National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales preserves and celebrates the sound and moving image heritage of Wales, making it accessible to a wide range of users for enjoyment and learning. Its film collection reflects every aspect of the nation’s social, cultural and working life across the 20th century, giving a fascinating insight into Welsh filmmaking, both amateur and professional.
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Spring blossom and young animals at Maesmawr Hall, Welshpool
From exquisite spring blossom to lambs, calves, foals and electric shearing
From the collection of:
Overview
Opening with an exquisite shot of a blossom tree, sheep grazing beneath amongst daffodils, this title is dedicated to new life at Maesmawr Hall farm, Welshpool, home of the Trants. Spring brings a pony foal; a donkey foal whose father - McConkey - is determined not to miss out on some celebratory titbits; calves, and Canada geese goslings. Sheep are brought in for (electric) shearing and marked with a ‘T’. A neighbouring farm’s mule foal evades capture.
Ion Trant of Dovea Farm in Tipperary, Ireland, studied agriculture in Canada and then joined the staff of the Welsh Plant Breeding Station in Aberystwyth where he met his future wife, Janet Owen of Maesmawr Hall, Welshpool. The Trants farmed at Maesmawr Hall, the adjoining farm Cefn Du, and Esgairdraenllwyn at Llaithddu, Llandrindod, where Janet bred Welsh Black cattle crossed with Herefords. Conscious of a gulf emerging between town and country, Ion welcomed school visits to his farms and also created/filmed the "Country Close-Up" series for children (BBC TV - 1956-62), the programmes often featuring his own 3 children. He was subsequently offered work as a freelance cameraman.
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