British Transport Films (Vol 6): The Art of Travel

Star Review

The art of travel was something the British Transport Commission knew a great deal about. From the 1950s they spent thousands of pounds on advertising to encourage the British public to take their holidays in one of the British Isles’ many beauty spots. In the earlier, gentler days of advertising it was quite common for their films to promote travel to Yorkshire or Sussex with hardly a mention of the British Railways. Creating the appetite for travel was all that was necessary, and nationalised transport would do the rest. However, by the 1970’s the Commission had found that family motoring holidays were here to stay and therefore made little attempt in their later films to disguise the benefits of choosing to travel the English countryside by train.

The Art of Travel is BFI’s second look at the travel documentaries produced by British Transport Films to entice and encourage the audience to spend their holidays in their homeland. Like British Transport Films Volume 2: See Britain by Train, this volume includes films that show the wide range of attractions throughout the British Isles. Down to Sussex shows a land as rich in history as in scenic beauty. Robert Shaw provides the narration for North to the Dales, telling a tale of ruined abbeys and castles sheltered under the Pennines. The Land of Robert Burns is an evocative account of the poet’s life set among modern-day scenes of Scottish life. Lancashire Coast reveals a destination of many contrasts for the holiday maker. And Golfers in a Scottish Landscape shows an enthusiastic couple making their way through what is likely the world’s most breathtaking golf course.

The Art of Travel presents 13 of these fun and informative short films on 2 DVDs. As with BFI’s previous volumes, all the titles have been transferred from the highest quality materials stored at the BFI National Archive. So sit back, relax and enjoy a visit to some of the finest places that the United Kingdom has to offer – portrayed by one of the finest documentary units the world had ever seen.

Steven Foxon and James White on 8th October 2007

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Film Description

Following the nationalisation of transport in 1948 the British Transport Commission set up its own in-house film production unit. Launched May 1st 1949 and led for 25 years by Edgar Anstey - a founding father of the British documentary movement - it became one of the largest industrial film units in Britain. All these films are now preserved in the BFI National Archive.

This selection has been digitally remastered for this two-disc set, which is a must for any transport enthusiast, but also for the documentary aficionado who will recognise traits and innovations in British non-fiction filmmaking.

Comprises:

North to the Dales; Yorkshire Sands; Down to Sussex; The Land of Robert Burns; Journey into History; Midland Country; The Travolators; Journey to the Sea; London for a Day; The Beacons and Beyond; A Desperate Case; Lancashire Coast; Golfers in a Scottish Landscape.

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DVD Extras

• 2 discs. Booklet with film notes on all films and credits.

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