20 April 2013 We have been asked to make this presentation known as it contains some railway interest as well as well as Archive films from Somerset/Yeovil/Dorset. Note that the presentation is at Octagon Theatre, Yeovil and not arranged by ourselves.

Those Were The Days My Friends! This unique and entertaining show blending archive films and folk songs has been created with tender loving care especially for the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil. Fascinating films dating from 1905 will show scenes from Yeovil's history and surrounding rural areas. They celebrate local people and rural ways of life from our past. The films will be accompanied with live music and songs from the region. One of the earliest films is the Sherborne Pageant of 1905; referred to by its originator, Louis Napoleon Parker, as a "folk play" and known afterwards as "The Mother of All Pageants." Other films date from 1920s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s. There is farming, peat digging, willow growing, railways around Yeovil, the local fire brigade and strange goings on in the town! Plus of course the beloved Cider Drinkers film. A show just would not be the same without them! Included in the show are songs from the Somerset collections of Cecil Sharp and William Alexander Barrett. There are also rare photos of Yeovil and the glove factories, courtesy of the South Somerset Heritage Team. Film, photos and sound archives of the great folk singer, Charlie Wills and photos of Susan Williams, a singer and weaver in Halzelbury Plucknett (1906) also appear in the show as well as many more surprises. It is important to mention that even if you have seen one of Trevor and Amanda's shows, you will see different film footage, photos and hear different songs. This show is part of an outreach project in association with Windrose Rural Media Trust and is endorsed by The Arts Council. It is being developed by Trevor Bailey of Windrose Rural Media Trust and Amanda Boyd of Mrs Price's Parlour. The aim of the project is to use archive film and folk songs as a way to tell the stories of local people and as an appreciation and celebration of human experiences which connect us all. Folk songs are specifically chosen because they also tell stories and because they also work well with the silent films (both silent and sound fims are featured in the show). This is very much a project for the community about the community and public consultation is very important to the success of the shows. Some great ideas from previous audiences have been integrated into future shows due to the helpful feedback from their questionnaires. It's also a chance to see films and photos that may otherwise be confined to the archives. Come and join in the celebration and help make this project a great success!

BACK