[William Darbyshire Home Movies: Reel 6]

William (Billy) Darbyshire (1903–1979) was a film enthusiast and traveller who emigrated with his parents from England to Australia in 1911. It may have been this early trip that influenced a young Billy to travel the world later in life and film his travels as he went.

First travelling to Africa for work and to various destinations whilst in service during WWII, Billy would continue to travel after the war throughout Asia, Europe, Africa, the Pacific and North America. It was in this period, during the 1960s, that he purchased an 8mm movie camera which resulted in a collection of films that capture his travels, taking in the sites of the world from Asia to Europe and Africa to the Americas.

The films were originally made using Standard 8mm film. The quality of the film can be a little challenging as it is jumpy, damaged and scratched at times.

In this film, Billy travels to England during 1962 to 1964. On his travel Billy films views of London, English coastlines and towns, including Blackpool, Brighton and Coventry. A feature of this film is the Coventry Cathedral which Billy filmed, possibly when it was being consecrated in 1962. The Cathedral is significant as, having been almost destroyed during a Luftwaffe attack on Coventry in 1940, it was rebuilt in a deliberate modern design alongside the remains in 1956 and came to symbolise peace and reconciliation. The design by architect Sir Basil Spence included many artworks such as ‘St Michael’s defeat of the Devil’ by Jacob Epstein which can be seen in Billy’s film.

00:00:16:00 London street scenes begin, including double decker buses, Big Ben clocktower and Grenadier Guards on horseback
00:01:35:00 St Paul’s Cathedral
00:01:52:00 views of the Thames River including London Bridge, pedestrian bridges, boats and the riverbanks
00:03:09:00 street views of London including the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral and a sign for the ‘Underground’ rail network
00:04:43:00 a large ferry
00:06:15:00 views around (most likely) the Royal Botanical Gardens Kew
00:07:12:00 spectators look at tulips in a public garden
00:07:45:00 views of an old church and cemetery
00:08:54:00 ‘Lady Godiva’ monument in Coventry, England
00:09:42:00 views around the Coventry Cathedral, including the artwork ‘St Michael’s defeat of the Devil’ on one of the Cathedral external walls
00:11:50:00 thatched houses
00:12:00:00 a very crowded beach scene
00:12:20:00 the Brighton Pavillon in Brighton, England
00:12:45:00 Arundel Castle in West Sussex, England
00:14:10:00 a carnival or street parade.
00:14:44:00 some lovely examples of trucks and buses of the era
00:15:25:00 views of English coastline and houses from a vessel at sea
00:15:32:00 a large ship and the ‘Liverpool Pilot’ vessel
00:15:45:00 an ‘Oyster and Prawn’ van in Blackpool, England
00:16:10:00 a look at a sandy populated beach from a higher vantage point
00:16:42:00 eating ice cream and cups of tea