An amateur film of the 1968 Durham County Show taking place at Lampton Park in Chester-le-Street on the 8 June 1968, made by Betty Cook. The film captures many of the day's attractions including a display of falconry, a police dog obstacle course and a bear cub being fed milk from a bottle. The film features British show jumping champion Harvey Smith performing at the showground. There  are also views of a whippet race and a drive past of historic horse-drawn carriages and wagons. The...

An amateur film of the 1968 Durham County Show taking place at Lampton Park in Chester-le-Street on the 8 June 1968, made by Betty Cook. The film captures many of the day's attractions including a display of falconry, a police dog obstacle course and a bear cub being fed milk from a bottle. The film features British show jumping champion Harvey Smith performing at the showground. There  are also views of a whippet race and a drive past of historic horse-drawn carriages and wagons. The film opens with a view of a large marquee built beside a road. A large sign hangs over the top that reads 'Durham County Show'. Visitors enter the marquee. Beside a display of tractors a man sells helium filled balloons. Some of the balloons are painted with golliwog images. A crowd watches a steam traction engine in operation. There are shots of people's feet walking around the fair. The British show jumping champion Harvey Smith performs at the show ground, tackling various jumps. Inside a marquee there is a display of flowers. Pigeons are on display at another stall. A man looks down into a microscope device. Inside the back window of a car, a small sign reads 'County Fair Chester-le-Street 8th June'. The film cuts to show a wooden post with two directional signs spointing to 'Falconry' and 'Police Dogs'. A bird of prey sits on a perch. The film cuts to show a display of falconry equipment, which includes jesses [thin leather straps] and eyelets. A young man is handling a falconry bird. The bird sits quietly back on its perch framed against the blue sky. The film cuts back to the showground where a police dog jumps over a large obstacle fence. He and his handler are observed by a judge as it completes the course. From the car park, members of the Burnmoor Coldstreamers Juvenile Jazzband march towards the showground behind their banner. A second wooden sign points visitors towards displays of  'Gun Dogs', 'Fishing Display' and 'Dog Racing'. Inside a vehicle a poster reads 'County Fair. The Vaux Silver Challenge Tankard Open Whippet Championship of England at Lampton Park Chester-le-Street on Sunday 8th June'. Whippets are released from their traps and race along a track. Large crowds watch on both sides of the track. A man holds a whippet on a lead, which barks at a number of other dogs just off screen. At the finish line the whippet owners stand and collect their dogs as they cross the line. Two men in full military dress uniform [possibly Coldstream Guards] walk past camera. A third walks past wearing a kilt and carrying a set of bagpipes. A man leads a pack of hounds onto a showground, blowing a hunting horn. At a smaller display area there are views of a conformation dog show (judging breeds). Handlers set up their dogs for judging before leading them around the display area. A judge looks more closely at the head and teeth of one of the dogs.  Sitting on the steps of a 'PDSA Sick Animal' van, a man feeds a bear cub milk from a bottle. There are shots of the bear walking on the grass. A procession of British and American horse-drawn carriages and wagons drives slowly along a track watched by large crowds. Amongst them are Vaux and Tetley delivery wagons pulled by shire horses and a small horse-drawn Rington's Tea delivery van. There is a view of a small steam powered 19th century fire engine, embossed with the lettering 'Bishop Auckland'. A bronze statue of a horse and rider stands on a table. The film cuts back to the showground where Harvey Smith is jumping over a number of fences. The master huntsman hounds comes back onto the field with the pack of hounds. The film ends with children running out onto the showground to look at the dogs.