This film is part of Free

Title of error

See Help

Surprise Visit

Ideas for trendy knitwear - and promising careers - in this peppy promo film for Courtaulds spinning factories

Documentary 1974 20 mins

Overview

Eyes meet across a crowded knitwear store... and the awkward beginnings of a teenage romance turn into exciting career prospects with Courtaulds, one of the UK's largest textile firms. The 1970s saw the slow decline of British textiles continue, with almost one Lancashire mill - once synonymous with the power of cotton - closing a week. But, the factory in this colourful, upbeat film has made the transition to man-made fibres and so promises an abundance of jobs on the factory floor and beyond.

The mill proudly offers "jobs for everyone", with extensive training and welfare provision. But traditional gender roles abide - there's no question of Dad putting his career on hold to look after a child. While he's moved up the ladder to work in exports, Maureen is at home with the baby - but, the film reassures us, there'll always be a job waiting for her in textiles. This was perhaps over-optimistic - as late as 1988, Courtaulds still had 30 mills operating, but these were eventually sold as textile manufacturing moved abroad.

Director

Gordon Hill

Genres

Documentary

Country

United Kingdom

Language

English

Subjects

Textile industry

Currently unavailable

Caefelin Laundry, Llangollen Caefelin Laundry, Llangollen

Home movie 1937 20 mins Silent Location: Llangollen

Nellie Boote's laundry in Market Street in operation, the women dashing away with all manner of smoothing irons as clothes are sorted, mended, washed, ironed and sorted again.

Watch for free

For Sheer Perfection For Sheer Perfection

Documentary 1965 24 mins Location: Langley Mill

A mile of yarn and a million loops to make one stocking: the culmination of a four hundred year old craft.

Currently unavailable

Paper Fashion Paper Fashion

News 1967 6 mins Location: Newcastle upon Tyne

Fashion doesnt grow on treesor does it! Tyne Tees TV was bang on-trend with this brilliant news feature on the hip 1960s cult for a disposable age - paper fashion.

Watch for free

Fancy Yarn Production Fancy Yarn Production

Industry sponsored film 1971 23 mins Location: Greengates

Twisted yarns and empty spindles, everything from Bouclé to Slub yarn, from beginning to end, and all, in the end, displayed on a ‘normal’ model in typical 1970s fashion.