Bristol past and present in film

Started during COVID lockdown, Bristol Civic Society events team realised they could keep members entertained and informed by emailing links to a selection of fascinating videos. See their selection here including:

Bristol City - docks and waterways

12 videos found
A Big Bang
6:31
A Big Bang
The 1988 demolition of used tobacco warehouses on Canons Marsh.
Bath to Bristol by boat
12.07
Bath to Bristol by boat
The video starts from the centre of Bath, near Pulteney Weir, then glides along the meandering River Avon to Bristol harbour.
Bringing in the ships
12:48
Bringing in the ships
Listen to a river helmsman and City Docks pilot recount their memories of bringing the big ships into Bristol Docks
Bristol Harbour Railway and the Western Fuel Co
13:25
Bristol Harbour Railway and the Western Fuel Co
A silent look at the Harbour Railway when used by the Western Fuel Company in 1981.
Bristol's tall buildings
3.14
Bristol’s tall buildings
Produced by Bob Bennett, this film ranks the top 10 buildings in the central area of the city according to their height.
Cranes, trains and heritage
8:13
Cranes, trains and heritage
Bristol Film and Video Society on Bristol Dock's heritage.
Demolition of Royal Mail sorting office
1.57
Demolition of Royal Mail sorting office
Watch in time-lapse as powerful machines pummel the old Royal Mail sorting office to rubble and dust.
Dockside Dreaming
3:57
Dockside Dreaming
Bristol Docks music by Guy Hawthorne, arranged by Barbara Rusbridge and performed by Thornbridge.
Drone above Bristol
1.45
Drone above Bristol
A very quick view of our city from unusual and interesting angles, with fantastic images from a drone
Foot Ferry to Hotwells
2:58
Foot Ferry to Hotwells
A poem by David C. Johnson about the ferry between the SS Great Britain and Hotwells.
Sand Dredging
5:02
Sand Dredging
A look at the 'Harry Brown' as she leaves Bristol docks for sand dredging operations in the Bristol Channel.
Tallest residential building
2.22
Tallest residential building
Watch Castle Park View rise up to what will be the tallest residential building.

Vintage Bristol

8 videos found
A city through time
8.30
A city through time
Look and marvel how the cityscape and views have changed across the decades, brought to life by some very clever computer-generated imagery. Spot and track the differences.
Bristol floods 1968
2.49
Bristol floods 1968
The Bristol flood of 1968 were caused by heavy rain. A flooding River Malago overwhelmed parts of the Bedminster.
Dead Centre
9:04
Dead Centre
Challenges of re-designing post-war Bristol city centre: an early presentation by Bristol Architects Forum.
Leigh Woods 1964
7:24
Leigh Woods 1964
Life in primitive shacks in Leigh Woods.
River Avon to Portishead (silent)
9:12
River Avon to Portishead (silent)
1902 Film of Bristol and Portishead.
The Loss of Charlie Alpha
8:02
The Loss of Charlie Alpha
The story of the 1957 crash of a Bristol Britannia airliner in Downend.
The Road from Bristol to Avonmouth
1:38
The Road from Bristol to Avonmouth
A British Pathe 1933 film about the road between Bristol and Avonmouth
Western Waterway
10:16
Western Waterway
British Council 1941 film about the Avon, Bath and Bristol.

Bristol transport

5 videos found
Bristol Buses in the 1950s
4:25
Bristol Buses in the 1950s
Problems with the bus service and how to deal with them - 1950's style.
Clearing the Air
4:30
Clearing the Air
Changes to the use of some of central Bristol's roads in 2020 following the covid-19 lockdown.
Clifton to Easton
3:36
Clifton to Easton
A poem by David C. Johnson about a train journey from Clifton to Easton.
Never more than three made a week
25:44
Never more than three made a week
The story of the Bristol car from Available Light Productions
The Bristol Flyover
0:52
The Bristol Flyover
Filmed in July 1990 from inside a lorry travelling on the famous temporary flyover on the inner circuit road in Bristol.

Quirky Bristol

9 videos found
A Giant Idea
4:52
A Giant Idea
Painting a figure of Goram on one of the lock walls in Cumberland Basin.
Albert's Treasure Box
12:34
Albert’s Treasure Box
Recognize familiar Bristol settings in this 1949 film by Bristol Amateur Cinematographers.
Coloured Terraces
29.12
Coloured Terraces
The film delves into the history of Bristol's many painted houses and terraces.
Medusa at the Cathedral
9:40
Medusa at the Cathedral
On location at Bristol Cathedral for the 1978 film 'The Medusa Touch'
Nipper, an advertising icon
4:48
Nipper, an advertising icon
The story of Nipper, the HMV dog and his association with Bristol.
The Big Picture
4:30
The Big Picture
A proposal to decorate the quay by Castle Park with a giant mural.
The Little Stoke Museum
15:59
The Little Stoke Museum
A place in Little Stoke to raise a smile and lift spirits.
Tide and Time
5:16
Tide and Time
A proposal to build a public clock at Cumberland Basin.
Why is it called America?
7: 56
Why is it called America?
Why is it called America? An investigation into the naming of a Continent.

Clifton Suspension Bridge

8 videos found
Brunel's Suspended Traveller
7:31
Brunel’s Suspended Traveller
An ingenious mechanism used to cross the gorge whilst the bridge was under construction.
Clifton Suspension Bridge fireworks
9.42
Clifton Suspension Bridge fireworks
A firework extravaganza film featuring the suspension bridge.
Taking on Brunel
4:28
Taking on Brunel
The design of the Clifton Suspension bridge and facts about the Clifton Camera Obscura in Bristol.
Views and Vistas Part I
2:15
Views and Vistas Part I
The North West Abutment: travelling from the Visitor Centre in Leigh Woods.
Views and Vistas Part II
2:44
Views and Vistas Part II
We cross the Suspension Bridge to enjoy the views from the North East abutment (Clifton)
Views and Vistas Part III
3:17
Views and Vistas Part III
From the south-east abutment, close to the Avon Gorge Hotel: Sion Hill and Windsor Terrace
Views and Vistas Part IV
9:31
Views and Vistas Part IV
Exploring the Clifton and Hotwells and looking down toward the Portway and Cumberland Basin.
Views and Vistas Part V
7:55
Views and Vistas Part V
The relationship between the Clifton Observatory and the Suspension Bridge. What's inside this unusual building, and how did it come to be?

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