Thatching (1954) 

New methods of thatching near Colchester, Essex.
Various shots thatchers at work thatching cottage roof. The men remove old straw from roof and stack it in horse drawn cart. More shots men thatching roof. The horse drawn hay cart goes out of picture. M/S man hitting bundle of new straw into shape on wooden board. C/U reeds being hit against board into shape. L/S men lifting bundle and giving it to another man. M/S two men on roof thatching. Various shots two men on roof, stapling and hammering thatch.
The two men levelling off thatching with piece of wood covered with spikes. C/U spikes. M/S spike being put into thatching and hit with hammer. L/S men on ground cutting wooden sticks. C/U man cutting and bending wooden sticks. M/S man on rooftop putting wooden sticks into shape on top part of roof.
C/U jagged edges being cut off. M/S man sawing jagged edges off thatching. C/U jagged edges falling as man saws through them. C/U man walking up ladder. C/U man's leather knee pads. M/S man banging wooden sticks into thatching. M/S man clipping off jagged edges. C/U man hitting wooden sticks with mallet. M/S showing completed roof.
The cottage is being re-thatched with the more durable Norfolk reeds by expert Fred Cooper of the Rural Industries Bureau.
Note: letters from Rural Industries Bureau and newspaper articles on file.
FILM ID:1335.06
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