One Summer in Somerset (1968)

Ah, the good old days - when hitchhiking and driving without a seatbelt were as safe as houses, and the average English seaside resort town was "clean, spacious, with the air of distinctive elegance".

Sceptical? Then follow the West Country wanderings of one broke Aussie student, who thumbs a lift to sunny Weston-Super-Mare in his quest for a good time (and a tour of local historical monuments), and finds himself a surprisingly glamorous travelling companion.


The technique of building a mini-fiction into a travelogue profile of an area wasn't uncommon, and is quietly effective here. Janet in her sports car and our Australian friend may not be the most convincing characters in cinema history, but the jaunty narrative carries us through this promotional film for the local area more effectively than an objective voiceover might have done.


This video is part of the Orphan Works collection. When the rights-holder for a film cannot be found, that film is classified as an Orphan Work. This is in line with the EU Orphan Works Directive of 2012. 

Aat
van Rees