Anglia Television programme looking at life in the Bedfordshire town of Dunstable.
Genre:
Documentary; Portrait of a Place; Television
Michael Partington visits Dunstable, a town that flourished for centuries on the country's roads and transport, but was punished for its rejection of the railway and has only recently come back into its own in a new era of roads and road transport. The town now plays a key role in Britain's manufacture of lorries and vans, with Commer, Vauxhall and related vehicle components factories employing the bulk of the working population.
As the town centre develops as a shopping hub for the surrounding districts, there are plans afoot to make Dunstable into a cultural hub, with the new Civic Centre at the heart of redevelopment plans. And with the history of Dunstable tied up with its place as a historic transport hub, the building of the motorways has now bought the town closer than ever to London. As such, the town plan also incorporates a rapid expansion in population, and the film concludes with a visit to nearby attractions including the London Gliding Club, nestled at the foot of the Dunstable Downs section of the Chiltern Hills, as well as the world-renowned Whipsnade Zoo.
Notes:
No superimposed titles/credits.
Featured Organisations:
Commer Car Company; Vauxhall Motors
Featured Buildings:
Commer Factory, Dunstable; Civic Hall, Dunstable; Priory Church of St Peter, Dunstable