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A Letter From East Anglia

1953 , Salhouse (Norfolk)

Cat no. 650

A tour of the Norfolk broads, particularly Salhouse, from the perspective of a young boy writing a letter

The film opens with a shot of the boy sitting at a table in his home writing a letter. As he narrates, there are scenes of the Broads and of the countryside around the village of Salhouse. There are scenes of Salhouse village including the village shop and post office and of the Church. There are exterior and interior views of the school. These show the children in class and a male primary school teacher. The boy smiles at the camera and the children leave the classroom. The boy waits outside for his sister and then their two younger and mischievous, twin brothers. They run a cart into the backs of their brother's legs. They leave the school, the older children pulling the younger children on the cart. They go to meet their father, who is a thatcher, with a firm is called Allthatch. There are scenes around the yard. The younger boys play whilst the older children help their father to stack reeds. They all go home, still pulling the younger boys on the cart. Inside their home, a new local authority house, their mother has prepared a meal of Norfolk stew and dumplings. The family sit around the table and eat. There are good interior views of the house. The next morning is Saturday. The children watch their father leave for work. They dress and go out with their dog. They are seen running through the countryside surrounding the village. First they find their father, who is up on the roof of a building he is thatching (actually the former Spread Eagle at Ludham). They go with their father to Salhouse Broad where the children take out the rowing boat. Father and dog wait on the bank for them to return. On the Broad they see a family of shelducks and a wrecked boat. They play on this boat. One of the twins gets stuck inside and has to be pulled out. There are further shots of Salhouse Broad as they row back. A pleasure steamer passes. The film ends back in the house with the boy completing his letter.

Featured Buildings

Salhouse Church; Salhouse School; Salhouse Village Shop and Post Office

Keywords

Childhood; Schools; Village life

Other Places

Ludham, Norfolk

Background Information

This film was one produced to comply with the recommendation of paragraph 88 of the Report of the Departmental Committee on Children and the Cinema. The production of a balanced film programme is a matter which requires more attention that it usually receives and there is a particular need for the inclusion of more films specially suited for children under the age of nine.The Thatcher and his wife were played by Jimmy and Rhoda Sturman. The girl in the film was their daughter Barbara. The twins were the Etheridge twins. The lead part was played by a boy called Rounce. We have no more information about him. The Primary School teacher was John Denton, the Headmaster of Salhouse School. The house used was the Sturman's house, 4, Mill Road, Salhouse. The house being re-thatched is Manor Gates, Staithe Road, Ludham. Before it became a private dwelling, it was previously a rectory, pub (The Spread Eagle) and temperance hotel and the single storey part was a communal bakehouse, then chip shop and sweet shop.

  • Sponsor : Children's Film Foundation

  • Production company : Clarke And Hornby Film Production

  • Director : Cynthia Whitby

  • Script : Cynthia Whitby

  • Camera : Peter Hamilton

  • Editor : Michael Seligman

  • Sound : Charles Parkhouse

  • Distributor : Rank Film Library

Manifestations

A Letter From East Anglia

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