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New Towns For Old


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Guest janice844

I went to a little cinema at The Yorkshire Sculpture Park and they showed a film with Dylan Thomas (I think). I was riveted by it as Sheffield was so black and horrible! I've seen it again at Hillsborough College but wanted to look at it at home, identify some land marks and perhaps take a few still shots of it to show my Dad who's house bound. I can't access it on BFI which is where it shows up if you put it in the internet and now I'm wondering if anyone else has seen it or has any stills from it. Maybe I'm sad, but I thought it was really good, it's only 7 minutes and I don't really want to spend £25 joining anything just so I can have a closer look.

My Dad once told me the only time he'd crashed his car was when he ran into a park car in the smog, on Psalter Lane, it hadn't registered how dirty and smoky Sheffield was until I saw this film.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

(PS, I can't seem to alter my email address, so it's no good sending me an email.)

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Guest janice844

Whoops - Forgot the Synopsis:

Slums in Sheffield and the progress of the city's redevelopment schemes. Credits (28). Industrial views of Sheffield. A citizen of Sheffield shows a visitor around the different parts of Sheffield. They walk down terraced streets and past wasteland where children are playing (171). These sights are contrasted with new blocks of flats away from the factories (214). Cleared sites where slums used to be (249). Shots of the town hall where replanning is started (269). Sites cleared of slums (298). Fields, new houses built in the suburbs away from the factories, children playing in the fields (363). Sheffield's General Development Plan shown, city engineers at work (430). New blocks of flats (440). New homes in the suburbs (452). The green belt is still kept (463). New schools, hospitals and roads (490). The citizen explains that war has put a stop to redevelopment for the time being but after the war (World War II) all towns must be rebuilt (587ft).

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Whoops - Forgot the Synopsis:

Slums in Sheffield and the progress of the city's redevelopment schemes. Credits (28). Industrial views of Sheffield. A citizen of Sheffield shows a visitor around the different parts of Sheffield. They walk down terraced streets and past wasteland where children are playing (171). These sights are contrasted with new blocks of flats away from the factories (214). Cleared sites where slums used to be (249). Shots of the town hall where replanning is started (269). Sites cleared of slums (298). Fields, new houses built in the suburbs away from the factories, children playing in the fields (363). Sheffield's General Development Plan shown, city engineers at work (430). New blocks of flats (440). New homes in the suburbs (452). The green belt is still kept (463). New schools, hospitals and roads (490). The citizen explains that war has put a stop to redevelopment for the time being but after the war (World War II) all towns must be rebuilt (587ft).

I don't know if "New Town for Old" is included, but the Imperial War Mueum sells a DVD of war films with scripts by Dylan Thomas:

http://www.iwmshop.org.uk/product/17976/Dylan_Thomas

Quick update:

According to Amazon, where this DVD is available quite cheaply, New Towns for Old is included.

Hope this is of use.

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Dylan Thomas wrote a film script about how the city of Sheffield could be improved for future generations.

The outspoken Welshman, now considered one of our greatest modern poets, was so concerned at the living and working conditions that he renamed the city "Smokedale".

In a way, that improved future has now been achieved. Sheffield is now a modern city where smog has been banished, the air is breathable and encrusted grime sandblasted from older buildings.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/programmes/pol...how/4859892.stm

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New Towns For Old (Smoke Dale) 1942, Run time - 6 mins:

Link to .. Yorkshire Film Archive

Have seen this classic short film several times in programmes about post war recovery.

Love those Sheffield accents which sound very down to earth and not what you would expect on blokes who look like a pair of toffs.

A great find Steve.

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