Gaumont Comes Home - 30th Aug 20:30 - FREE

[jay66]

Dear East Dulwich,

Did you know that you live in an area that had a huge part to play in the birth of the British film industry? Probably not as this little-known fact has, until now, been forgotten about. But from 1904 -1912 the pioneering film studios of the British arm of the Gaumont film company were producing hundreds of silent films from their studio near Dog Kennel Hill wood (next to E. Dulwich Sainsburys). Not only did they popularise the chase scene, which still abounds in Hollywood to this day, but they also experimented with sounds-films long before the talkies!

The Friends of Dog Kennel Hill Wood came across this incredible fact whilst researching the history of Dog Kennel Hill Wood and Open Space. We have spent the last year researching the studios and have tracked down the last-known surviving films. Having now fundraised the necessary money, we have paid for some of these films to be digitised and on 30th August 2014 we will be showing them for FREE in Dog Kennel Hill Open Space at 8:30pm. The films will be introduced by short local history presentations so you don't miss the streets around Champion Hill where many of the films were shot.

There will be a live piano accompaniment from the excellent Mr Neil Brand whose musical talents have been feted the world over. (You may have seen him recently on TV with Paul Merton.. Or at the Herne Hill Free Film Festival).

This is a super rare, never-to-be-repeated treat so please do come along!

More info in the poster (attached) and:

http://www.friendsofdkhwood.org/filmnight/

http://www.freefilmfestivals.org/whats-on/free-films-in-peckham/gaumont-comes-home.html

Tell all your friends and tweet like crazy: @friendsdkhwood, #gaumontcomeshome, #dogkennelhillywood

[jay66]

Latest early Gaumont film still up on twitter, showing Camberwell train station before it's top got blown off in WW2!

[jay66]

Does anyone know where either of these places are? Somewhere near Camberwell / Loughborough Junction / Champion Hill. Might have been pulled down after the war but the tops of the houses in one photos are very distinctive. The other photo shows a street scene with a church spire in the bg and a shop on the right hand side called "Bigg & Wade" - a newsagent and tobacconist. Pics from around 1906 are stills from the two of the early Gaumont films that will be shown for free in DKH Wood on 30th August.

Please let me know if you recognise these locations!

[jay66]

Just a reminder that this Saturday you are invited to Dog Kennel Hill Open Space (the park next to the adventure playground SE22 8AA) to watch films from the Gaumont film studio that was located there from 1904 - 1912.

Neil Brand will be playing the piano and we will be doing short local history presentations in between the films to help you spot the locations. Come and see Champion Hill, Camberwell, and the Greendale as they were over a hundred years ago!

The event starts at 8:30pm. Bring something to sit on and to keep warm and dry. The park is small so come early to bag a spot. Please lock bikes up outside as there is no room to lie them down next to you in the park!

Dulwich Hamlet FC bar will be open before and after the event so you can grab yourselves a drink. If the weather is atrocious then we will be showing the films in the football club.

Mother Goose nursery are firing up their pizza oven round the corner from 5pm so if you time it right you could have pizza, beer, free films and learn about your neighbourhood in one hit!

[jay66]

Following on from the free Gaumont Comes Home event on Sat 30th August, the Friends of DKH Wood are offering guided walks around the streets of Champion Hill to learn more about the locations of the films and studio from 1904 - 1912.

These will take place on Sunday 31st Aug (the day after the screening).

Cost is ?5 per person and all money goes to the Friends of DKH Wood.

Two groups of walks available: 12pm and 2pm. Meet outside Denmark Hill train station

Read more about the history and background here:

http://www.friendsofdkhwood.org/filmnight/

http://silentlondon.co.uk/2014/08/09/alf-collins-and-gaumont-south-east-londons-cinematic-past-tony-fletcher/

The walk will be led by William Warren and will last 1 / 1.5 hours.