National Screen and Sound Archive of Wales preserves and celebrates the sound and moving image heritage of Wales, making it accessible to a wide range of users for enjoyment and learning. Its film collection reflects every aspect of the nation’s social, cultural and working life across the 20th century, giving a fascinating insight into Welsh filmmaking, both amateur and professional.
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Caefelin Laundry, Llangollen
Nellie Boote's laundry in Market Street in operation, the women dashing away with all manner of smoothing irons as clothes are sorted, mended, washed, ironed and sorted again.
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Overview
Caefelin Laundry, Market Street, Llangollen: a busy, labour-intensive operation involving mainly women, although some men are seen filling/operating the washing machines in the 'wet' area, where workers wear heavy aprons and boots. The sorting and mending of clothing, and specialised ironing methods, are all recorded by the owners, builder Ernest Charles Jordan and his son, E C Jordan II. The laundry was run for them by Nellie Boote, who became the son's second wife.
Caefelin Laundry was previously owned by a brother of the famous footballer Billy Meredith who came from Chirk. The Jordans also owned and ran the White Rose Laundry in Newport and filmed both it and local events e.g. Newport Carnival. NB: It is possible that this film shows Caefelin Laundry footage (1940s/50s) sandwiched between White Rose Laundry footage from the 1930s as the load of pyjamas seen being removed from a machine are possibly from the Penley Polish Hospital at Wrexham which was opened at the end of WWII to cater for Polish ex-servicemen and their families who had settled in the area.
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