London’s Screen Archives enables Londoners see their past come alive on film. Managed by Film London, we are a unique network of historic film collections that cares for, collects and screens heritage film across the city. Together we preserve London’s rich film heritage from feature films to home movies, public information films, newsreels, and records of the capital’s many different industries.
This film is part of Free
Housemother
Baths, bumps, fights and football all feature in this promotional film looking at social care for children under the London County Council.
From the collection of:
Overview
Made as a recruiting film for “housemothers”, who we are told look after 9,000 children at care homes run by the LCC across London. This one is dubbed “Forest Village” and shows a typical day, from breakfast to bath time. There’s little mention of the reason children are in care, but instead a focus on the opportunities they get thanks to the LCC and the work of the housemothers. It’s joyful and upbeat, but sadly there’s no indication of where it was filmed.
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