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Nearly New Town (Harlow)

1982 , Harlow (Essex)

Cat no. 5010

BBC documentary examining social developments in the new town of Harlow.

BBC documentary examines the history and social development of the new town of Harlow in Essex, and featuring interviews with the original town planner, community leaders and residents, as well as archival footage spanning four decades. Conceived in 1946, the 'new town' of Harlow was destined to provide adequate futures for those residents of London heavily affected by the Blitz. A central feature of this film is an interview with architect and town planner Frederick Gibberd, who begins by outlining the history of the plan to fit Harlow within the existing landscape, and provide a 'balanced town' to allow for the integration of all kinds of people, living in all kinds of houses. Archival footage announces Harlow as a 'young peoples town', where children are free to play without risk of traffic, and where well-equipped and modern schools are closely related to their neighbourhoods. It was also envisaged that Harlow would allow residents to live and work in the same area, with factories linked to residential zones by cycleways free from motor traffic. Archival vox pops suggest that it began with mixed success, and so this mixed success continued. Current residents are interviewed, with a wide range of views about life in the town. Many of the younger residents feel that there is not enough for them to do, and older residents complain about social problems on housing estates. With Frederick Gibberd constantly defending his town, many community leaders are questioned about problems of spirituality, employment, and the adequacy of housing. The film concludes with Gibberd maintaining that he believes the town still works, as archival footage harks back to Harlow's happier beginnings.

Featured Buildings

Harlow Town Hall; St Andrews Church Hall, Harlow; Harlow Market; Clark Hill Estate, Harlow; Bishopsfield Estate, Harlow; The Lawn tower block, Harlow; Harvey Shopping Centre, Harlow; St Paul's Church, Harlow

Keywords

Local government; New towns; Social History; Town planning; Urban development

Manifestations

Nearly New Town (Harlow)

  • Barcode
    INV375893
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    MP4 H264 digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:29:31
    Modification Date
    11/11/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    733661
  • Barcode
    INV338236
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    MP4 H264 digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:29:31
    Modification Date
    11/11/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    733658
  • Barcode
    INV399884
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    MP4 H264 digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:29:31
    Modification Date
    11/11/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    733651
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV323602
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    DV digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:29:31
    Modification Date
    10/05/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    710591
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV212739
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Type
    master digital
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:29:43
    Modification Date
    10/03/2011
    Parts
    Reference
    703648
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV247915
    Canonical Identifier
    1984/7
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Details
    Carrier Type
    16mm film
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:26:40
    Has Sound
    Y
    Identifier
    Modification Date
    22/09/2010
    Parts
    Reference
    692278
    Sound
    sound
    Sound System
    mag full width
  • Activities
    Barcode
    INV237127
    Canonical Identifier
    1984/7
    Canonical Title
    Unknown
    Carrier Details
    Carrier Type
    16mm film
    Colour System
    colour
    Colour Type
    colour
    Dimension
    Duration
    0:21:20
    Has Image
    Y
    Has Sound
    N
    Identifier
    Image Polarity
    pos
    Modification Date
    22/09/2010
    Parts
    Reference
    692277
    Sound
    silent

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