The South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA) is the regional film archive for the South West of England. Established in 1993, SWFTA's core collection comprises of the combined programme libraries of Westward Television and TSW (Television South West). The archive also cares for a significant number of donated film collections, both amateur and professional, dating back to the early 1900s.
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Dingles of Plymouth
A charming regional commercial for Plymouth’s best loved department store.
From the collection of:
Overview
Dingles actually is on parade for really royal service although not anymore. The well loved department store situated on Royal Parade in Plymouth in Devon trades as House of Fraser but Plymothians still call this important corner of the town Dingles. Edward Dingle opened a drapery in 1880 and gradually built up the business by buying up properties and in 1935 bought out the gentleman’s outfitters W J Vickery & Co Ltd with brothers Ralph and Stanley joining the Dingles Board.
Dingles burnt down twice, once in 1941 and again in 1998 but each time rose from the ashes to trade again. When it was re-established during post war reconstruction in 1951 it was the first new department store to open since 1938. Regional television advertising allowed local businesses to market brands in their geographical area and adverts were often cheaper and therefore less professional than national campaigns. Revenue from advertising remains a major source of income for privately owned television companies and broadcasters.
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