The priceless footage of Teddy Boys & Girls dancing and talking about their cult lifestyle in the early 70s at the bottom of this post comes from the East Anglian Film Archive, which provides access to 200 hours of moving images relating to the part of the UK 100-or-so miles east of London.
The film was later edited into a news item for regional broadcaster Anglia TV about the Teds flocking to 50s nights held at the Long Bar in the coastal town of Southend.
Among the interviewees is the Long Bar proprietor known as “Ma” and an original neo-Edwardian who bought his first drape suit in 1949 (when Saville Row’s failed attempt to market the style to its customers first gave way to adoption by working class youth).
Watch the footage here:
The EAFA is at the University of East Anglia in Norwich. Visit the Archive’s site here.
Would you like to support Flashbak?
Please consider making a donation to our site. We don't want to rely on ads to bring you the best of visual culture. You can also support us by signing up to our Mailing List. And you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For great art and culture delivered to your door, visit our shop.