Stage Coaches (1961)

Central London. High angle shot of a busy London street, a red double-decker drives past. Medium top shot of cars in a traffic jam. M/S of a red double-decker turning a corner. Luton, Bedfordshire. M/S of a ’Curricle’ carriage pulled by two white horses riding towards the camera. Panning shot of the carriage being driven by a young woman in tweed, Christine Mossman. C/U of Christine, panning shot to a man in a top hat, John Dick, sitting in the back of the carriage. Point of view shot, taken from the driver’s seat, of the two white horses. M/S of the carriage riding around the field. L/S of a large coach pulled by two black horses driving around the field past several parked carriages. M/S of the same coach riding towards the camera. Panning shot of a little girl, Marilyn Lemmons, driving a cart pulled by a goat past a row of parked carriages - “goat carts were used a lot for delivering milk“. M/S of a stagecoach parked next to an old disused double-decker bus, panning shot to a dilapidated State Chariot that Mr. George Mossman, Christine’s father, is renovating - the Mossman family have a collection of sixty coaches, carriages and carts. Mr. Mossman demonstrates how efficient the suspension is on the State Coach by rocking it. C/U of the suspension springs bouncing. C/U of a hand opening the door of the coach. Mr. M. unfolds a staircase attached to the door, he then reaches in and takes out a big solid-looking hot water bottle. Mr. M. climbs into the carriage and demonstrates how a wealthy passenger could ask the coachman to stop by pulling a string attached to his buttons. M/S of Mr. M leaning out of the front of the carriage pulling the string. Panning shot of a line of carriages, coaches and carts of different sizes standing in a field being attended to by Christine and Dorothy Cripps. What started as a hobby has now turned into a business for the Mossmans - the vintage vehicles are hired out for use in films. M/S of Dorothy cleaning the window of a stagecoach. M/S of Dorothy climbing onto the roof of the coach. M/S of Dorothy arranging the seat cushions on the roof and polishing a long trumpet. C/U of the back of the coach with words - ’Beaufort Hunt, Bath, London’ and a fox painted on it - the Duke of Beaufort was a regular passenger up until 1835. Dorothy opens a hatch at the back of the coach revealing buckets and other paraphernalia. M/S of a young woman taking down the hood of a small buggy - named the Spider Phaeton - before attaching a shaft to the front - “Lord Lonsdale, famous for the belt he gave to boxing, owned it originally, and the colours are exactly the same as they when he first rode it to the National Sporting Club“. M/S of two white and two black horses being led across a field. The horse are harnessed to the Beaufort stage coach. C/U of a woman holding two of the horses while they are harnessed. M/S of Mr. M. climbing onto the driving seat of the coach. He pulls a tartan blanket over his knees and flexes his riding crop. Panning shot of Mr. M. driving the coach across the field. Mute neg goes out of sync with track neg - please use print. FILM ID: A VIDEO FROM BRITISH PATHÉ. EXPLORE OUR ONLINE CHANNEL, BRITISH PATHÉ TV. IT’S FULL OF GREAT DOCUMENTARIES, FASCINATING INTERVIEWS, AND CLASSIC MOVIES. FOR LICENSING ENQUIRIES VISIT 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.