EYE ON RESEARCH: The British United Shoe Machinery Company Research Department.

Quirky, silent, 16mm footage of the BUSMC Research Department in Leicester made in the early 1960s by Stephen Makovski.
The film was rescued by Nigel Tout who worked in the Research Department at the BU from 1970 to 2000.
"When the Research Department vacated the building on Macdonald Road and moved across Ross Walk in the mid-1980s I rescued a reel of 16mm cine film that was on a pile of things heading to the skip.
"People that I can identify include Ernie Simms, Alan Moore, Fred Langton, Barry Sharpe, ‘Wal’ Waller, Harry Mellors, Ewan Cameron, John Pope, and also tea ladies dispensing tea on their round."

[@johnmartin-jones1375]

My dad worked in the research department from 63-96. He enjoyed seeing the film and suggested it May date from the 50s

[@nigeltout5375]

This film appears to have been made in the early 1960s before R&D moved into offices, laboratories & machine shops in a new building on Macdonald Road in Leicester.
People that I can identify - @0:58 Ernie Simms (on left in dark suit, machine shop supervisor, my grandfather). @4:04 & 4:17 Alan Moore (in charge of R&D photographic dept. & photo-etching). @4:22 & 4:49 Fred Langton (electrical/electronic engineer). @5:11 Barry Sharpe (electrical/electronic fitter). @5:16 unknown winding several electrical wires together before fitting in machine. @5:27 Fred Langton & Barry Sharpe. @5:29 ‘Wal’ Waller (head of one of the R&D sections). @5:55 this could be Stephen Makovski (senior R&D engineer). @6:11 tea ladies. @6:28 Harry Mellors (head of ‘Special Projects’ section). @7:30 ‘Wal’ again. @8:02 ‘Wal’ again on right. @8:17 Terry Bolingbroke (electrical/electronics circuit board designer). @8:39 Terry again on right awarded with cup which appears to say “The ????? BIGGEST CHARLIE” (perhaps awarded to the next person to make a silly mistake). @9:01 Stephen Makovski? @9:04 road journey with @9:31 passing the ‘Green Man & Black’s Head Royal Hotel’ in Ashbourne and @9:43 Derby Friar Gate railway bridge & trolley buses with overhead lines, and @10:10 ‘Wal’ as a horse.
@10:21 there is an elaborate presentation for somebody I do not recognise, but he could be about to get married. @10:30 Ewen Cameron (electrical/electronic engineer) dressed as a newspaper seller with his poster saying “LATEST - Fidal Mawby Captured”, so the presentation may have been to someone I did not know personally called George Mawby. @11:44 John Pope (company director in charge of R&D).