Shell Garden, Bournemouth (1965)

Southbourne, Bournemouth.

Eccentric gentleman has covered everything in his garden with shells. It is like a fairy grotto. Good shots of all the various things he has constructed out of shells. Cement shapes have shells stuck into them along with pieces of broken china, chunks of glass, pieces of tile and clay faces. All very bizarre.

We see the creator of this shell paradise - Mr George Howard - a South Wales coal miner who has retired to Southbourne and created this shell garden.

Lots of tourists wander around his garden. Some throw pennies into his well. The biggest shell in Britain - a giant clam shell - is seen. A little girl sits in it. There are more than a million shells in his garden.

George doesn't charge a fee but asks visitors to give a little money for charity.

Another of Pathe Pictorial's "English Eccentrics".

Cuts exist - see separate record.

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