Gnome Maker (1961)

Croydon, Surrey. M, S of an orchestra of jolly gnome puppets playing in front of a woodland glade set. C, U of the conductor gnome swaying in time to the music. M, S of two gnomes playing a fiddle and a banjo. C, U of a gnome playing the drums. C, U of the maze of wooden cogs operating the puppets. M, S of gnome model maker, 78 year old John Insull, modelling a clay head he is the uncrowned king of probably only 4 supercraftsmen of this type in the world. M, S of John taking the body of a puppet out of its mould, behind him on the wall hang several completed puppets. John then joins the body to a pair of legs and a painted head that clay head we saw was merely the first stage. From that a mould was created and the gnome s head made again from paper mache. C, U of John putting a long white beard and pointy yellow hat on the head. John s workshop is tucked away in a leading Croydon store (Kennards of Croydon) but his reputations is international. While his is fiddling with the puppet, John pres