Making of Woking

An award winning amateur film tracing the transformation of Woking, from open heath to modern commuter-belt town. The film also features the famous Brookwood Necropolis.

This well made film uses visuals and narration to tell the story of Woking's development into a town. We see heathland and village scenes, which, the narrator explains, were transformed once the railway arrived. Views of the station are followed by glimpses of Brookwood Cemetery, where London's dead were buried and which the railway enabled. Cheap land led to further development, illustrated by estate agent’s windows, building sites and views of the modern town.

This film won a Bronze Seal award at the International Film and Video Competition at the 1987 London International Film Festival. The Woking Cine Club, who produced it, was established in 1959, becoming the Woking Film Makers in 1984. They wanted to encourage film production as a hobby and to further the knowledge and skill of their members. Besides documentaries and instructional films, the group produced dramas, often with darkly comic themes. The Surrey History Centre holds the records of the club and Screen Archive South East holds copies of many of its productions.