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.
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Brecon Day Out - Welsh St Donats
Cardiff Amateur Cine Society members and spouses visit St Donat's Castle, Vale of Glamorgan, and the film-maker's son climbs on a cannon.
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Overview
Ken Jenkins, young teenage son of the film-maker, was present on a trip to Brecon (no shots of the town) and on the Cardiff Amateur Cine Society [CACS] trip to St Donat's Castle in the Vale of Glamorgan. Dressed in shorts, with shirt and tie – and seen trying to evade a kiss from his mother as they sit on a striped swing seat in the garden at home – he has an air of Richmal Crompton's William Brown ('Just William') about him.
The medieval castle of St Donat's was owned by William Randolph Hearst, American newspaper magnate, for a period from 1925 onwards. He effected lavish renovations and held extravagant parties there attended by the rich and famous. By the late 1930s, however, times had changed and he sought to sell it, without success. It was requisitioned for use by troops during WWII and then purchased in 1962 by Antonin Besse II for the establishment of Atlantic College, the first of a number of United World Colleges. This footage was shot by Chris Jenkins, proprietor of a hair salon and a stalwart member of CACS - he captures a shot of fellow film-maker Evan Morgan (wearing a leather jacket) whose films are also held by NSSAW.
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