The Box is a major cultural and heritage attraction and archive, which opened in Plymouth’s city centre in September 2020. Its collection, formally the South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA), is the regional film archive for the South West of England, comprising the combined programme libraries of Westward Television and Television South West (TSW). It also includes a significant number of donated film collections dating back to the early 1890s.
This film is part of Free
Video Player is loading.
Parsons' Pets
A plethora of pets and their owners, the Parsons
In partnership with:
Overview
In the 1930s keeping pets for pleasure would have been the preserve of the wealthy. This charming compilation shows the Parsons’ pouches, pigeon, parrot, peacock, pony, magpie and ducks. A servant in a French maid uniform holds the cat while Eileen in her jodhpurs plays with the dogs on the lawn. Pat tries to ride the pet dog like a pony but is unceremoniously unseated.
Different dogs and puppies appear, a wire fox terrier, a Labrador retriever, a wire-haired Jack Russell, two Pekingese and a harlequin Great Dane who plays with his master and is slow-mowed by the film-taker! A pet magpie pecks at the beads of its owner from her shoulder and then plays with the pet dog. Corvids, like crows or magpies are intelligent and easy to train. Today according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, all wild birds, their nests and their eggs are protected by law.
Related
Watch for free
Wisdom of the Wild Wisdom of the Wild
Documentary 1940 12 mins
Fun mixture of natural history and wartime public information.
Watch for free
Dog Years Dog Years
Comedy 2004 4 mins
Sweet and funny short about a potty-mouthed dog who loves his owner
Watch for free
Beetle Racing Beetle Racing
News 1959 3 mins
Six legged competitors take to the starting blocks as a Midlands pub brings the sport of beetle racing to the world.
Watch for free
Alligator on Lizard Alligator on Lizard
Current affairs 1971 5 mins Location: St Keverne
Daisy the pet alligator living on the Lizard in Cornwall
Rent for £1.00
Anoop and the Elephant Anoop and the Elephant
Children's 1972 52 mins Director: David Eady
Fun-packed comedy for kids, in which a boy befriends a baby elephant – then teams up with his friends to stop it being sold
Watch for free
Open Your Eyes Open Your Eyes
Amateur film 1967 14 mins Location: Thompson Common
Should you look hard enough, you’ll be amazed at the antics that creatures get up to, says Dorothy Maxey, amateur filmmaker and naturalist.
Watch for free
Camping Holiday at Sennen Camping Holiday at Sennen
Home movie 1968 1 mins Silent Location: Sennen
Steady now as handheld captures camping holiday
Watch for free
Coastal Camping in Cornwall Coastal Camping in Cornwall
Home movie 1971 3 mins Silent Location: Sennen
Home movie maker films family in Cornish field
Watch for free
Beach Holiday at Sennen Cove Beach Holiday at Sennen Cove
Home movie 1930 9 mins Silent Location: Sennen
Holidays are close to home for the Parsons' family.
Watch for free
Holiday at Sennen Cove Holiday at Sennen Cove
Amateur film 1955 3 mins Silent Location: Sennen
Family enjoys the beach and a lunchtime pasty
Watch for free
Three Dogs in a Boat Three Dogs in a Boat
Amateur film 1930 2 mins Silent Location: Sennen
Sink or swim as Rub and his chums are set adrift
Watch for free
Eileen and her show horse Eileen and her show horse
Amateur film 1930 3 mins Silent Location: Sennen
Eileen and her show horse take to the ring as sidesaddle falls out of favour
Watch for free
If I Make It To The Morning If I Make It To The Morning
Drama 2024 9 mins
A Chinese teenager dreams of living with her cool aunt in New York, until tensions boil over during a crab dinner.
Watch for free
We’ll Go Down in History We’ll Go Down in History
Documentary 2025 25 mins
Two years in the life of TRUK United FC, a beacon for positive change and trans inclusivity in football.
Watch for free
Wrong Bathroom Wrong Bathroom
Drama 2024 9 mins
A trans high-schooler is tempted by toxic masculinity in the boys’ bathroom.
Watch for free
Dragfox Dragfox
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2024 8 mins
A child struggling with their identity and a charismatic fox (voiced by Sir Ian McKellen) learn to embrace their differences in this heart warming stop-motion animation.
Watch for free
Wait, Wait, Now! Wait, Wait, Now!
Drama 2024 13 mins
A Maori and a Kiwi teen buddy up to raid their mum’s wardrobe and pucker their lips with red.
Watch for free
NGGAK!!! NGGAK!!!
Drama 2024 8 mins
‘I pronounce you wife and wife.’ A young couple design their perfect wedding online, but then mum dials in.