Pictures of Lizzy made my life so wonderful

A couple of weeks ago, I was in Oxfam looking at the books, and I found this South Bank Exhibition guide, from the Festival of Britain in 1951, and it was only a couple of squid, so I got it.

South Bank Exhibition, London, 1951

The Festival of Britain took place in the summer of 1951.  It was a national celebration, with events taking place in most major towns & cities, but the South Bank Exhibition in London was at the heart of the festivities.

Visitors guide to the South Bank Exhibition

The Festival came only six years after the end of the 2nd world war.  The country had lived through a very turbulent period and people were still living their everyday lives with the after-effects of the war.  The Festival of Britain was seen as a way of celebrating the resilience and achievements of the nation.  It was an opportunity to be proud of Britain, and for people all over the country to take part in the festivities and enjoy themselves.

Although the festival took pride in looking back at Britain’s past, there was a positive emphasis on future of the country.  Science, technology, and the arts were all featured really strongly.  In Lambeth, on the South Bank, a rundown area of old buildings was cleared to make way for a series of pavilions which would house exhibitions.  Other centre pieces of the Exhibition in London included the Dome of Discovery, the Skylon, and the Royal Festival Hall (which is one of the only remaining features today, having become part of the South Bank Centre.)  The festivities continued nationwide, and at other sites around London, aswell as on the South Bank.

List of events

The guide book is really interesting to flick through.  I keep picking it up now and then and reading different bits.  It has features on all the different exhibitions that took place, guides to all the pavilions, and includes articles on transport, sea & ships, power & production, television, sport, health, homes & gardens, outer space, the physical world and the people of Britain, amongst others.  If you want to read more about the Festival of Britain, there’s lots of information on the 20th century London website.

British Overseas Airways Corporation / British European Airways

One of my favourite things about the guide, is that it has some amazing ’50s adverts in the front and the back.  I’ve scanned some of the best ones to show you…there were loads I liked though!

Craven 'A' - SO kind to their lips and throats!

Comfort-in-action trousers - Daks

A joy to drink at all times, and at all occasions - Black & White Scotch whisky

The quality toilet soap EVERYONE wants! - Cussons Imperial Leather

This one (below) is one of the most interesting.  It’s an advert for Thomas W.Ward Ltd, of Albion Works, Sheffield.  Albion Works is part of the same row of buildings as Albion House, which is where Senta is based. (Senta is the Sheffield Enterprise Agency, based at the Chamber of Commerce, where I’ve been going for help and business advice!).

'Ward's might have it' - Thos W. Ward Ltd, Albion Works, Sheffield

To see a picture of Albion Works as it was in 1902, click here and then scroll down to the Albion Works section.  If you want to see it now, look it up on Google maps, it looks just the same!

Anyway, changing the subject completely, I just wanted to show you this delightful teatowel that Marie brought into work for me when it was my birthday.  It really is a stunner, and deserves to be seen by all I think.

Felines beautifully rendered

My favourite is the tortoiseshell.  Check out the lovely poem.

Feline poetic

And lastly, don’t you think it’s right that every home in the land should have a photo of Her Majesty the Queen up on the living room wall?  Well I do, and look at this beauty that we found in the Sheffield Antiques Centre.  Only three squid!  It’s mounted on stiff card, with a little hook made out of ribbon, and there is an inscription on the reverse, which reads ‘From Lily, George and Fred, with all our love to Mother xxxxxx’.

The Queen looks down on us now, as we eat our tea and watch telly.

*Hi, I’m just adding this update a bit later this eve…I went to Langtons antiques for a quick look this afternoon, and I saw this framed picture!  It’s an original Festival of Britain embroidery, presumably handstitched in 1951 by somebody throwing themselves into the spirit of the festivities!  I really like it, and I would have bought it but it was £55 so I had to leave it there. Huh!

Festival of Britain embroidery