Huge mural takes shape in Manchester, a one-boy bus and a robot man startles the suburbs.
Titles read: "Would you believe it? Queer things the World over. No. 14."
Various locations of events.
In Manchester we see a man putting together a large collage of a scenic picture, complete with mountains, castles and greenery. We then see him and other men working on an enormous canvas mural reproduction of this picture. The artist (unnamed, unfortunately) walks about with his picture in one hand and a huge brush in the other, painting as he goes. A young woman tries to have a go, but she cannot manage the brush in just one hand. Shot of the finished 3-dimensional mural in place behind a boating lake (at Belle Vue?). Very impressive!
In Brighton, East Sussex, we see a 4-year-old boy called Ernest Johnstone getting into the tiny, one-man bus his father has made for him. He is dressed in a bus driver uniform. Mr Johnstone, who is a real bus driver, made the little bus from scraps. Ernest pedals off from Hove Station beside a full-sized AEC Regent bus, presumably driven by his father. The two buses drive along the Brighton sea front.
At unidentified location (could be Streatham, London) we see various shots of the 'Ross Robo Mechanical Man' - it is actually a real man in make-up and a shiny suit (like an old-fashioned soldier) plus hat and shoes. The 'inventor', Miss Sophie Ross, walks around a residential / suburban area with her robot and seems to be controlling him from his back. The man looks quite spooky - he manages to keep a deadpan expression throughout, but has a bit of trouble getting into a car in a suitably robot fashion. A small crowd of people watch and try to keep out of the robot's way. Notes on file state this 'Eighth wonder of the world' was appearing at Mecca Dance Halls at the time.
Unknown user says
For the second part of the clip, (about the toy bus), note that the bus's "Registration Number" is "EJ 1934", no doubt the initials of its owner and the year the bus was made.
"Ernest pedals off from Hove Station beside a full-sized bus" - the bus is an AEC Regent, Reg. No. GK 6259.
Note that the "Ross Robot" referred to in the last paragraph is actually the Ross Robo.
Unknown user says
Another of Ernest Johnstone's scale models can be seen in clip 1261.10.
Unknown user says
Yet another of Ernest Johnstone's scale model buses can be seen in clip 823.22.
Unknown user says
Thanks jamied.