[William Darbyshire Home Movies: Reel 8]

William (Billy) Darbyshire (1903–1979) was a film enthusiast and traveller who emigrated with his parents from England to Australia in 1911. It may have been this early trip that influenced a young Billy to travel the world later in life and film his travels as he went.

First travelling to Africa for work and to various destinations whilst in service during WWII, Billy would continue to travel after the war throughout Asia, Europe, Africa, the Pacific and North America. It was in this period, during the 1960s, that he purchased an 8mm movie camera which resulted in a collection of films that capture his travels, taking in the sites of the world from Asia to Europe and Africa to the Americas.

The films were originally made using Standard 8mm film. The quality of the film can be a little challenging as it is jumpy, damaged and scratched at times.

In this film, Billy travels to the Russian cities of Leningrad and Moscow.

Selected highlights list:
00:00:04:00 some quick views the ‘Latvia’ passenger ship in sail
00:00:20:00 scenes in a European city including some construction sites
00:00:52:00 the domes of the St Petersburg Cathedral (also called Church of the resurrection of Christ or Church of the Saviour on Spilled Blood) in St Petersburg, Russia
00:02:21:00 looking at the St Petersburg Cathedral framed in the distance through snowy tree branches
00:02:40:00 Red Square in Moscow, Russia
00:03:39:00 St Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow, Russia
00:04:27:00 snow on people and traffic in Moscow
00:05:17:00 pedestrians and cars on the streets of Moscow
00:06:50:00 cars driving alongside a river in Moscow
00:07:05:00 a crowd watches a military parade of personal and armoured vehicles
00:09:03:00 snowy streets
00:09:49:00 airplane exhibition
00:10:27:00 people tobogganing in the snow amongst some trees
00:11:00:00 people take to their skis in a snowy forest