Movies

The Movie Bus Films are now available on DVD! Each disc features four of our 20 minute archive films and our 3 minute introductory film about the restoration of the bus, produced by Ilfracombe Arts College.

You can buy a copy of these DVDs for £12 each or for £20 for two from the Museum of Barnstaple & North Devon.

The South West Film and TV Archive (SWFTA) holds nearly 130,000 films and tapes dating from the start of film making in the 1880’s to the present day, covering all aspects of life in the South West of England. One of the challenges of moving into the digital age is to keep this archive footage accessible as old technologies become obsolete. The Movie Bus Project has ensured that generations to come are able to access a part of this important record of our history on a modern format.

Together with Maniac Films in Croyde, we produced eight compilations of footage from the archives. These films are now also available for the public to buy on DVD, and for schools to use as inspiration for continuing the education work that the Movie Bus was a part of during the project in North Devon.

The first film is ‘A Tale of Two Rivers’, and is about the Taw and Torridge estuary. It includes footage of the Bideford Bridge collapse of 1968, the gravelmen on the banks, the dangers of being a seaman, and grand shipbuilding projects that Appledore has seen such as the Nunsuch and the Golden Hinde.

The second film is in keeping with the spirit of the North Devon Festival which is one of the project partners, and is about local customs and celebrations – and does North Devon know how to celebrate! ‘Sootbombs and Blazing Barrels’ features rare and exciting 1930’s footage of Lynmouth Lifeboat Day, Barum Old Fair and Carnival, to Holsworthy Ale Tasting, Hatherleigh tar barrels, Westward Ho! potwalloping, the Torrington May Fair and chasing the Earl of Tyrone in Combe Martin, there’s something that everyone in the area will find of interest.

‘The Beast, the Hunt & the Harvest’ has exciting scenes from the hunt for the Beast of Exmoor, as well as a surprising conclusion. There is a controversial debate about hunting, that was as fierce sixty years ago as it is today, and the powerful images of farming in days gone by will surprise you with their beauty. Don’t be surprised if you find a tear springs to your eye.

‘Hippies & Hooligans – Yesterday’s Westcountry Youth’ is a hilarious journey into the lives of young people fifty or sixty years ago. Attitudes and expectations will surprise and shock you. Each time we have screened this film the cinema fills with laughter at the comic scenes from yesterday’s youth.

‘North of the River, South of the Sea’ is a look at two of North Devon’s most important towns; Ilfracombe and Braunton. Watch steam trains arrive in both stations, with nostalgia and controvosy in equal measure as the population discuss a future of the town as seen in the past. Containing footage from 1898 through to 1989, this compilation covers the widest timespan of all our films.

‘From Hartland Point to Lundy Light’ is our very exciting new film about the North Devon Coast. Thanks to the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, we have been able to rescue footage that has not been seen for many years. You’ll get a sense of the foreboding that accompanied the new motorway, you’ll be amused to see motor cars trying to access parts of the coast that we never designed as such, and the heartening scenes of community life engender a strong nostalgia for times gone by.

‘Movin’ On Up’ is a look at the changing face of transportation over the years in and around North Devon. From steam engines to crazy flying contraptions, this film will transport you into North Devon’s past like nothing else!

‘Nine to Five’ focuses on the world of work, looking at how we have spent our days and earned our keep in the past. From the frantic factory floors to the tranquil milkman’s round, this is a glimpse into the way we used to put bread on the table.