• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Festival of Britain 1951

I went to the Festival of Britain with Dennis Road School, had a super day, the things I remember where The Skylon, The Dome of Discovery, Britannia the first of the BR standard class locos and the underground train.

On the train coming back someone slammed the door while my fingers were still in it, excused PT at school for weeks.
 
Ouch Darby....You were lucky to be able to go. I remember doing some projects at school about it. Since most people didn't have TV, of course. I think it was very successful in helping to bring Brits out of the post war doldrums. I can still remember the logos and buildings for the Festival.
 
If you type "festival of britain" into the search option you will find a previous thread dated April 11th 2006 started by Peter Walker shake your memory up Peter!. Len.
 
I must have been 5 at the time so don't remember it but I do remember my elder brother having a Big red festival of britain Pennent pinned to his bedroom wall.
 
I think that in a drawer somewhere in this house I have a Crown (5/-) in a red box from the Festival of Britain as far as I can remember it was a couple of good days out. Luckily family had rellies in Pimlico in those days.
 
Thanks, Lloyd, for finding and sharing that excellent colour movie of the Festival and Britain, which really was a symbol of the resurgence of hope following the dark years of World War 2. The movie is a delightful reminder of the industry, technology, culture and fashion of those times (almost sixty years ago now!). I was just a toddler then, so I needed reminding. It was nice to see a brief mention of Captain Cook! View attachment 56278

I'm going to watch it again!
 
We went on a day trip to the Festival of Britain from my school (Oldbury Technical School - a long way from Quinton). I watched the film an d remember some of it espcially going on a boat trip down the Thames. I also had one of those crowns in a red box - wonder what happened to that? I suppose I was about 12/13 then. They did a lot of re-furbishing of the South Bank in the past 3/4 years and its an interesting place to go. There is always something to see or just watch the world go by.
Sheri
 
I remember my class at Billesley Junior School going, simply for the reason that my parents could not afford £1.00 for the trip. I think there were two of us in the class who didn't go but at the time I wasn't too bothered, it was only in later years that I realised I missed a Great exhibition.
 
I went to the FOB with my school, it was unforgetable. We stayed in accommodation in underground tunnels used by homeless people, many houses having been bombed and not rebuilt. We also toured London, mainly museums, travelling on the tube. My school was Marlborough Road Secondary Modern. Can't find it on the internet now.
 
Having found this web Forum only recently I find myself 'catching up' with some threads.

I visited the FOB with my school. We left Solihull railway station and headed for London. I recall mostly the London buses which took us to the South Bank and afterwards to the Battersea Fun Fair. The South Bank memories are the Dome of Discovery (but don't ask me what was inside it - there was so much to see), The Skylon, Gog and Magog and the distant Shot Tower. There was a Birmingham bus: it was one of the newest vehicles of the municipal fleet, fleet number 2516 if memory serves well (but it is not infallible lol).

I recall passing through Princes Risborough, which I had not heard of before, on the train journey and was asked by railway staff to purchase a glass of water. Well, I ask you, after a day at the South Bank and Battersea did they honestly expect fourteen year olds to have any money left? I don't know who dealt with the unpleasantness suffice to say we got a drink of water free of charge!
I think I had to walk home - the train was later than anticipated - but it was a highly exciting if tiring day.

Alan
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top