The Dustbin Film Collection is associated with Old Sodbury's Sortouts. The aim of the collection is to rescue old films typically made by a sponsor that feature machinery of some sort. This could be road transport, agricultural machinery, merchant shipping, aircraft, railways, construction plant, or industrial plant.
The common feature is that they show what is now obsolete machinery when it was new and in daily use. As such these films offer a tremendous insight into how this machinery was used when new.
Highlight of the year is the National Dustbin Film Festival held each year in Chipping Sodbury . The Tenth Festival is planned for Saturday January 30th 2010 in Chipping Sodbury Town Hall . Suddenly for a few days 16 mm film will get the recognition it deserves.at what is claimed to be Britain's LEAST glamorous film festival.
Other contributors will be offering films they have rescued on DVD
DVD copies of Dustbin Films are listed on eBay. by Seller PAL5047 or in "The Sortout Shop"
With several hundred rescued films only a fraction are listed at any one time but to give you just an idea of the sort of subjects you might find here are just a few of the titles and subjects that could be listed.
Sates or demonstration films for tractors. Ford 000 Series, Country Tractors, Ferguson 20 35 Massey Ferguson 703 baler Fordson 27N Farmall H Allis Chalmers crawlers wheeled tractors 1930s John Deeres
How to get the best from your tractor or machine. Fordon N Ford s Ferguson, Allis Chalmers, trailedcombines, ploughs, front end loaders, tyres, etc
Construction Machinery. Single type films on motor scrapers, motor graders, cranes, diggers DJB, Aveling Barford, Caterpillar, Priestman, Coles,Allis Chalmers, Adams Scrapers,etc.
Construction projects. These tend to focus on a specific project or type of projects but will include plenty of relevant machinery hard at work. Opencast mining , bulk earthmoving, airfield construction, redevelopment, harbour construction, pipeline installation,, waterway construction, school building, house building, etc.
Road transport. Cars truck buses coaches either as traffic as background to the film of feartured as the star of the film. Makes featured include Austin Bedford, Hillman, British Leyland, Foden, Scammell, Sunbeam, AEC, Rolls Royce, Cooper, Ford, Fisher Bodies, etc.
Land Rovers are seen at work in the background of a number of films on projects and civil engineering.
Shipping and afloat. Thames barges, lighters, passenger liners, tankers, marine life generally, seamans duties, anchoring a battleship, keeping look out, the Suez canal, Great Lakes Shipping, Mississippi River, gas turbines in ships, mooring, docks side handling, etc
Aviation, pre flight checks for a spitfire, concorde, Bristol Britannia, jet engines, airliners, aero engines, seaplanes, gliders, etc.
Railways. Steam engines, diesel engines, freight handling, etc.
Military. The military were big users of 16 mm film for training. Topics include specific weapons, concealment, procedures, training, recruiting, newsreels, etc.
Motor Sport. Circuit racing, road rallies, endurance runs, hill climbs, motorcycle trials, etc.
Then to add to the confusion some film feature in more than one category . You best course is to follow the notes with each film when it is listed.
Money Saving Tip. Bidding can get very competitive for some films. . Before bidding a silly price for a film listed for Auction it is worth checking if it is listed with a Buy it Now price. Sometimes that can work out cheaper than bidding too much.
Deals are sometimes offered on a selection of Dustbin DVDs sufficient to provide a reserve or different evening programmes for a club meeting.
