🎬British Pathé – Great shots of girls of the Women's Land Army collecting in the harvest. Unused / unissued material - location and dates unclear or unknown. Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire. VS of land girls getting in the harvest. They operate tractor drawn reaper over large corn fields probably on Salisbury Plains. The reapers operate in an impressive chain over the large fields. VS of girls taking a well earned rest when the tea van arrives on site. More shots of the reapers working across the field. Short CU of corn waving in breeze. More shots of the tea break. (Neg.) Cataloguer's Note: The Land Girls are part of the WLA - the Women's Land Army - and these are really good shots. Old record suggests date as August 1941 - MD

🎬British Pathé – Pathe visits Margaret Lockwood in her home. Ringwood, Hampshire. Several shots of film star Margaret Lockwood at home with her daughter. Margaret Lockwood signing photographs for her fans, daughter Margaret helps her. Various shots of Margaret Lockwood walking in countryside with her daughter, a little boy joins them. Margaret Lockwood, her daughter and little boy are seen feeding the chickens, playing with ducklings and a goat

🎬British Pathé – Footage of fibre glass boat being built in factory, Lymington, Hampshire. L/S of the workers lifting the mould of the boat. C/U of man mixing resin. C/U clock showing time at 11:15. Workers placing fibre glass on the mould. M/S of overlap of fibreglass being cut off. M/S of foreman giving signal for workers to knock off for lunch. C/U of c;lock showing time of 12:17. M/S of workers placing beading around the hull. C/U of photographer. M/S of workers placing beading around the hull followed by the seats. L/S of two people in the boat fitted with outboard motor on river. They wave to the camera

🎬British Pathé – Cutting of the Christmas trees at New Forest. New Forest, Hampshire. GV. Christmas trees in the New Forest. SV. Man preparing to cut Christmas tree. SCU. Man cutting tree with mechanical power saw. CU. Christmas tree. CU. Pan, a man cutting another Christmas tree down. CU. Pan as tree falls. GV. Christmas trees being loaded onto trailer, & GV. SCU. Tractor driver. LV. Man cutting larger Christmas tree. CU. Cutting machine going through trunk of Christmas tree. LV. Christmas tree falls to the ground. GV. Pan as tractor and trailer carry trees away

🎬British Pathé – Fox hunters in the New Forest gather around memorial stone to William Rufus. Full title reads: "'A living Christmas card' historical and beautiful! New Forest Hunt hold annual Xmastide Meet at the Rufus Stone - where William Rufus was killed in a hunting accident (?) - 831 years ago!" New Forest, Hampshire. Various shots of fox hunters out on their horses and riding with their hounds. The hunt gathers around a memorial stone. The hunt sets off once more in to the Forest. Cu inscription on memorial stone to King William II who apparently died there

🎬Gaumont British Instructional Film includes wonderful sequences of a Pony Drift 70 years ago. Plus great shots of city life that still embraced horses.

New Forest ponies shown living on the open forest. A young horse named 'Tuppence' dreams of what it's like to be grown up. He imagines all types of roles for a grown up horse.

Working Horses in London merge seamlessly with modern motor cars and lorries, as they pull all types of carriages and carts. Long distance stagecoach work along Britain's arterial road network. Royal duties, conveying kings and queens. Working on the farm, a ploughing team.

Back on the New Forest. A question and answer section to see how observant the viewer has been.

A pony roundup or Drift. A sequence that includes an enthusiastic Border Collie running with it's master. The Narrator describes 'How to catch a pony': "Ride up behind it, grab hold of its tail and give several quick circular turns. With its balance upset, it is thrown to the ground. Dismount from your horse and sit on the ponies head. You can now put a halter on the pony".... SIMPLE.

Some excellent dynamic shots of riders and ponies as they reach and gather in the pound. Commoners using poles and rope loops to select ponies for a health check.

Stabling and horse riding. The final scene is of a family out and about, riding in one of London's great parks.

Gaumont British Instructional Ltd. Production
Released by General Film Distributors
J, Arthur Rank Presentation
Released in 1950

Formed in 1933, Gaumont British Instructional made nearly 400 films for schools and Cinema Clubs to educate and entertain children. Founder, Harry Bruce Woolfe had a passion for 'Visual Education' and with the help of other recruits from the ranks of British Gaumont staff, they worked closely with education establishments to produce a raft of films over the coming years. By 1954, Gaumont British Instructional had been absorbed into the Rank Organization's main body of production.