Peter Ainger, eel catcher and ferreter, is the subject of a documentary about life in the small Essex market town of Manningtree on the Stour Estuary.
Genre:
Documentary
Following day to day events in the life of Peter Ainger and his family, the film reveals much about England's smallest market town, Manningtree, and the adjacent woods and intertidal mudflats of the Stour Estuary.
In Manningtree there are views of High Street shops: a barber's, a fish and chip shop, Mr Howell's hardware shop, the post office, the International Store, the chemist, Contable's butchers, De'Ath's bakers, William Sadler's cobbler's business, Forge Studio furniture restorers and the interior of a timber yard. The are scenes of the market.
Punts sailing on the river and traditional Sunday mud sports are featured.
The are shots of the Stour Estuary in summer and in winter. Peter and his friends explain ferreting and the use of radio collars, they demonstrate eel netting, and Peter smokes eels in a small homemade smokehouse.
The film closes with Peter and his friend Joe wandering down to the river and talking about the deterioration of the marsh.
Featured People:
Peter Ainger; Mrs. Ainger; Lucy Ainger; Joe Lucas; Mr. Howell, hardware shop owner; William Sadler, cobbler; Dick Patterson, David Darton and Kim Archer, furniture restorers; John Cronin
Featured Buildings:
Storey Brothers Plastics Works, Brantham