P.M.’s Big Welcome (1960)

Item title reads - P.M.’s big welcome. West Rietfontein and Swaziland, South Africa. Various exterior shots of the West Rietfontein gold mine. M/S as the camera pans across the massed crowd of Africans who have come to see the Prime Minister. M/S as British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan walks towards the shaft, he is in miner’s clothes. M/S as he raises his helmet for the benefit of the photographers and then turns and enters the cage below. M/S of the cage going down. M/S of smelters taking molten gold from furnace. M/S as Prime Minister comes forward and bends down to help lift a crucible containing molten gold, camera pans to the crucible as the gold is about to be poured into moulds. Various shots as he helps to pour it. M/S as Prime Minister points with interest. M/S stack of gold bars being one month’s production and valued at approximately £1,000,000. Various shots as the camera pans across massed crowd of Africans gathered at Swaziland to greet the Premier. C/U of The Paramount Chief