Buckley's Welsh Ale

From the collection of

Archif Sgrin a Sain Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru / National Library of Wales Screen and Sound Archive

Established in 2001, the National Library of Wales Screen and Sound Archive holds an unrivalled collection of films, TV and radio broadcasts, video tapes and sound recordings relating to Wales and the Welsh, from 1898 to the present day. The collection spans multiples formats and genres, both professional and amateur.

Buckley's Welsh Ale

Archif Sgrin a Sain Llyfrgell Genedlaethol Cymru / National Library of Wales Screen and Sound Archive
Llanelli
1960-01-01
Sound

Iechyd da - Your good health! A drop too much of this ale and you'll likely be spouting poetry since it is brewed in the Land of the Bards.

An inspiring strapline for imbibers: "Brewed in the Land of the Bards"! Drink enough of it and they could find themselves spouting not nonsense but poetry! The Buckley's brewery in Llanelli was established in 1767 by Mr Henry Child from Pembrokeshire - he was estate agent for Sir Thomas Stepney of Llanelli. His daughter, Maria, married the Rev James Buckley from Oldham, Lancashire, and he developed the brewery, successive generations continuing in his footsteps.

In 1997, Buckley's, which had merged with Crown in 1989 to form Crown Buckley's, was taken over by Cardiff's Brains Brewery (S. A. Brain & Company Ltd) and brewing ceased on the Buckley's site in Llanelli. The 8th generation of brewing Buckley's is still involved with beer but in Llandeilo, under the company name Evan Evans. Interestingly, a fellow Llanelli brewery, Felinfoel, swiftly followed by Buckley's, was the first in Europe to put beer into tin cans (in 1935), not surprising, perhaps, with Llanelli being known as Tinopolis and Felinfoel's owners tinplate masters! NSSAW holds the Buckley family films and many have been included on the BFI Player e.g. 'Buckley's Brewery'. See also 'Stepney Wedding'.

Near Your Local Cinema

Local goods for local people! Screen advertising wasn’t all national brands and chain stores.

Purpose-built cinemas began appearing around Britain shortly before WWI, booming in popularity during the War and developing into the ‘picture palaces’ of the 1920s - when adverts jostled for space alongside newsreels before the main feature. Local businesses were quick to see the potential of a big screen and a captive audience to promote their wares.

While they didn’t have access to the budgets of the national brands, regionally-specific businesses had the benefit of that personal touch. Products and services evolved over time, but that scratchy ad for your local Indian restaurant, so integral to the cinema-going experience into the 1990s, had its roots in the booming entrepreneurship of the industry many decades before.