🎬British Pathé – Druids Summer solstice ceremony at Stonehenge, Wiltshire. Stonehenge, Salisbury Plane, Wiltshire. Several shots of the sunrise over Stonehenge. LV. Deserted Stonehenge. Various shots of the Summer Solstice ceremony in progress, unopened urn in foreground. CU. Urn being opened. CU. Man. MV. Druids parading in front of Chief Druid. Lighted urn in foreground. MV. Chief Druid bowing. MV. Druids parading during their ceremony at Stonehenge. SV. Druids chanting. LV. Dog walks into ceremony. SV. Dog lying on ground. SV. Druid holding pipe. MV. Towards, druids leaving in procession, leader holding a cup. SV. Dog, scarred by the crowd moving towards, moves away. Procession leaving

🎬British Pathé – Druids await first rays of midsummer sun to start ritual which acclaims the longest day. Full title reads: "DRUIDS HAIL THE DAWN". Stonehenge, Salisbury, Wiltshire. General view of Stonehenge at dawn - sun rising, Pagans gathered for the ceremony which acclaims the longest day. Long shot of the Pagan ceremony of Hailing the Dawn. Sightseers standing on stones. Chief Druid dropping wand. Side shot, small dog in centre of circle walks over to wand lifter, sniffs and walks away. Close up shot of Chief Druid. Side view, Chief Druid getting ready to perform rite. Flame burning. Drinking ceremony. People looking on. Chief Druid lifts wand. Man bowing on top of stones. Long view of the ceremony amidst stones. Sun rising over Stonehenge. Man lifts head, looks round and disappears behind rock

🎬British Pathé – Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, opens Bournemouth's new pavilion. GLOUCESTER, DUKE OF. PRINCE HENRY Item title reads - Duke of Gloucester opens Bournemouth's magnificent £250,000 Pavilion. Dorset. M/S of soldiers standing to attention. M/S of Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, walking down the line and inspecting them. M/S profile of him stood with the mayor (?) L/S of the pavilion, the camera pans across people walking in front of it.

🎬 The New Forest. A film exploring the rich landscape, people and forest traditions in the post war years.

18th century Agisters and pigs with rights to wander are just some of the ancient traditions celebrated in this beguiling look at life in the New Forest. Less familiar sights are captured, too, such as broom making and logging, forestry planting and sailing on the River Beaulieu near Buckler's Hard. No film about the area would be complete, though, without the famous Forest ponies – who are seen here in all their equine glory.

Filmmaker Roy Layzell made many films during this period including other local area films such as Pipelines Under Southampton Water in 1957.

Clifton Parker was a renowned British composer. With nearly 50 feature films under his belt, including The 39 Steps in 1959 and Sink The Bismark in 1960.

John Snagge (OBE) was the voice of the BBC from the war years to his retirement in 1980.

Featuring John Snagge
Music by Clifton Parker
Filmed and Directed by Roy Layzell
Original Cinema Release 1952

The film was commissioned by the Esso Petroleum Company in 1952, just as they were establishing a new refinery on the eastern edge of the New Forest at Fawley, but Forest Heritage is entirely concerned with the natural beauty and traditions of the area: ‘A place out of this modern world where simple pleasures are enough – a miraculous survival of pre-Norman England’.

🎬British Pathé – Travelogue item about idyllic Hampshire village of Freefolk. M/S of country lane. Various shots of smart thatched cottages. M/S of church. M/S of detached brick house. C/U of old couple, described by narrator as Abraham and wife. M/S of mothers and children walking up lane. Various shots of trees. Various shots of streams and River Test. Various shots of wooden mill house over river. According to narrator the mill belongs to Brendan Bracken, minister of information. Various shots of pretty gardens. C/U of an eel trap on river. M/S of man catching eel. Various shots of anglers trout fishing. All looks very picturesque and idyllic

🎬Great British Railway Journeys, Winchester to the Isle of Wight. Michael Portillo takes to the tracks with a copy of George Bradshaw's Victorian Railway Guidebook. Portillo travels the length and breadth of the country to see how the railways changed us, and what of Bradshaw's Britain remains.

Following in the footsteps of Queen Victoria, Michael uses the railways she often rode from Windsor Castle to her country getaway on the Isle of Wight, from where his journey continues west to Portland.

Michael experiences the magnificent Victorian organ at Winchester Cathedral, goes behind the scenes at a 19th-century rail works still running in Eastleigh today and travels to Queen Victoria's favourite holiday destination, the Isle of Wight.

Presenter Michael Portillo
Director Tom Currie
Series Producer Jay Taylor
Executive Producer John Comerford
First Broadcast 11th January 2012