News on Screen

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 7th Year

Issue

Issue No.

1

Date Released

Sep 1953

Stories in this Issue:

• 1. LIFT ON THE WAY
• 2. PIECE OF CAKE
• 3. MARIETTA ON TRIAL
• 4. 14 DAYS

Story

Story No. within this Issue

2 / 4

Summary

BFI synopsis: George Thorpe, a miner from Allerton Bywater, Yorkshire, and his hobby of iced cake making
NCB Commentary - George Thorpe is a surface worker at Allerton Bywater, near Castleford. In the daytime, he loads trams with pitprops, and keeps an eye on his ponies.
But here’s George home again with some of the family: Mrs. Thorpe, a married daughter and her little girl. They’re tucking into a fruit cake. Looks good, too. It ought to be, says George, - made it myself.
Cakemaking is George’s unusual hobby. He’s been at it for thirty years, but he’s not tired of it yet by a long way.
When George gets down to work, the womenfolk make themselves scarce. George isn’t giving his secrets away, not even among the family. Like most miners’ wives, Mrs. Thorpe can knock together a fine cake herself, but when George is in action, she doesn’t have a look in.
George does more than just plain cooking, as you’d imagine. Here’s his specialty; a splendid iced cake for a friend’s wedding, with just the finishing touches to go on. There’s no money in this for George - the cost of the materials is all he asks for.
Most men who have worked underground for 47 years would find this a finicky hobby, but to George Thorpe it’s just a piece of cake!

Researcher Comments

According to bfi records, this story was researched by Pamela Brown and filmed on the 15th June 1953. Commentary recorded 4 August 1953.

Keywords

Entertainment and leisure; Food and cooking; Domestic life

Locations

Yorkshire; England

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for Synopsis
Film User   Vol.8 No.89 March 1954, p138.
The National Archives COAL 32   /3 Scripts for Mining Review, 1949-1956

Credits:

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Camera

Kenneth Reeves

Director

Leslie Shepard

Sponsor

National Coal Board

Support services

Pamela Brown

Camera

Ronald Bicker