3 replies to this topic

[opplock]

I received an e-mail today from the Canterbury Christ Church University about future events. This may be of interest.  

 

https://www.canterbu...,1Z37M2,34KO4,1

 

 

 

Sat 30 Mar, 2-3.15pm, £5

Powell Lecture Theatre

A screening of a ‘lost’ amateur film from 1924 featuring Count Zborowski and his private Higham Railway.

Edited by opplock, 01 March 2019 - 16:34.

[Pullman99]

 

Sat 30 Mar, 2-3.15pm, £5

Powell Lecture Theatre

A screening of a ‘lost’ amateur film from 1924 featuring Count Zborowski and his private Higham Railway.

Thanks for the prompt opplock.   My wife and I attended the screening but totally failed to ask if anyone else from the Forum was also present!.    Tim Jones, who has been responsible for ensuring that the Zborowski home movies,  as well as many other films from local film maker Sydney Bligh, have been preserved is to be congratulated for arranging these regular series of screenings and was delighted to know that this Forum had publicised the event.    It was fascinating to see the footage from Count Zborowski on the big screen and this was, effectively, a premiere as Tim has endeavoured to link the various segments of what is beieved to have been a series of recreations of the participants' favourite scenes from contemporary cinema.    A drama that has taken 95 years (it was shot in early 1924) to reach the silver screen!.

 

Great footage of a number of cars, including a Rolls-Royce 40/50 and a Napier (with a Hertfordshire registration) plus a Packard.and, possibly, a Calthorpe.   The real star is, however, the 15" Gauge Bassett-Lowke locomotive, complete with "HR" on the tender, that Zborowski ran on his 1 mile garden railway.    This engine still exists as "Count Louis" at the Evesham Vale Light Railway.  The links with the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway followed after the Count's death in 1924, that line being created primarily by the Count's associate Capt. J E P Howey.    As far as I know, there is no footage of any of the racing cars at Higham although there are some stills.

 

We also managed to visit the site of Bligh Bros. coachbuilders  - where the bodies for at least two of the Chittys were made - in St Radigund Street in Canterbury (there's a commemorative blue plaque on the building) and also Zborowski's former home Higham Park. although entry to the House itself is on private land.     All in all, a fascinating visit and a great insight into Zborowski's llife  and times which are not otherwise all that well documented

Edited by Pullman99, 01 April 2019 - 09:24.

[opplock]

I'm glad to have been of assistance. Unfortunately I didn't see it myself, having a chronically ill wife has seriously curtailed my activities over the last 18 months.  

[Steve L]

If you type "Count Zborowski" into Youtube you can find the video there.