The South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA) is the regional film archive for the South West of England. Established in 1993, SWFTA's core collection comprises of the combined programme libraries of Westward Television and TSW (Television South West). The archive also cares for a significant number of donated film collections, both amateur and professional, dating back to the early 1900s.
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Babysham's Shepton Mallet Theatre
A gift from Babysham founder Francis Showering, the Amulet theatre opens in Shepton Mallet
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Overview
A gift from Babysham founder Francis Showering, the Amulet theatre is at the heart of Shepton Mallet. The theatre complex originally called ‘The Centre’ was built in the early 70s. The town was extensively remodelled in a scheme financed entirely by the Showering family. Due to an allegedly Roman Chi Rho amulet found in the Fosse Lane excavations in the 1990s the theatre was renamed the Amulet in honour of the find.
The sparkling perry derived from cider and with its trademark fawn was a 20th century marketing phenomenon. “I’d love a Babysham” and “There’s a world of magic in a Babysham” enhanced the Showering brand and it is still popular. The theatre features in the BBC’s ‘Turn back time’ in 2010.
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