office because I delivered groceries from there on a bike. Mr Powell, his wife and 3 sons worked there. Next to it was Weston's paper shop where I also worked as a paper boy. This was taken over by Mr. Gunn around 1960. Bernard Weston has a sports shop next to it. Further on you can see Bradley's men's outfitters shop on the corner with Forest road. Arthur Vaughan was the main man there. Lydney Library was above it for some time. On the other corner long gone is the Rifleman's Arms and then Lydney Picture house without the canopy over the entrance. There have been many changes since".
Dr Adrian Morgan added (September 2011): "... The Albert pub was not rebuilt after a lorry ran away and crashed into it. A car show room now occupies the corner site built about 1964/65. Next to the pub was Davis's electrical shop and then next door to that was a large house with columns either side of the front door. This was Mr. Miles the dentist one of three; McPhail on Hill Street next to Police Station and Kevin Mullen in High Street. This House was demolished for so-called road improvements that only happened across the road. Next to that was a gap before J S Watts decorating shop. Through this gap Jim Morgan my father had his garage for many years. Again his site was compulsorily purchased for road improvements that never happened. He moved to work for Lydney and District Farmers on Church Road looking after the plant in the mill and their fleet of lorries until he retired in 1972. Woolworths was built in the gap as can be seen behind the shuttering and scaffolding in the video. My fathers garage is now a car park behind what was Woolworths with access off Albert Street where there used to be a row of terraced houses. Bernard Weston had a stables on this site next to my father's garage. The video is taken from a newly installed roundabout where there was once a row of shops and and houses on Newerne Street. Entrance to Hams Road from Highfield was a very acute turn especially for buses and lorries ... After further discussions with an older relative we suggest that the stables once belonged to the Albert Inn or Royal Albert as it was once called. I have no idea when it was built but perhaps it was a coaching Inn on the route from Cardiff to London and the gap where my father's garage used to be was access to the Royal Albert's stables and garage for the mail coach as it had a very high and wide external door".
Lydney Bowler Hat Club
Dave wrote: "This video shows the Lydney Bowler Hat Club as its sets off from the Bridge Hotel on a treasure hunt. The Bowler hat club was based in the club room above the bar where the R.A.O.B. use to hold their lodge meetings. They were formed to have a bit of fun and raise money for charity. You were fined if you did not wear your bowler hat at meetings. The pub was run by Dick and Mary Blake. Mervin Dunn was the secretary".
John Watts 80th Birthday cavalcade
Dave wrote: "This video shows the celebration of John Hilton Watt's 80th birthday with a cavalcade of transport as it passes the Bridge Hotel. The Nass Jazz Band was run by Tom Blake and his young son leads the parade. Also to be seen is the Lydney RFC wagon. This was a major event in Lydney's history and there was a lot more vehicles than seen here. The cavalcade made its way through Lydney ending up on the recreation field. If my memory serves me right, they somehow got there from Church Road by way of a specially constructed road across the railway. The night ended with a great firework show on the recreation ground. I am told that a professional film was made of this by Melville Watts, it would be interesting to see it if it exists".
Yes it still exists, Mr Watts shows it from time to time - Ed.
Duramin
Dave wrote: "This shows the Duramin Eng. Co.'s Tug of War Team in action at an unknown venue. Prominent is the well known Lydney man Donald Brown who was a sign painter at the works. They use to train on the Lydney recreation ground pulling a large weight up a steel tower with the rope over a pulley".
Dave would be interested in any interesting old film clips of the Forest. He can be contacted by clicking the "i" button below.
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