Amphibious Caravan (1955)

River Lea, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire. M/S of a caravan parked in a camping site. A man stands at the door and a woman at the front detaching it from the ground. Cut to a M/S of car approaching the caravan from the back to be attached to it. A man observes the process. Man and woman attaching the caravan to the car. This caravan is the latest invention of designer Alan Eckford who refused to accept the existing limitations of caravans. He created the unique, new, ingenious ’amphibian caravan car’ - one that sails. Succession of M/S of the two couples getting into the car. They drive the caravan through the countryside and finally stop at their destination - the river bank. Several shots of the two couples preparing the caravan for launching. They wheel the caravan next to the water. M/S of a man taking off the number plate from the back (narrator informs the audience that the man is Alan Eckford, the designer) Alan and the other man (Ron Sams of Hoddeston who built the caravan) push the caravan into water. M/S of the two women holding the outboard motor engine. They give the engine to a man who places it into the place specially designed for it. Another man fixes rudder on to the rear of the amphibious caravan. People enter the caravan ready for the sail. L/S of the caravan sailing with the two women sitting on the top of it, enjoying. Point of view shot from the inside of the caravan as it sails. C/U high angle shot of the water being bubbled up by the outboard motor. Final high angle shot of the caravan sailing away. Note: Worrying amounts of neg sparkle exist - checking for possible improvements. 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.