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.
This film is part of Free
Come with Me to Swansea
Richard Dimbleby reckons Swansea has “gusto” after he meets people involved in key industries/activities including a real Swansea Jack - Wynford Vaughan Thomas.
From the collection of:
Overview
A tinplate foreman, a research chemist, a lifeboatman and an ex-air raid warden give Richard Dimbleby – journalist and BBC broadcaster - a flavour of modern Swansea. He also interviews a BBC colleague, Wynford Vaughan Thomas, who happens to be from Swansea. Thomas does his best to impress on Dimbleby the town's capacity for "enthusiasm" and "gusto".
Believed to be the first in a series of 'Come With Me' films presented by Richard Dimbleby. Here he moves from the strip mill where he describes the steel as “shooting along like a flaming arrow" to Mrs Stewart's memories of the Swansea blitz when all types of bombs dropped on the city in 1941 “just like a cocktail, everything mixed". Listening, interpreting, talking – these were Dimbleby's stock in trade and the talents by which he made his name as the BBC's first radio war correspondent and leading commentator. He was also managing director of the Richmond and Twickenham Times (owned by his grandfather from 1894) and chair of several film companies which produced short information films and travelogues.
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