This film is part of Free
Gypsies
Hertfordshire blazes a trail in providing for travellers.
Overview
"It seems like all little girls like to play 'house' even if they've never lived in one", observes This Week in Britain presenter, Michelle Brown, on visiting the play centre at Bushey's Sandy Lane Caravan Site. This government-sponsored cinemagazine was destined for overseas audiences; its remit to showcase Britain's caring and inclusive attitude towards its minority groups.
Hertfordshire was one of the first counties to implement the Caravan Act 1968 which enforced local authorities to provide licensed sites for travellers to park their caravans long or short-term. At the time of filming, Hertfordshire had provided eight sites and more were in the pipeline. The film crew also visit the Three Cherry Trees site in Hemel Hempstead which boasts more modern facilities. The Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 repealed the duty of local councils to provide authorised sites like these. This government film is a public record, preserved and presented by the BFI National Archive on behalf of The National Archives, home to more than 1,000 years of British history.
Related
Railway Traffic on the L.N.W.R. Railway Traffic on the L.N.W.R.
1897 2 mins Silent Location: Bushey
A wonderfully clear view of Bushey Station in Victorian times
Frederick Wiseman's High School - a discussion Frederick Wiseman's High School - a discussion
Short documentary 2026 22 mins
Filmmaker Andrea Luka Zimmerman and curator Matthew Barrington discuss Frederick Wiseman’s High School with Sandra Hebron.
Hard, Cracked the Wind Hard, Cracked the Wind
Horror 2019 17 mins
A haunting with words is the lure between life and death for a young Cornish poet.
A Last Resort A Last Resort
Comedy 2022 17 mins
Rose is desperate to celebrate her 60th birthday in style, but her daughter Genevieve is struggling to ignore some recent tragic news about her mum.
The Walk The Walk
Drama 2023 12 mins
Adeel Akhtar portrays a man on a weekly trek to his nearest JobCentre, entering a state of purgatory through barriers put in place by the system.
Seagull Seagull
Horror 2022 6 mins
Seagull is a recovering drug addict who is about to have a very strange night on The English Riviera.
Octopus Octopus
2021 13 mins
Upon returning to her home town for a funeral, a young woman reconnects with the friends she left behind.