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.
This film is part of Free
Calves meet Piglets
The viewer’s first sight of a piglet in this short film is as bemusing as it is to the calves in the yard!
From the collection of:
Overview
Calves with a spring in their step are slightly bemused by piglets running about the yard area, and the piglets don’t quite dare come too near the great big calves but there is no trouble – the sow can take her mud bath in peace. Filmed by Ion Trant who, with his wife Janet, farmed Maesmawr Hall and Cefn Du (adjoining farms near Welshpool) and Esgairdraenllwyn (at Llaithddu, Llandrindod).
What is noticeable throughout the extensive amount of footage that Ion Trant shot of life on the farm is the contentedness of the animals and their ease with the presence of the camera. E H C Davies, in his obituary for Ion Fitzgibbon Trant in ‘Montgomeryshire Collections’, Vol. 84, 1996, tells of how Ion served as High Sheriff in 1973 but, “he was better known to the general public as the commentator for many years at the County Show, where his knowledge of farming and his love of animals showed clearly in all he said.” He had been brought up on Dovea Farm in Tipperary, Ireland, and used his interest in film to create/shoot the BBC's "Country Close-Up" series for children (1956-62), often featuring his own three.
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