Burton On Trent History In Old Photos And Film

 Burton upon Trent, a market town in East Staffordshire, is also known as Burton on Trent, Burton-on-Trent, or even simply as Burton. It’s now home to the National Brewery Centre, building on its fame as a brewery town.

Burton On Trent In The 1930s

George Cummings Walks 135 Miles (1930)

“Veteran 66-year-old George Cummings averages five miles an hour in the 135-mile walk from London … on beer!!”

Published to YouTube on 13 Apr 2014 by British Pathé.

This newsreel starts in London, by one of the statues of lions in Trafalgar Square. A small crowd is there to see speed walker George Cummings start his 135 mile walk.

Then the footage moves to the end of the long journey. Crowds watch as a car leads George through the streets of Burton. He's greeted by the Mayor of Burton, before enjoying a long drink of the glass of local beer handed to him

Local History Videos Through The Ages

Burton upon Trent History Video

This is a local video about the town. Includes information about the war, bridges, waterways, the local breweries, trades, schools, and public houses.

Note: the volume is quiet so you'll need to adjust your device to hear the narrative.

Published to YouTube on 2 Nov 2013 by DCVL Auto Diagnostics.

Wurlitzer Organ Town Hall

Pictures and music of the Burton Wurlitzer organ are accompanied by written detail about the instrument’s journey from the USA to the UK. There's also information about some of the musicians who have used it during the years.

Published on 28 Jul 2009 by ReginaldDixonMBE.

Burton In The 1940s

Parade of North Staffordshire Regiment & Staffordshire Yeomanry (1946)

Published on 13 Apr 2014 by British Pathé. Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire.  

We see an elevated shot of the parade in the Town Hall square. There the North Staffordshire regiment and the Staffordshire Yeomanry stand to attention. 

The mayor presents the Freedom of the Borough to the high ranking officer. A war veteran watches the parade. 

Then there's a high angle shot of the parade as it marches through the town square.

Staffordshire Regt Freedom Of Burton-On-Trent (1946)

Published on 13 Apr 2014 by British Pathé.

In this archive footage, the North Staffordshire Regiment and the Staffordshire Yeomanry receive the freedom of Burton-on-Trent.

We see Councillor W. P. Wibberley present something to an army officer as they stand on a dais.  

Next we see soldiers, showing the North Staffordshire badge and hat. 

Then ex-servicemen and soldiers march through the streets, which are lined with crowds of people.

 Finally, troops line up in front of the dais.  

Burton upon Trent In The 1970s

BBC Songs of Praise (1978)

This episode of Songs of Praise was found on an old VHS tape. It was filmed at St. Chad’s Church in 1978. 

First you'll see about 40 seconds of another programme. Then the episode of Songs of Praise starts.

Published to YouTube by Ian Webster. 

Burton In The 1980s

Streetlife (1986)

Published to YouTube by burt fest.