As I live in Eaton Ford (just a few hundred metres west of the route) it was fascinating to see some local landmarks that I know well.
On the right, side by side is a still from the 1939 film and a photo taken yesterday, both show 'The Crown' in Eaton Socon. The main changes are an extension beyond the further chimney, removal of the ivy, the addition of a porch, the signs, two chimney pots and the loss of the telegraph pole.
Once again we can see some changes, but the scene is still very recognisable.
The YouTube video is shown below. It starts in London and 'The Crown' pub appears at 2 minutes, 37 seconds. This is followed by the old RAC sign for Eaton Socon, and then the tea house (now the Akbar Tandoori). The next shot shows a farmhouse beside the road near Southoe, then some open road followed by the Buckden sign and some shots in Buckden itself. After that there is a view of the Brampton Hut Hotel and then the journey moves on beyond my local area.
It would be interesting to know what camera and film were used to take these cine shots. Is it early Kodachrome brought over from the USA to record Britain just before the Second World War? Or was it a European process, perhaps Dufaycolor?
Questions:
- How much has the area where you live changed in the last 73 years?
- Are you aware of the local history of your town or village?
See also:
- Akbar Tandoori - Big Red Directory
- Crown, Eaton Socon - pub-explorer.com
- Eaton Socon - Wikipedia
- Eaton's Community Association (ESCAN)
- Eaton's parish history - ESCAN
- Grantham - Wikipedia
- Great North Road - Wikipedia
- London - Wikipedia
- RAC
- RAC - Wikipedia
