Vintage transport film - Link Span - 1956

This vintage railway film, produced by British Transport Films in 1956, examines three cross-channel ferry services: the SS Lord Warden, transporting cars from Dover to Boulogne; the SS Norfolk, carrying freight from Zeebrugge to Harwich and finally the romantic London-to-Paris overnight express by way of Dover and Dunkirk.

[@jimmeltonbradley1497]

I do love these BTF films. A rather rose-tinted window on the past, but enjoyable nonetheless.

[@stephenlever419]

I think we all love this films because it takes us back to a better time when we were a proper country!!

[@joachim.charleshogg4728]

Very fond memories of the trips we, as a service family, used to travel to Germany via Harwich- Hook van Holland. In those days you had the choice of BR or Dutch railways, we all ways took the Dutch ferries, the service was so much more elegant. Winter crossings were not very pleasant but the thought of Christmas markets in Germany was so exciting. Lasting memories.

[@derrickgreen9020]

Hello Joe…I did the same with my mother on the Hook Continental from Parkestone Quay …do you remember the SS Avalon? Cars were lifted on by crane. In later years, we continued from Rotterdam to Munich on the Rheinpfeil/Rheingold.

[@traffic71]

I wish I could live in the UK constantly in the 50s and 60s. It seems a far more pleasant place than it is today.

[@fenrichlee2867]

Yes, great times indeed, a time where money was not the be all and end all. When some rail branch lines were unprofitable, but kept running anyway, but so what? I mean the fire brigade - police, medical help for the masses and so on never made money. But in this day and age it's all money money money. Oh how true it is that the LOVE of money is the rout of all evil. You are quite right it was a wonderful time to live through, and I speak as an ex rail worker born in 1946.

[@paulmason329]

Not so good if you were an abused child , no one believed them not even the police. When Jimmy Savile was starting out

[@johnmcmahon5225]

We were young then, so everything was much better, even though you had to take a boat across the Channel.

[@paulmason329]

I agree that transport should not be run for private profit like it appeared to be in the 1960s, but then along comes Beeching . ..

[@simprove]

Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.

[@prashantkaduskar646]

Wonderful and rare film.Brings out the discipline, timeliness and daring spirit of the time.Really enjoyed the film.

[@akrills]

My stepfather worked as a chef on the cross-channel rail ferry between Dover and Dunkerque back in the 60s, 70s and 80s, before they were terminated. I have so many memories of that particular crossing in all weathers.

[@simonsadler9360]

My late dad too, on the Arnhem & Amsterdam , chef & steward , have a certificate of Excellence gained in London when he was just 9 at Tollesbury primary school , the same school I attended where I was caned by A Mrs X on my left hand for being a lefthander , remember going to London docks with him when there were still steam tugs "Sun 1 & Sun 2 !

[@iainclark5964]

Another classic in the wonderful BTF library. Im old enough to remember the Night Ferry train, it only ended in 1980. Peopke are often surprised when I tell them tgat there was a train the actually went from London to Paris before the Eurostar.

[@-DC-]

What a wonderful film if only someone would provide a time machine !

[@brianparkhurst1019]

What a wonderful way to travel. As opposed to today, with people in sweat pants, and airlines annoyed that you dare want to be treated with courtesy.

[@bilko529]

A time when people took pride in their appearance and were respectful of others

[@paulmason329]

@@bilko529 Except immigrants who fought for Britain in WW2 and were abused when the war was over

[@arslongavitabrevis5136]

​@@paulmason329 What are you talking about? You obviously know nothing about WW2

[@paulmason329]

@@arslongavitabrevis5136 I am aware of Chinese sailors who fought for Britain in WW2 and were deported to Hong Kong leaving dependents in Liverpool. I grew up watching historic TV programmes such as All Our Yesterdays and the World At War among others. I know more about WW2 than some who were alive at the time I was a post war baby boomer among adults involved. So get your facts right ..

[@NormanAllen-ps9ju]

Ahmen

[@martinchamberlain542]

This is from the days when ships looked like ships. Today they all seem to look like floating shoeboxes with a pointy end.

[@chestnutsev7]

Spot on mate.

[@samclarke8543]

1950/60s: we have nice beautiful ships. Today: Giant Shoebox in the sea.

[@davidmiller6728]

i love this film especially the Night Ferry

[@johansoons8413]

amazing docu, great stuff. signed a belgian.

[@terencewong-lane4309]

Lord Warden's stern door doesn't look very substantial.

[@fazfinisher5598]

You cant get out the harbour today, without running over a dinghy.

[@chestnutsev7]

My father worked on the Lord Warden in 1956 and was on her when she collided with another ship in the channel pushing her bow in ,but she remained afloat and went on for quite a few more years.

[@OlivierGabin]

Great historical document. BTF films are always well done, it's a pleasure to watch anyone of them.

[@kevinmoffatt]

Remember being taken out of school at lunchtime and travelling from Kent to Hollyhead for the night ferry. The water dockside, in the dark, looked very threatening but very exciting catching the early morning train from Dunloughaire to Sligo.

[@rogerhill138]

I used to work on the cross channel boats in the 1960s. Quite a good job then.

[@davidhewson8605]

See how crew/harbour staff take care for ship transfer !! . Crazy lock system . No baby awoke . I remember 50s as a safe place to be. Was 4 in 1956 . ❤ Regards playmates . Dave

[@markcousins9337]

That Night Train certainly beat couchettes. They were grim.

[@leemcclelland2618]

The EU didn’t exist, and Britain was still head of the Commonwealth deriving v wealth from it. Not now. Britain is a solitary country on the edge of Europe.

[@davidnash41]

Thank you. This revives old memories.

[@jackb8682]

Thank you for this ! The pacing of music and narration is wonderful, almost poetic. In comparison it makes modern documentaries look (and sound) like garbage.

[@kennethvenezia4400]

GREAT! So, what happened? Wait, oh ya, BREXIT. Never mind.🙀

[@bigdmac33]

Thoroughly enjoyable.

[@nikerailfanningttm9046]

6:38 well this aged poorly. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@flitsertheo]

A tunnel under the channel ? Are you kidding ? That will never happen !

[@johnmartin4650]

Yes the 50s and 60s seemed to be a lot better but dentistry was awful and if you had surgery they weren’t big with pain relief !!

[@66xtopher]

Loved my time in the Train Ferry Dept, Western Docks, Dover.

[@mikebutler3263]

Excellent.

[@elrjames7799]

Not an illegal immigrant in sight.

[@kungfuwitcher7621]

Brilliant video.

[@simonf8902]

Night ferry. Fantastic.

[@peterdavidson3268]

Re: Night Trains Overnight sleeper services are currently (2024) enjoying a renaissance on the other side of La Manche (put "European Sleeper" into your search engine and see what comes back?) but of course good ol' British isolationism precludes UK based travellers from participating in this "sustainable" transport revival. Maybe, just maybe I will live to see the day when a night sleeper service makes use of that innovation we know as the Channel Tunnel?

[@a7b89]

There was talk of running a sleeper service through the tunnel,but as usual just talk.

[@annoyingbstard9407]

Stop whining.

[@peterdavidson3268]

@@annoyingbstard9407 Translation: Stop highlighting inconvenient realities about our post Brexit environment?

[@annoyingbstard9407]

@@peterdavidson3268 How did I know you were still harking back to pre-Brexit history? Why not do what I did for several years and move to Europe. It’s best to get a touch of reality rather than the hankering for something imaginary.

[@peterdavidson3268]

@@annoyingbstard9407 It doesn't have to be imaginary though does it - with sufficient political willpower the UK could once again align itself with its natural (geographical) neighbours. There were plans as far back as late 1980s to implement Eurostar Regional and Nightstar trains to enable the rest of the UK outside the London/South East nexus to benefit from the then nascent Channel Tunnel project - whatever happened to that technological optimism?

[@graemeconnelly8849]

something that could be dreamed of a tunnel under the channel

[@simprove]

The night train was described as going from Dunkirk to Paris through Normandy, surely not? Interesting to see the train ferry operation. I'd read about it but it didn't make much sense until you see it in the context of a London to Paris sleeper train.

[@sigurdjohnson6617]

This was excellent!!

[@georgen9755]

France Dock side

[@johnmcmahon5225]

Herald of Free Enterprise Channel ferry. 193 people were killed when she capsized in 1987.

[@MagereHein]

Ah, the future of Brexit.

[@georgen9755]

Channel ferry

[@sulray]

Loved it

[@1200kevin1]

Do you have the film of the TOPS system of British Rail?

[@studebaker4217]

Thanks for posting this wonderful film. Paris looked very French in 1953, rather than north African.

[@alanmarr3323]

Racist !

[@studebaker4217]

You clearly haven't been to Paris this century. But you must be a lefty to rush to judgement as you have, to suit your narrative.

[@elrjames7799]

@@alanmarr3323 Why the exclamation mark instead of a question?

[@elrjames7799]

@Studebaker. Only some parts of Paris, not all by any means.

[@elrjames7799]

@@studebaker4217 You've 'rushed to judgement' also with your lefty allusion.

[@tangerinedream7211]

The days before Ro Ro,, now we've got P and O Pioneer with two bows .😮

[@fandangofandango2022]

Love it.

[@RoddCutts]

That is so cool to see this.