Somerset Village (1957)

Various villages in Somerset. L/S of a country scene with hills in the background and thatched cottages amongst the trees. This is the village of Selworthy. M/S of a bush full of pink flowers on the wall of a house. L/S of green fields and trees, there is a gate in the foreground a man walks up and leans on it. L/S two rows of sheaf's of willow in a field, a man walks between them, he is Cuthbert Hembrow. Some geese are running about as well. M/S of Cuthbert gathering up a sheaf of willow, C/U of his hands separating some strands of willow out into a bundle, he puts them over his shoulder and carries them off. He takes them over to where a woman and two men are working. C/U of him carrying the willow past the camera, the people are in the background. They are surrounded by various wicker items such as baskets and chairs. Cuthbert carries the sheaf over to them. L/S of 27 year old Joyce Richards weaving a dog's basket, Wally Hillard it sat down weaving another basket and Fred Sellick is working on a 'hood chair'. Cuthbert lays the sheaf down next to Wally. M/S of Joyce sat on the grass weaving the long strands of willow into the basket there are cows in a field behind her. C/U of her hands weaving the basket, there is a flat iron in it. C/U of her smiling face and C/U of her hands weaving the strands. M/S of Wally sat on the ground working, C/U of his face as he does it and C/U of his hands weaving the strands between long vertical poles. M/S of Fred finishing the hood chair, the camera moves down over it to a basket on the floor, their firm is called Hembrow & Sellick and operates from the village of Burrowbridge. M/S of a man climbing up a thatched roof in the village of Bishops Lydeard, he is 68 year old James May. He reaches the top of the ladder and sticks a hook into the thatch. M/S of James on top of the house, the roofs and treetops are visible in the background. He puts a bundle of sticks down and takes a piece of wood out of the thatch. C/U of him taking the hook out and using it to pin a piece of thatch to the roof. He knocks it in with a big flat mallet, he takes another hook out and puts it in. C/U of James's face as he is working. L/S of his legs and the street with a couple of people on it far below. L/S of the thatched roof with James working near the top. L/S of a woman riding along a country road on a bicycle, there are fields and trees in the background and a river with two swans and a signet on it in the foreground. M/S of a village street with cottages on it, there are several young women riding down it on bicycles, more women walk down behind them. The camera follows the bicycles as they ride up to a long flat building, other women are walking up to the entrance. The narrator tells us this is a shirt factory at Bishops Lydeard (Van Heusen's) and it provides employment for the young people of the town. L/S of the girls parking their bicycles in the sheds. L/S of women walking up to the entrance of the factory. Interior. M/S of 28 year old Christine Hughes working at a sewing machine, she has a pile of shirt collars beside her and is sewing one on the machine, there is an open window behind her. L/S of a big house in front of a tree covered hill, there is a small bridge in the foreground. This is the village of Allerford. A man with a walking stick walks over the bridge. FILM ID:65.02 FOR LICENSING ENQUIRIES VISIT http://www.britishpathe.com/