Skip to main content

Old Images of Harlow, Essex

 Glimpse history through old images of Harlow, Essex, England.

Change in Harlow 1951

By the time this newsreel was created, 400 new homes had been completed in Harlow, including a 10 storey block of flats. It was all part of the plan to build 2,000 new homes in the town. The new town centre was due to be finished the following Spring.

They have filmed some of the modern development, along with some nice shots of the old town centre. On agricultural land destined for the bulldozers, farmers gather in the crops with a horse and cart, a line of new homes behind them.



London's First Factory Town (1951) - British Pathé on YouTube

Regal Cinema 1951

When Harlow's new Regal Cinema opened in 1951, it was the first cinema to open since World War II.

Hundreds of people queued in the rain on opening night, to see guest film stars Diane Hart and Guy Middleton.

Local M.P. Gilbert Finlay and Basil Fortescue greeted the famous film stars, and the cinema manager's wife, Mrs Blaber, presented a bouquest to Diane Hart.



Harlow - Regal Opens Aka Harlow Special - Opening Of Regal Cinema (1952) - British Pathé on YouTube

Royal Visit 1957

In 1957, Queen Elizabeth II received a bouquet of flowers from 5-year-old Sarah Anderson, as the royal tour of Harlow began.

At the time, children aged 5 and under made up 1/5th of Harlow's population.

Architect Mr Frederick Gibberd, Mr & Mrs Thomas Round? who lived in a 6 roomed house at Little Parndon, and Mr and Mrs Patrick Smith who lived at The Willows in Little Parndon, were amongst the people meeting the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh that day.

The electric trolley tour round the metal factory looked great fun compared to the normal walk around, but the Queen doesn't look too enthralled with it.



Harlow - Royal Visit (1957) - British Pathé on YouTube

Harlow New Town 1968

Five minutes of silent footage opens with Harlow's new shopping centre from above. Lots of people walk about the pedestrianised area.

Later on the footage moves to another new town, at Milton Keynes.



Harlow & Milton Keynes (1968) - British Pathé on YouTube

1970s Harlow

Broadcast on 2nd Febriuary 1975, Monty Modlyn asked local residents what they thought about life in the new town.

Interesting to hear the presenter describe how the first residents mainly arrived from 'overcrowded' London, one of the old cities where 'whole quarters had become unfit to live in'. And a woman who moved there from Croyden years before described herself as a 'pioneer'.



1970s Harlow | What do the locals think of Harlow | Harlow | Essex | A town called…| 1975 - ThamesTv on YouTube

Historic Books

Extract from: Leigh's New Pocket Road-book of England and Wales
Containing a Description of Every Principal Town and Remarkable Place ; to which are Added Pleasure Tours to the Most Picturesque Parts of the Country

by Samuel Leigh

Published in 1840

Page 115

HARLOW (Essex), noted for its fair, called Harlow Bush Fair, held on the 9th of September. Par. Pop. 2101. Inn; Green Man.


Extract from: Handbook for England and Wales, Alphabetically Arranged for the Use of Travellers, published by John Murray

Published in 1890

Page 191

Harlow (Essex), Stat. (m. distant) Gt. E. Rly., Cambridge line.

Inns: George; Green man; Railway H.

An old market-town. The old Parish Ch. was rebuilt 1709, and restored 1876. Some brasses from the older fabric are preserved in it. The font bears an inscription which may be read from either end. The old manor-house of Harlow Bury, 1 m. from the Ch., was a seat of the Abbots of St. Edmundsbury. A barn near it was the chapel, and contains some ancient portions. Moor Hall is the fine seat of R. W. Ethelston, Esq.

2 m. N.E. is Down Hall (Rt. Hon. Sir Henry Selwin-Ibbetson, Bart.), a large modern house in a pretty park, chiefly remarkable as the site of the house belonging to the poet and diplomatist Matthew Prior. A rudely framed arm-chair, the favourite seat of Prior, said to have belonged to an abbot of Sacombe, is preserved in the hall.

Labels:
Location: Harlow, UK

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Old Images of Spokane, Washington: Vintage Photos and Archive Film

Glimpse history through old images of  Spokane , Washington. Spokane  in 1902 Panorama of Spokane, Washington, taken sometime around 1902. With thanks to the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. Closeup of two extracts from the panorama of Spokane, Washington, taken sometime around 1902. With thanks to the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. Closeup of two extracts from the panorama of  Spokane , Washington, taken sometime around 1902. With thanks to the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. Spokane ’s Davenport Restaurant Spokane ’s Davenport Restaurant was an internationally renowned venue which offered popular Sunday afternoon tea dances. Old photo of the Davenport Restaurant in Spokane, Washington, taken around 1908. With thanks to the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. Closeup of an extract of the old photo of the Davenport Restaurant in  Spokane , Washington, taken around 1908. With thanks to the...
Post a Comment
Read more

The History of Manchester, New Hampshire and the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company

  The story of Manchester, New Hampshire, is the definitive narrative of the American Industrial Revolution. It is a chronicle that spans centuries, transforming a vital Indigenous fishing ground into a planned corporate utopia that housed the world's largest textile empire, before navigating a devastating collapse and emerging as a modern high-tech hub. At the absolute center of this transformation was the Merrimack River, the Amoskeag Falls, and a corporate behemoth known as the Amoskeag Manufacturing Company. Manchester, New Hampshire, composed from sketches taken near Rock Raymond by J.B. Bachelder, 1855. 1. Ancient Waters and Colonial Beginnings (Pre-1810) Long before brick mills lined the Merrimack River, the geography of modern-day Manchester was shaped by the Amoskeag Falls . Dropping approximately 55 feet over a short distance, the roaring rapids created a massive natural barrier for migrating fish—and an invaluable resource for human inhabitants. Walking along the street ...
Post a Comment
Read more

10 Historical Facts That Shaped North Conway, New Hampshire

  Nestled dramatically beneath the sheer granite cliffs of Cathedral Ledge in Carroll County, North Conway, New Hampshire , is famous as a premier gateway to the White Mountains. Unlike a standalone municipality, North Conway is a distinct major village legally contained within the broader township of Conway. Its evolution from a fertile Abenaki riverfront valley into a haven for 19th-century fine artists and a pioneer of American winter sports represents one of the most successful resort transitions in New England. Old photo of the skimobile up Cranmore Mountain, North Conway, NH - circa 1940   Part of the Original 1765 Royal Charter: North Conway’s municipal history began on October 1, 1765 , when colonial Governor Benning Wentworth issued a formal royal charter establishing the township of Conway. Named directly to honor Henry Seymour Conway—a prominent British statesman and military commander who championed colonial interests in Parliament—the grant required early pioneer...
Post a Comment
Read more