Travelling Vicar (1960)

M/S of a man working on the engine of a bus; he climbs onto the bonnet and we can see he is a vicar; C/U of his face and then his hands tightening a bolt in the engine. M/S of the bus as we see various other people cleaning and working on it outside a village shop; the vicar, Bill Rodda, and another man replace the bonnet cover; C/U and tilt down to show a man adjusting one of the head lights. C/U of the sign on the bus reading 'Corfe Church'. The commentator says "The location is Corfe Mullen in Dorset, which happens to be one of the largest, most widely scattered parishes in the country, taking in about 70 square miles; and when the present vicar, the Reverend Bill Rodda took over recently, he hit on the idea of a bus service. Completely free, of course, it's run on church expenses and does a roaring trade with two or more runs for each service plus a Sunday School special". M/S of BR in vestments climbing into the driver's seat; M/Ss as bus drives off, passing a small petrol station before it reaches the main road; we see it driving down a country road with two small boys on bikes riding behind; it stops where a group of parishioners are waiting; C/U of the group then M/Ss as they all get on the bus and it drives off (small boys still riding behind on bicycles). M/Ss as the bus drives along a road, then from inside the bus behind the driver. M/S of a group of women and children waiting by the side of the road; one of the women waves to the driver; C/U as he waves back. M/S as the bus pulls up by the group, vicar driving with cigarette in mouth; everyone gets in and the bus drives off. M/Ss of people inside the bus. M/S of St Huberts church, "more than a thousand years old" says the commentator, panning right to show the bus arriving at the gate outside the church and graveyard. M/S as the door opens, the vicar gets out and helps the others off the bus. M/Ss of one of the church windows, then of people walking up the path to the church entrance followed by the vicar. Note: Print used for transfer; neg is incomplete. Newspaper cutting on file about Bill Rodda and bus service. FILM ID:105.19 FOR LICENSING ENQUIRIES VISIT http://www.britishpathe.com/