This programme documents the year long celebrations that took place within Kings Lynn and the surrounding area during the 800^th anniversary of the signing of the King John Charter in 1204. These events were arranged by local organisations and included the King’s Lynn Festival, the Emmerich Twinning Club, the Proclamation of the Mart and the visit by traditional German Kieler Hansekogge.

The highlight for the whole year was the Charter Carnival which took place in September on the Walks. The event transported the audience back through time and history to medieval days, where they witnessed the skill and bravery of the grand medieval jousting tournament.  The celebrations continued into the evening with musical entertainment and one of the largest firework display the West Norfolk has ever seen.

The Faces of Lynn

THE FACES OF LYNN presents a unique record of the typical English town of King's Lynn, which has, for a 1000 years, thrived on the banks of the River Great Ouse, as a trading port and a market town.

The 20th century has been a time of great events, many of which have had a profound effect on the town and its people. Two world wars, floods, economic change, and popular culture have all left their mark. This film looks at some of these key events through the words of those who were there. Eye witness accounts and rarely seen archive footage and photographs trace the tumultuous events that make up this century.

Relive the terror of aerial bombing, the merciless forces of nature and the fickle hand of economic fate. THE FACES OF LYNN also shows a community of resilience, optimism and energy, that looks forward to the future with a firm grasp of the eventful past that it is built on.

Film maker Robert Fuller has captured the spirit of King's Lynn and its people; an ordinary English town at an extraordinary time in history. Narrated by acclaimed star of stage, film and television, Robert Powell, the film also boasts an exciting sound track of contemporary, traditional and original music composed and arranged by more that a dozen musicians from the region.

This video tells the story of the lost fishing community of Northend in King's Lynn. It features archive film footage and images of fishing in the 1920s and 30s with vivid memories from surviving Northenders. Other film footage shows the children at school, the boats that used the Great River Ouse and the way the Northend families lived and worked. Many of the people who reminisce about the Lost Community with the Northend are direct descendants of the old fishing families themselves.

The video also features special dramatised scenes including a spectacular funeral sequence down Pilot Street. An original horse-drawn Victorian hearse was used along with more that 100 people and the final scenes were composited using digital computer generated effects. Highlights of the film are opening and end sequences where the viewer will see the whole of the Northend from bird's eye view. The original buildings were brought back to life using cutting edge digital technology which allowed the camera to fly over the old Lynn town.

2000AD is a documentary, covering key events ocurring within the first year of the 21st Century in King's Lynn and the surrounding area. Depicting the rich variety of events, which have taken place during the first twelve months, 2000AD is structured in a contemporary newsreel style and narrated by broadcaster Richard Baker O.B.E.

The events recorded within the first year of the new century cover a wide range of activities and leisure interests in West Norfolk; from the opening of the Mart in King's Lynn, to the Charity Abseil down the wind turbine at Swaffham; from Mayor Making to the Lynn News Superkids awards; from Football to Speedway.

The Green Quay Waterfront Development based along King's Lynn's South Quay is featured, along with the 50th Anniversary of the King's Lynn Festival, the Downham Market Festival, the Walpole St Peter Flower Festival and the Sandringham Flower Show, which celebrated the Queen Mother's 100th birthday.

2000AD closes with the "Big Heart and Soul" Gospel Choir singing "The Rising Sun", written especially for the film. "The Rising Sun" symbolises both the New Dawn and the Birth of Christ as the year 2000 finally came to an end.

Kings Lynn was growing and thriving. Industrialisation meant wealth and growth, and interest in culture and arts soared. Yet it was also a time when many lived in abject poverty. There were two sides to Victorian life in Lynn; one enjoyed by the wealthy and one endured by the poor.

While life in Lynn was greatly affected by individual's social standing, many improvements were made which enhanced life for all Lynn residents. Buildings, such as the Athenaeum, were expected to enhance the cultural life of the town.

For some, making ends meet proved impossible. For those who could not find work in the town salvation was at hand. The Union Workhouse was the final option for many who fell on hard times.

Fredrick Savage, Alfred Dodman and Thomas Cooper were all entrepreneurs and revolutionary engineers who were internationally renowned. There was also growth in shopping with more choice at the first department store Jermyn and Perry, found in the High Street.

By 1870 five hundred ships were using Lynn's docks annually. The main products imported and exported were timber, wine, and linseed. This increased trade had to be services by improved railway and transport links.

This programme is brought to life with informative dramatised sequences and is made up from old pictures, interviews and narrated by star of screen and stage, Robert Hardy.

Whale Fishery of Lynn 1774 - 1821
An authorative study by David Andrews.
Captain Ben Baxter sailed out of Lynn with the whaling fleet every season from 1776 to 1809.  The fleet was an important contributor to the economy of the town, but so much of its history would have gone unrecognised but for David’s work. £2.99