A film made by the Technical Aids department of Durham Police Constabulary of an open day at the new police headquarters at Aykley Heads in Durham City on Saturday 8 September 1973. The film shows large crowds visiting the many exhibitions and attractions around the headquarters site as well as enjoying the numerous demonstrations and displays put on by various departments within the constabulary. Credit: A Technical Aids Production. Title: Durham Constabulary ‘Open Day’. Title: Saturday...

A film made by the Technical Aids department of Durham Police Constabulary of an open day at the new police headquarters at Aykley Heads in Durham City on Saturday 8 September 1973. The film shows large crowds visiting the many exhibitions and attractions around the headquarters site as well as enjoying the numerous demonstrations and displays put on by various departments within the constabulary. Credit: A Technical Aids Production. Title: Durham Constabulary ‘Open Day’. Title: Saturday 8th September 1973. The film opens on various exterior views around the Durham Constabulary headquarters site at Aykley Heads including the radio mast and display arena around which a number of large marquees have been erected. A small sign reads: ‘Police H.Q.. Open Day’. Two policemen direct traffic towards the constabulary complex and car parks. A group of older people walk towards the camera past their coach which is parked in the car park. A large sign points visitors towards various attractions and sights around the complex including the Display Area, Assembly Hall, Mounted Branch and Dog Section. General view of a large crowd of people walking along a pathway past an ice cream van, beside it is a RAC van with a display nearby.   The film cuts to an overhead view of the headquarters complex, main arena and exhibition grounds where the marquees are located. General views of a series of signs put up outside each of the marquees. The signs read: ‘Specialist Departments’, ‘Divisional Police’, ‘’Off Duty’ Pursuits’ and ‘Police Communications’. Inside one of the marquees groups of people stand around a CCTV monitor looking at themselves. The film cuts to show two photographs of visitors looking at the ‘Radio and Communication’ stand. Outside three uniformed policewomen stand chatting. A sign reads: ‘Specialist Police Vehicles’. General view of the crowds and police officers walking around the headquarters complex. A small crowd looks around a display of specialist police vehicles. Two men take out what appears to be a camera from a suitcase that is lying on the ground in front of one of the police vehicles. Beside a ‘Police Underwater Search Unit’ van a police officer speaks with a small crowd. A small boy stands in the rear entrance of the vehicle. General view of a Norton Commando police motorcycle. A sign reads: ‘Restaurant - Workshop’. A second sign placed just inside a large building reads: ‘Main Workshop. All types of vehicle repair carried out’. General view inside the building shows various parked police cars and vans under repair. Back outside a woman in a yellow dress holds the hand of a small boy as they look over a number of vintage cars. There are various views of each car as well as a Lagonda motor engine. A Jaguar police car (Reg: AUP 162L) drives slowly along a road besides the police headquarters building. It comes to a stop and three children climb out. The film cuts to the police skid pad where there is a demonstration by a black police car driving at speed around a wet track. A large crowd watches from the around the edges. The film cuts to a view of large crowds walking past the vintage and specialist police car displays. Overhead view showing four policemen standing beside a table on which souvenirs are being sold. The camera pans upwards to show the main area and display grounds and marquees. Next to the main arena a Scout and Sea Cadet stand side-by-side. The film cuts to a parade ground beside the headquarters building where there is a demonstration of precision marching by both male and female members of the Durham Police Cadets. General view of a display caravan for the ‘Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme’. A small boy sits in a canoe that is laid out on the grass. Beside him another young boy and two men watch the child in the canoe. A third young boy stands beside a snow sled loaded with equipment. The film cuts to a display by a police cadet riding a 500CC motorcycle around a track. He is seen riding around a set of traffic cones and jumps of a piece of wood watched by a large crowd. A large crowd of people walk past the ‘Enquiries’ caravan parked along the main walkway next to the headquarters building.  A senior police officer, possibly Chief Constable, in dress uniform walks past using a cane. Standing beside the display area four senior policemen are seen talking. One of the men is the man seen previously walking with a cane. General view of the crowds surrounding the arena. General view of the ‘Enquiries’ caravan with loudspeakers on the roof. The Durham Constabulary Brass Band in white helmets marches onto the display ground and performs for the surrounding crowd. Seated at a table beside the arena a police Sergeant speaks into a microphone announcing various events. Male and female police cadets trot onto the arena and perform a gymnastic display for the crowd. A number of female cadets perform a synchronised routine. Male and female cadets jump over a pommel horse. Beside the ‘Refreshment’ marquee a woman sits a table underneath an umbrella enjoying a cool drink. Overhead view of a long line of people queuing beside an ice cream van. The film cuts back to the announcers seated at the table beside the display arena. This is followed by a view of the crowds standing behind the arena barrier watching an event. General views of a display by the Durham Police Dog section showing a dog a handler running around a course and the dog jumping through various hoops including one which is on fire. The film cuts to a police constable marching onto the display arena. There is a recreation of a number of ‘incidents’ taking place showing the crowds how Durham Police carry out their duties. The first incident begins with a car driving onto the arena and being chased around the display ground by a police car and van. The car is pulled over and the driver is shown being breathalysed. The young female passenger is led away by a female officer.    The second ‘incident’ begins with a man walking towards one of the policemen seen previously and shooting him. A police dog and handler takes down the gunman who is then handcuffed, searched and driven away in a police car. Scenes of crime officers drive onto the arena and begin to examine the scene and take photographs. A doctor and pathologist drive onto the arena to examine the body and to confirm death. A woman in a red dress walks onto the field with a Golden Retriever. She speaks with a policeman standing beside a small van and gives the dog to him. General views of various vehicles driving around the arena watched by the Policeman and Golden Retriever. The dog is put into the back of the van which drives off the arena. The display ends with the police constable marching off the display ground. The film cuts to general views of a display by the Durham Police horse section riding in unison around the display arena. Standing in a line an officer salutes the men on horseback. General view of the Chief Constable speaking into the microphone on the table beside the display ground. The film cuts to views of the crowds walking towards the car park. The film ends with an overhead view of the empty display arena and cars driving away. End credit: Filmed by Sgt. H. Geddes, D.C. S. Davison, D.C. P. Smith.