Helicopter Party (1958)

Ripley, Surrey.

L/S of a helicopter flying above some trees, the camera follows the helicopter as it comes in to land, cars are visible in the foreground. L/S of Dunsborough House and a marquee with people standing around in front of them. M/S of a mechanic signalling the helicopter down. M/S of the helicopter coming in to land on the lawn, there are people standing around in the background. M/S of the helicopter.

M/S of Mr Charles Hughesdon who is an Aviation insurance expert and jointly organises the helicopter and garden party with The Helicopter Association of Great Britain. It is on 7th June 1958 and this is the third year it has taken place. M/S of him and his wife Florence Desmond, stage and screen star, shaking hands with the two men who have got out of the helicopter. C/U of Florence Desmond. M/S of the group standing by the helicopter.

M/S of a group of men, one of them is Squadron Leader Dowling of the C.F.S. in a Royal Airforce uniform, standing on the lawn looking up at the sky. L/S of another helicopter, an experimental twin-engined twin-rotored design called Bristol Type 173. This is flanked on either side by two other helicopters, a Skeeter and a Bristol Type 171 Sycamore. L/S of the three helicopters coming in to land on the lawn. L/S of the Type 173 landing on the lawn, C/U of the Type 173 on the lawn with its blades spinning.

M/S of another helicopter landing, it has Bristol Sycamore written on the side. M/S of Charles walking over to shake hands with the pilot, Captain Bob Wilson. L/S of three helicopters on the lawn. M/S of Florence shaking hands with Bob. C/U of Bob in profile. L/S of various different helicopters on the lawn, the camera pans across to others coming in to land. M/S of a small Hiller helicopter with Air Service Training written on the side.

M/S of Mr Hughesdon talking and laughing with some guests one of whom is Colonel Richardson, Chairman of the Helicopter Association. M/S of Charles in a Skeeter, pilot Jim Jefferies walks over and gets in it. L/S of guests milling about on the lawn in front of the house. L/S of the helicopter taking off and flying into the distance.

M/S of the guests walking over a bridge, and L/S of them in front of the helicopters. C/U of a young girl with blonde hair looking out of the shot. M/S of another guest, Lady Douglas of Kirtleside with her baby Catherine and a nanny talking to Florence. C/U of Lady Douglas and Catherine playing with her mother's pearl necklace. L/S of a white helicopter landing on the lawn with another one flying along behind it. There are cars and people in the background.

L/S of the guests in front of the Marquee. C/U of "the world's fastest man on water", Donald Campbell. C/U of Donald talking to another guest. L/S from air to ground of the gardens and surrounding fields, there are seven helicopters in shot on the ground in front of the house.

Note: Mute neg for this item in poor condition, use print.
FILM ID:77.14

A VIDEO FROM BRITISH PATHÉ. EXPLORE OUR ONLINE CHANNEL, BRITISH PATHÉ TV. IT'S FULL OF GREAT DOCUMENTARIES, FASCINATING INTERVIEWS, AND CLASSIC MOVIES. http://www.britishpathe.tv/

FOR LICENSING ENQUIRIES VISIT http://www.britishpathe.com/

British Pathé also represents the Reuters historical collection, which includes more than 136,000 items from the news agencies Gaumont Graphic (1910-1932), Empire News Bulletin (1926-1930), British Paramount (1931-1957), and Gaumont British (1934-1959), as well as Visnews content from 1957 to the end of 1984. All footage can be viewed on the British Pathé website. https://www.britishpathe.com/