The South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA) is the regional film archive for the South West of England. Established in 1993, SWFTA's core collection comprises of the combined programme libraries of Westward Television and TSW (Television South West). The archive also cares for a significant number of donated film collections, both amateur and professional, dating back to the early 1900s.
This film is part of Free
The Withycombe Raleigh Pantomime
Angela Rippon reports on the Women's Institute's pantomime
From the collection of:
Overview
TV's Angela Rippon interviews Doris Hurd who is directing members of the local Women's Institute (WI) in the pantomime Dick Withycombe to be staged at Withycombe Raleigh near Exmouth. The play based on Dick Whittington is in full rehearsal. Angela Rippon started her career at Westward Television before moving to become the first female journalist to present the BBC national television news full time.
Dick Whittington tells the fictional story behind a true character, Richard Whittington and how he overcomes childhood poverty to become the mayor of London four times with the aid of his trusty cat. In fact Richard Whittington was actually thought to be a medieval cloth merchant and second son of a Gloucester Lord who in the 14th century travels to London to ply his trade in the wool industry.