Bull & Shire horses

This film from the late 1940s shows life at Bossington House in Hampshire - home of the Fairey family. We see various farm animals such as shire horses and a large bull on display as well as the family's pack of dachshunds. We also see male members of the household fly-fishing on the nearby River Test. A visit to a model glider competition is followed by views of the family relaxing with relatives and friends on the estate. We end with a girl on horseback and a fish being caught.

This remarkable film, which comes courtesy of William Buckley and Sarah Jane Fairey, shows a variety of activities at Bossington House, in Houghton near Stockbridge, Hampshire. This was the home of aviation tycoon, Sir Richard Fairey, who purchased the estate in 1937 in order to indulge his passion for hunting and fly-fishing. Interestingly, before Fairey made his fortune in the aviation business, he started out as a designer of model aircraft. In 1910 he entered a model flying competition, organised by Hamleys, and won the first prize of £200 - worth the equivalent of over £21,000 today! This money enabled him to start up what would become the world famous Fairey Aviation Company five years later.