The North East Film Archive is one of a network of regional film archives established to collect, preserve and show film made in, or about the North East of England. Our collections are non-fiction, and date from the early 1900s to the present day, providing a rich record of life in the region over the 20th century. Many of our films are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
This film is part of Free
Roses and Vitamins
A rose-tinted promotional film for Scott and Turner shows how the British kept their vits about them during and after World War Two.
From the collection of:
Overview
This delightful promo for Scott and Turners Delrosa looks back to a World War Two Ministry of Health campaign that recruited school children to harvest wild rose-hips for manufacturers of Vitamin C rich syrup. A peek inside the firms modern factory in Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the 1950s reflects the move from war-time to commercial production a nice little dollar earner as well as a guardian of the publics health, signalled here by a comical revolving signpost prop.
William Henry Scott and William Murdoch Turners pharmaceutical company was also well known for creating Andrews Liver Salts (dating back to 1894) before the Delrosa brand helped win the war on the kitchen front. During World War Two Britain was awash with propaganda such as the snappy Dig for Victory campaign, recipes like the Patriotic Pudding dreamed up by the Ministry of Food research kitchen in London, and street posters urging people to Keep Your Vits about You. A pound of rose-hips earned the kids 3d (old pennies) for their hedgerow harvest at receiving depots nationwide, often schools. Some Tynesiders remember collections at least into the early1960s.
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