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This 90 second clip is taken from a suite of films at the Willows & Wetlands Centre. The full version plays as a loop as part of the visitor experience and is also available for sale at the shop. A shorter version is shown to groups as part of the Centre’s organised tours. The suite of films has proved to be a very valuable marketing tool.
This inspirational film tell the story of how five generations of the Coate family have adapted to the changing demands of their times and now run a thriving business which supplies the majority of the world’s artists’ charcoal and some of the best traditional English wicker-ware. We follow the willow growing cycle from planting to harvesting and then through all the stages of processing as described by master basket maker Jonathan Coate, who is completely at one with the natural surroundings of the wildlife-rich Somerset Levels.