Rush Mats (1958)

Debenham, Suffolk. M/S of Mrs Daphne Smith aged 20, walking out of a house towards the village green and a stack of rushes bundled together. C/U of the rushes and Daphne picking up a bundle then laying it on the grass. M/S of her untying the rushes. She then starts to fill a watering can from a pump on the village green. C/U of her filling the can. C/U of her watering the rushes, to make them more pliable. The rushes are cut from the Norfolk Broads. M/S of Daphne picking up the bundle, another woman, Miss Carol Mills aged 18, is working with some rushes on a table behind her. There are more women working in the background, they are Miss Margaret Fisher aged 19 and Miss Eileen Harvey aged 18. Daphne takes the rushes over to the other women. M/S of Daphne putting the rushes down and sitting next to the other weavers. M/S of Daphne weaving the rushes into a round mat, they are held in a vice. C/U of her hands doing the weaving, C/U of her face. The narrator says this is a form of weaving whi