At Wessex Film and Sound Archive you can see and hear history, from late Victorian times to the present day, through moving images and sound recordings. The Archive contains over 36,000 film and sound recordings relating to Hampshire, the Isle of Wight, Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, including film and tapes of local TV and radio.
This film is part of Free
Romsey Town Developments
There's watery upheaval in Romsey throughout this remarkable film record from the early 1930s - featuring Saxons, skulls and a helmeted diver.
From the collection of:
Overview
This unusual film captures images not normally seen in home-movies. It starts with a Saxon pageant followed by an outdoor religious service in the grounds of Romsey Abbey. This is followed by a fund-raising carnival for the hospital. There follows, unusually, a long sequence showing the installation of the town's sewer and drainage system. Bones are unearthed, new bridges are constructed and a diver has to work underwater while building the new sewage treatment plant.
Related
Watch for free
Romsey Gazette Romsey Gazette
Amateur film 1931 12 mins Silent Location: Romsey
Social and civic events in Romsey are recorded in this film from the early 1930s - with fascinating views of the town centre as well as a car crash and a devastating house-fire.
Watch for free
All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 28 mins
Payal Kapadia discusses her Cannes prize-winning and Bafta-nominated drama with Ashanti Omkar.
Watch for free
Khichdi Khichdi
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 16 mins
The interwoven stories of four best friends who reunite in the UK, thirty-five years after training together as nurses during their teens in Ferozepur, Punjab.
Watch for free
Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
Documentary 2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.
Watch for free
Every Moment Counts Every Moment Counts
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 9 mins
A short animation that offers a window into the world of children’s palliative care.
Watch for free
Police Story: Panel Discussion Police Story: Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 24 mins
Panel discussion on Jackie Chan's 1985 action classic Police Story, with Chase Armitage, Sam Mak and Jadey Duffield.
Watch for free
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.