Historic Coventry Cathedral footage discovered for 65th anniversary

Footage showing a significant event in the history of a cathedral has been uncovered and will be shown to mark the 65th anniversary.

The film shows a 1958 service, the first held in Coventry's new cathedral, moving its "spiritual home" from the ruins of the old cathedral.

It was broadcast on BBC Television but no copy of it remains in its archive.

The film has has been rediscovered and digitised and will be shown on New Year's Day.

The Radio Times entry shows the service was shown on New Year's Day in 1958

The previous St Michael's Cathedral was bombed on 14 November 1940 with the new cathedral, designed by Sir Basil Spence, standing alongside the ruins as a symbol of peace and reconciliation.

Martin Williams, chairman of Friends of Coventry Cathedral, said he was thrilled to have uncovered the footage.

"I was going through the home movies of someone who had taken film of the construction of the cathedral and I came across this film which he hadn't taken, took it along to have it digitised and was really excited to find it was this most important event in the life of the cathedral recorded for posterity on film," he said.

The service took place in 1958 during the construction of Coventry's new cathedral

The footage shows a candle being lit in the ruins of the cathedral by Provost Howard, who had retired that year. He then carries the flame into the undercroft of the new cathedral, which was still under construction.

"He carried it to this new chapel that had been created, handed it over to Provost Williams, his successor, and he in turn lit the candles on the altar, of what was to be known as the Chapel of the Cross, which was then consecrated by the Bishop of Coventry," Mr Williams said.

It was there for the next four years that the congregation worshipped until the new cathedral was finished and officially opened in 1962.

A Radio Times entry for the service, entitled Forth In Thy Name, shows it was broadcast at 23:40 GMT on New Year's Eve 1958 and included a new year message given by the bishop.

Mr Williams said it will be shown at the cathedral on Sunday at 15:30, ahead of evening prayers.

"You can then imagine yourself back in 1958 when the spiritual life of the cathedral moved across to the new site," he added.