The Go Ahead Year

It's twelve days to go until the 2015 United Kingdom General Election. Back in March 1966, The Labour Party were aiming to get re-elected with a far greater majority following Prime Minister Harold Wilson's narrow win by just four seats in the 1964 Election. 

For the sum of three shillings and sixpence, the public could buy a slim paperback written anonymously by 'DEMOS' that highlighted the Labour Party's record over the past two years - covering 14 areas inluding the Economy, Agriculture, Housing and the National Health Service. 

I picked up the 150 page book during the 1980s simply because I liked its punchy and optimistic cover - which was back then a refreshingly far cry from the depressing graphics churned out by the Thatcherite media.

THE GO AHEAD YEAR was published by Book Distributors Leicester (BDL). The cover designer was uncredited. But such bold mid-60s imagery may well have helped The Labour Party to return to Parliament that year with a hugely bigger majority of 96 seats. 

By the way, the turnout was then almost 76% of the electorate. I wonder how many will be voting in under two weeks time?

PHOTO Kodak CINE

Spotted last week!

'introduisez vos films ICI' printed on the flap of this sturdy old postbox designed to drop off your films outside the business hours of a camera shop. This one was in Eymet, France. Can't image that it gets much use these days, but it's so good to see that it hasn't been removed - either by the proprietor or a scavenging dealer of 'vintage' objects...

shame the postcards were not of a similar vintage though...

Takes me back to my cine-days - both as a youngster with my family watching home movies projected onto a screen in the front room, and later on in my twenties when I used to make short experimental documentary films shot on Super 8. Inspired by seeing this little piece of social history, I've dug deep into my collection of Kodachrome film envelopes, boxes, cartridges and reels for examples of our PHOTO CINE past...

envelope posted to the Kodak lab in Hemel Hempstead in the early 1960s

folding instructions...and where to write your address using your trusty ink pen!

the processed reel with its Kodak-branded yellow cover

Box hails from Toronto, Ontario.Postage rates: Parcel 5c, Letter - Local 8c, Other Points 11c

Improved. Dated 1962

Type A Film, 8mm. 1962

Bullfight on Standard 8, August 1961. PROCESS BEFORE FEB 1962

Unused Tri-X 50ft reversal film 7278 still sealed in packet

Photographic Material Exposed and Processed Safety Film

Sporting the slogan within: "They come out best on Kodak film"

Telephone Exchange: GLAdstone 5314, Cricklewood, London NW2

Printed inside wallet: 'Enlargements turn Snapshots into Pictures'

Verichrome on the back of print/negative wallet

I wonder how many films and photos have passed through the flap on this yellow painted metal dropbox?