The Box is a major cultural and heritage attraction and archive, which opened in Plymouth’s city centre in September 2020. Its collection, formally the South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA), is the regional film archive for the South West of England, comprising the combined programme libraries of Westward Television and Television South West (TSW). It also includes a significant number of donated film collections dating back to the early 1890s.
This film is part of Free

Olympic and British Fencer Bill Hoskyns
Fencer Bill Hoskyns defends medals after a break-in at home
In partnership with:

Overview
Olympic and British fencer Bill Hoskyns has his house checked for fingerprints after a break-in at his home in North Perrott in Somerset. He graduated from Oxford with a Fourth in Agriculture preferring instead to fence and mastered the épée, foil and sabre. Hoskyns missed the Helsinki Olympics in 1952 but helped Britain to a team bronze at the 1955 World Championships. After an invitation from Hungary he became the first private pilot to land a plane behind the Iron Curtain.
Hoskyns, a Major in the Army and a fruit farm manager, competed in six Olympic Games from Melbourne in 1956 to Montreal in 1976, winning the épée team silver at Rome in 1960 and an individual épée silver at Tokyo in 1964. No British fencer has since won an Olympic medal. He competed in a total of seven World Championships from 1955 to 1967 winning épée gold in Philadelphia in 1958 beating the then Olympic champion Eduardo Mangiarott. Hoskyns won nine gold medals in épée and sabre and a silver medal in foil at the Commonwealth Games. In the British Championships he took 21 medals. He won four épée titles, three foil titles and one sabre title and became only the second competitor to win all three championships at once.
Related

Flashing Blades Flashing Blades
Sport 1948 9 mins Silent
Tricky weather conditions cause some spills in the downhill and ski jumping at the 1948 Winter Olympics in St Moritz.

The Wheelchair Olympians The Wheelchair Olympians
Documentary 1983 25 mins Location: Cleckheaton
With the Paralympics even more marginalised than today, these athletes show great determination, dedication, camaraderie and humility.

Mining Review 22nd Year No. 1 Mining Review 22nd Year No. 1
1968 3 mins
We're off! Olympic training on the streets of Mansfield as local boy John Whetton prepares for the 1968 Mexico City games.

Women's Olympiad Women's Olympiad
Non-Fiction 1924 3 mins Silent Location: Fulham
British "girl athletes" prove themselves in competition with women from around the world at Stamford Bridge.

Diving and Swimming Diving and Swimming
1926 14 mins Silent
Special effects galore in this demonstration of fancy swimming and diving, featuring Olympic medallist Belle White.

Olga Olga
Sport 1973 54 mins
A rare insight into gymnast Olga Korbut's life at the height of her fame, showing the discipline it takes to be an Olympic champion.

Alexandre Desplat (Masterclass) Alexandre Desplat (Masterclass)
Inside Film 2011 33 mins
Over 30 years and 150 projects, the composer shares, with humour and passion, the intricacies of making film music.

Ian Neil (Masterclass) Ian Neil (Masterclass)
Inside Film 2012 74 mins
Neil selected soundtracks for 127 Hours, Shame, Kick Ass, Control and many more. He discusses the job and its complexities, referencing his own work.

Screenwriters' Lecture: Peter Straughan Screenwriters' Lecture: Peter Straughan
Inside Film 2012 mins
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy's adapter reveals his quest for "the poem of the book" and the importance of simplicity: 'Drain the pond to find the fish'.

Screenwriters' Lecture with Brian Helgeland Screenwriters' Lecture with Brian Helgeland
Inside Film 2012 27 mins
L.A. Confidential's screenwriter explains why he thinks writer's block is a myth, and reveals Clint Eastwood's unique powers of persuasion.

Olivier Assayas (Masterclass) Olivier Assayas (Masterclass)
Inside Film 2010 41 mins
Irma Vep writer/director Assayas moved from film journalism to filmmaking – a fascinating journey told with disarming honesty to Jonathan Romney.

Roger Corman in Conversation Roger Corman in Conversation
Inside Film 2013 61 mins
Jack Nicholson, Boris Karloff, Francis Coppola and making movies in five days – prepare yourself for Corman wisdom.