A Gems Story - Moving Images
The North West Film Archive (NWFA) at Manchester Metropolitan University is helping us bring to life some of the fascinating local stories selected as Gems by local groups in towns and villages across Cheshire. When you enter a Cheshire postcode on our new website you’ll have a choice of exploring local historic photos and documents, and now moving image clips too. (The online site will open at the same time as we open our new buildings in 2026).
From an initial longlist of Cheshire titles provided by NWFA, we’ve been identifying potential film clips which best represent local stories submitted by the community. As many of these films were made during the second half of the 20th century, they are of significant value for those stories within living memory for which the moving image provides a unique perspective.
The Cheshire films held at NWFA include both amateur and professional productions dating back to the early-20th century, documenting significant local events and celebrations, developments in industry and manufacturing, and insights into the lives of the filmmakers and their families.
An example of this is On the Flash: Yachting at Winsford, Cheshire (1952) filmed by John Langdale, founder member of the Warrington Cine & Video Society. Documenting a day trip to the Bottom Flash in Winsford, the film illustrates the significance of the Winsford Flashes as both a tourist attraction for visitors from across Cheshire and as a weekend retreat for the local community.
In addition to footage of yachts sailing on the water, there are also glimpses of the clubhouse of Northwich Sailing Club (later renamed Winsford Flash Sailing Club), the surrounding landscape, and Langdale picnicking with friends on the banks of the flash.
Thanks to this new collaboration we hope that people interested in the history of Cheshire will be closer than ever to how it’s told on film. Can you help us decide which film clips will appear as Gems on our new web site? New volunteers to the Gems project are always welcome.
by Paul Frith, Collections Information Improvement Officer
Stills from On the Flash: Yachting at Winsford, Cheshire courtesy of Warrington Cine & Video Society (warrington cine and video society)
