NEW FEBRUARY 2021.  Please note that an order placed here gets you a set of DVDs sent by post.  Direct downloads are also available - the links for them are given near the foot of this description.

The Society inherited from our Founding President, the late Bernard Walsh, some reels of film which he had taken. They were shot on 8mm film during the 1960's, home movies made by an amateur. They are in colour but there is no sound. Do not expect high standards technically.

Nevertheless they are offered in the hope that some will find their content of sufficient interest to be able to overlook their shortcomings. Naturally there are plenty of East Anglian topics, including several branches just before closure – Dereham to Wells, North Walsham to Mundesley, Colchester St Botolphs to Brightlingsea and St Margarets to Buntingford, for example. Occasionally he has ranged further afield, as with a charming film of GWR 0-4-2T’s at work on the Hemyock branch in Devon. All idendified locations are displayed on-screen. Some are filmed by leaning out of the train window, others appear to be cab rides. You can see the full play list HERE.

The least comfortable films to watch are three which he speeded up, on the lines of ‘London to Birmingham in five minutes’, but they are included for completeness. His three are Liverpool Street to Clacton, Marks Tey to Bartlow via the Colne valley route, and from just outside Cambridge to Colchester the Stour Valley way. At original speed they are little more than a blur, and if slowed down their jerky nature is emphasised. They are provided slowed to a bit under half their intended speed (with two different versions for the Clacton film), which was judged to be the best compromise: you can now glimpse more of the detail, provided you can put up with their jerkiness. By far the best of the three to watch is the Stour Valley trip (apart from a blank screen for a while just when passing through Sudbury, perhaps due to a film change!).

You probably already have a built-in programme to view the videos as MP4 files, but even so we strongly recommend downloading VLC Media Player for the purpose.  Not only does it do the job excellently, but it allows you to play the video at different speeds - ideal for Bernard's three 'high-speed' runs, where you may find the amount we have slowed them down not to be what you would choose. You can then play them either faster or slower as you wish.  It can be downloaded for free with no hassle from https://www.videolan.org/.

You will receive a set of two DVDs. DVD1 is suitable for running on an ordinary DVD player, in order to view the films on your TV. The total running time is 91 minutes.

DVD2 contains digital material. All the same films are present, but this time as MP4 files. On this DVD there are extras such as detailed notes for every film (which you can also read HERE) and maps to illustrate the journey each one takes you on.

TIP: If your TV set has a USB socket, instead try putting the MP4 files of each of the films from DVD2 on a memory stick. They may well play on the TV, and if so could give better pictures than the video files from DVD1 displayed via a DVD player.

Please note that as an alternative there are two separate options for a direct download of this item. VID/all.DL gets you the contents of both DVDs, plus notes on how to produce from them a DVD suitable to run on a DVD player; VID/digital.DL provides the films and the other digital files as on DVD2, at a reduced price of £8.

If you place an order for this item here, the DVDs will be posted to you. An amount to help with postage and packing will be added at the checkout, before you commit yourself to buy.

We very much regret that these DVDs can be posted only to UK addresses owing to difficulties we have experienced with customs duties. Overseas customers are of course still more than welcome to purchase a download version – you will receive the same files without incurring the inevitable considerable delay. If you have serious misgivings as to whether your local internet will be up to the task, please feel free to consult us at sales@gersociety.org.uk.