Aberystwyth and Bangor

Aberystwyth and Bangor - "Rag", Lloyd George and the Prince of Wales

(Detholiad)

35mm, 1922 and 1923, 12 minutes, Black & White, Silent, Local Topical (Arthur Cheetham) and Newsreel (Topical Film Company)

The Prime Minister, who has seen them through the war, visits the people of Aberystwyth – town and gown - with Margaret, his wife. Prior to the university college’s Jubilee celebrations he receives the Freedom of the Borough on 19/7/1922 in the new college hall in North Road, and is present at the unveiling of the statue of Thomas Charles Edwards, the college’s first principal, by Mrs Davies of Plas Dinam, Llandinam (second wife of Edward Davies, the only son of David Davies 'Top Sawyer'). As reported in the Cambrian News of 21/7/1922, Lloyd George also went on to deliver a speech in the new hall on the history and ideals of Welsh education pioneers with special reference to T C Edwards. The inter-titles seem to refer to the speech he made when receiving the Freedom, a speech that aims to inspire the gathered crowd with hope and resolve during the early, uneasy years of the peace. Within a few months of this visit, Lloyd George had lost the premiership.

Note: The complete film is not available for viewing on the BFI Player but an extract from it is, showing just the Arthur Cheetham “Rag” footage, under the title ‘College “Rag” – Friday, March 2nd, 1923 – Aberystwyth’