Barging Along - WW II film promoting Britain's inland waterways

[@earlystrings1]

These old British films certainly gave a great deal of work to musicians and composers. There’s a little symphony playing the whole time.

[@mfbfreak]

Looks like a super nice job to me. Slowly chugging along the canals, watching the scenery roll by and watching the seasons change... Occasionally some hard work to keep your body in shape :)

[@marcmarcmarcmarcmarc]

very interesting, i was a kind of bargee when i was small, lived with an elderly aunt on her 72ft narrow boat on the Grand Union at Rickmansworth during school holidays early 60's....., oh how i hated bed time lol, my bed was on a very narrow seat and i spent half the nights slipping of it onto the floor, :( apart from that great fun and fond memories.....

[@MegaTeleAddict]

History digitised and preserved forever! I like watching stuff like this.

[@TEEETHREEEMEEE]

That was one old film well worth saving. Thanks for posting it.

[@robharding5345]

Wonderful time-capsule. Its no wonder We used to be called Great Britain,

[@MrWindermere123]

Sorry to barge in, but I love it: no hard hats, no high-vis, no containers, no plastic bottles floating about...and a very nice dog.

[@ronstokes5787]

And no supermarket trolleys at the bottom of the cut.

[@oldtykesmith2317]

I just love these films of England my ancestors were Bargees.

[@kateflies3930]

A fascinating piece of canal history..one has to wonder why the HMSO felt it was necessary to destroy all copies they could find...3 years after war's end.

[@BrassLock]

*State Sanctioned Vandalism*

[@morismonnelly9612]

Spent a lot of my childhood by the canal (bulls bridge) Southall, good times.

[@hughtierney9109]

I spent a lot of mine a bit further towards Brentford, around Osterley lock!

[@samking73]

Excellent!

[@tedfitzgerald2754]

damm, cannot down load this movie, would be great for some project we are doing 'on the Home front"

[@robnewman6101]

Wow. Interesting.

[@martinjcamp]

Fascinating as expected. But deep into the War I am surprised there was not a mention of the CRISIS England was in, and I was astonished that there wasn't a sign or mention of the Military or Soldiers or Sailors!

[@660einzylinder]

There was no need to mention the state of the war. This film portrays life going on as normal, which would have been a moral booster at home and good propaganda if seen overseas. The brief mention of the war at the very beginning and at the end is all that is required.

[@martinjcamp]

@@660einzylinder OK. Thanks.

[@TheRealBigfeet]

I’m not sure your quite accurate. The use of women on the canals was early on in the war, I suspect this was filmed pre WW2 and narrated just as war broke out, it served as a reminder of the way things were type film. I have a large collection of films from pre ww2 that are under the if war should come and public info films most if not all of these show how and what the country is doing for war preparation, they don’t go to carry on as normal, the canals were deteriorating in the pre war years it was only with the uptake of war preparation and getting stuff through for the civilian market that the canals were needed hence the use for the barge girls. War items mostly going by rail although I believe a lot of raw materials went by barge, a lot of civilian materials were mostly moved by barge, coal was mostly sent by barge. The Germans even targeted the canals partially because of a film about the barge girls I believe,

[@TheWizardGamez]

lol, this is cool, but have yall scene the gulf intracoastal waterway

[@cheshunts157]

Superb documentary, what a complicated life this woman lived. So sad those children were killed, and the Russians not much better in giving the children a proper burial and involving the USA and Britain

[@smorrisby]

Spoiled by the caption advertising the download!

[@freddricos]

just click on the x in the corner sunbeam

[@smorrisby]

Ah so it does

[@UTubeGlennAR]

Gave this vid a thumbs down due to the black spot in the center of the picture.

[@AlarumTheatreUK]

I can't see a black spot... do you mean the advert to download it? If so you can close that. Other than that it seems in remarkably good condition given that it is the only surviving copy.

[@UTubeGlennAR]

:) I enjoy old footage of most any kind and especially from the UK canal system. However there is a wide black rectangle on the screen advertising that "This video is available as a down load" for 90% of the footage. I have not a clue how to remove it. Sorry to be so picky. :(

[@AlarumTheatreUK]

Quite understand. There is a wee small cross in the top right hand corner to close it - but it's a sneaky little b*****. It only shows up when you move the cursor over the ad. So, just hover the cursor over the box and you will see the X, then you can click on it and kill the ad. Good luck!

[@darf8475]

I need my eyes tested, I don’t see a black dot ⚫️

[@ramjam25]

the pink elephant is doing my head in

[@robnewman6101]

Rule Britannia.

[@Ljotulfson]

Excellent!