Mountain Ash, Glamorgan, Wales (1926)

Miners and their families in the mining towns of the Welsh valleys just before the General Strike of May 1926, an unsuccessful attempt to force the government to act to prevent wage reduction and worsening conditions for coal miners.

This extract comes from Claude Friese-Greene's 'The Open Road' - originally filmed in 1925/6 and now re-edited and digitally restored by the BFI National Archive. Britain seen in colour for the first time was heralded as a great technical advance for the cinema audience - now we can view a much improved image, but one which still stays true to the principles of the colour process.

The rather haphazard journey from Land's End to John O'Groats creates a series of moving picture postcards. Look out for shots containing the component colours - red and blue-green - such as when a little girl in a red coat and hat walks among peacocks in the grounds of a castle, and three girls with red curly hair pose by the sea at Torquay.

The car is a Vauxhall D-type - considered a sporty model at the time. A long-distance journey by car was a relatively new concept, with none of the amenities en route now taken for granted. The visit to a petrol station shows smoking on the forecourt: no health and safety issues back then! The travelogue ends with a series of recognisable London landmarks. Much remains the same - one major exception being the volume of traffic on the roads. (Jan Faull)

For more information about 'The Open Road' see http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/openroad/

To buy the DVD click here - http://filmstore.bfi.org.uk/acatalog/info_6406.html

You can watch the whole of 'The Open Road' and 1000 other complete films and TV programmes from the BFI National Archive free of charge at the new BFI Mediatheque - http://www.bfi.org.uk/mediatheque

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• BFI
• 1920s
• Wales
• Glamorgan
• coal
• valleys
• mining
• miners
• mines
• industry
• industrial
• workers
• cityscape
• travelogue

[BPCpresents]

Just think how many dreams and lives were not realised there in those mining towns - I find the whole thing a bit scary - don't celebrate this unless you yourself are willing to live this life. It ain't romantic - its brutal and horrible.

[grandslam1998]

the pit was a death hole. the price of coal was too high.

[3tangle3]

this was where my grandpa was born in 1928.....was more welsh speaking back then although it was 'bred' out of grandpa as it was considered mere 'patois' which ran against the british empires principles..or so the teachers used to say lol

[LeighPing]

@moonwitch1981 lol yeah I know, was just kidding anyhow :)

I agree with all your comments, nice one :)

[moonwitch1981]

@LeighPing at 4am in the morning the keys move on the board I'm sure of it!!!

[LeighPing]

@moonwitch1981 Well, you certainly won't be spelling for Wales isn't it, wasn't it! :D

[germs123]

cool video

[moonwitch1981]

I love watching about welsh history, I think it's so important that we never Forget what made us who we are today.

Hope I don't bore people posting all the time, I know my mam said I could talk for wales, wounder If she also ment type for wales LOL, :)

[Isthisthelongestname]

Seen ya commets on loadsa things moonwitch - even coal house :)

[moonwitch1981]

0.47 a lovery welsh mammy cwtch, there's nothing like it in this world, even when your all grown up, that safe place is always there.