National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales preserves and celebrates the sound and moving image heritage of Wales, making it accessible to a wide range of users for enjoyment and learning. Its film collection reflects every aspect of the nation’s social, cultural and working life across the 20th century, giving a fascinating insight into Welsh filmmaking, both amateur and professional.
This film is part of Free
Sheep Shearing - 2nd August 1961
The hills are alive with the sound of shearing. At the end of a hard day, the team of hand shearers gather to be filmed, before the dipping.
From the collection of:
Overview
Who’d be a sheep on shearing day? Jam-packed into a narrow space, thrown into a pool, a dog evil-eyeing you from the bank, clambering out, getting blown dry by a cold wind, being fleeced by a man with sharp shears (to be fair, this bit can be quite relaxing), released back, naked, into the cold, harried by dogs and dipped in a foul-smelling liquid. Then there’s the group photo – bet you can’t even make out which one I am, with all the shearers – and those dogs! – hogging the front rows.
Ion Trant of Dovea Farm, Tipperary, Ireland, studied agriculture in Canada and then took up a postion at the Welsh Plant Breeding Station, Aberystwyth, where he met his future wife, Janet Owen of Maesmawr Hall, Welshpool, both of them working on developing improved grasses for upland farms with George Stapledon. The Trants farmed at Maesmawr Hall, the adjoining farm Cefn Du, and a hill farm - Esgairdraenllwyn at Llaithddu, Llandrindod. Ion created/filmed the "Country Close-Up" series for children (BBC - 1956-62) and subsequently obtained work as a freelance cameraman. As John Kerry, he provided a column for the Montgomeryshire Express on the farming life.
Related
Watch for free
Teulu Owain Owain: Tywyn, Castell Powys, Morfa Bychan Teulu Owain Owain: Tywyn, Castell Powys, Morfa Bychan
Home movie 1967 9 mins Silent Location: Tywyn
The summer holiday starts with a traffic jam – in the rain - but things improve!
Watch for free
Holiday, August 1967 Meifod Holiday, August 1967 Meifod
Amateur film 1967 14 mins Silent Location: Meifod
The attractive village of Meifod, in the Vyrnwy valley, is the holiday destination of the Cone family who arrive with baggage and cameras.
Watch for free
Welshpool Show Welshpool Show
School programme and Educational film 1956 6 mins Silent Location: Welshpool/Y Trallwng
The band plays and the livestock parade, the hefty bulls and enormous work horses weighty on the ground. Above, acrobats balance in the air.
Watch for free
Calves meet Piglets Calves meet Piglets
School programme and Educational film 1956 2 mins Silent Location: Welshpool/Y Trallwng
The viewer’s first sight of a piglet in this short film is as bemusing as it is to the calves in the yard!
Watch for free
Cider Pressing and Tree Chopping Cider Pressing and Tree Chopping
School programme and Educational film 1955 5 mins Silent Location: Welshpool/Y Trallwng
The cider pressing produces barrels of juice, and sacks of apple mash for animal feed; the chopped tree's logs become planks at the saw mill.
Watch for free
The Artist in Wales The Artist in Wales
Documentary 1978 32 mins Location: Swansea/Abertawe
Where would a world of movers and shakers be without the makers and soul-feeders? Long live the poets and musicians, artists and performers!
Watch for free
Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A
Inside Film 2024 22 mins
The director of a documentary about British funk pioneers Cymande joins the band at BFI Southbank to talk about the film.
Watch for free
The West Case The West Case
Action and Adventure 1923 28 mins Silent Location: Tilbury
Plotting world domination, Devil Doctor Fu-Manchu steals plans for a new aero-torpedo in this earliest surviving thrill-a-minute serial instalment.
Watch for free
Enter the Scala!!! Enter the Scala!!!
Inside Film 2024 16 mins
Filmmakers Jane Giles and Ali Catterall discuss their documentary Scala!!!, revisiting the legendary and inspirational cinema venue and some of the most notorious films that screened there.
Watch for free
Smith Smith
Charity appeal 1939 10 mins
Long thought lost, this Powell-directed promotional short for a veteran’s charity was only rediscovered in 2003.
Watch for free
An Airman's Letter to His Mother An Airman's Letter to His Mother
Documentary 1941 6 mins
A poignant, stirring letter from a recently deceased pilot to his mother is read by John Gielgud.
Watch for free
The NHS75 Celebration The NHS75 Celebration
Short documentary 2023 3 mins
Former Bristol Poet Laureate, Miles Chambers reads a poem specially commissioned for the 75th anniversary of the NHS.