This amateur film was made by Vic Cross on the 28th August 1965. He has created a few other amateur films donated to the archive such as the travelogue Neither England Nor Scotland (1969) and a record of the Alnwick Fair (1969) covering Tyneside and Northumberland regions showing what life was like in the north east during the 1960s. During the 1960s there were many social changes that were taking place in England. With society moving on from the conservative society of the 50s, fashion and...

This amateur film was made by Vic Cross on the 28th August 1965. He has created a few other amateur films donated to the archive such as the travelogue Neither England Nor Scotland (1969) and a record of the Alnwick Fair (1969) covering Tyneside and Northumberland regions showing what life was like in the north east during the 1960s.
During the 1960s there were many social changes that were taking place in England. With society moving on from the conservative society of the 50s, fashion and ideology were rapidly changing; “if the fifties were in black and white, then the Sixties were in Technicolour”. People started to emphasise the importance of freedom and individuality, especially within the younger generation. Fashion for example started to mirror the social changes with Mary Quant becoming famous for popularising the mini skirt, designed to be free and liberating for women, allowing them to ‘run and jump’ . There are some examples of women wearing these skirts during the film, however it is mostly men in the footage as agriculture at the time was still mainly a male sphere.
There were also changes in agriculture during the 1960s. Agriculture was starting to be seen as a more profitable opportunity for landlords with the government providing specific provisions for assisting small farmers with grants and improvement schemes . The labour government put forward a plan to improve production in farming and encouraged the modernisation of farm structure and wider co-operation in agriculture and horticulture . This meant there was an increase in technological changes which made farming more mechanical. This helped with rapid gains in productivity however it also meant that the number of agricultural workers reduced greatly . “The 1960s was a decade of rapid change. Blink for one second you would have missed it. ”
This film was shot on standard 8mm silent Kodachrome film stock. The history of this type of film develops from the original 16mm silent film stock which was a cheaper alternative to the 35mm. It marked an exciting opportunity for ‘non-professional’ filmmakers. By 1932 Kodak introduced the standard 8mm as a cheap alternative to the 16mm. By the relatively affluent 1960s cameras had become more accessible to everyday people who were able to record special moments and share them with family and friends . The study of amateur films can also be used in a way to distinguish the person’s social class during the time.

There are films in colour that date back to 1895 with Thomas Edison’s hand painted ‘Annabelle’s Dance’, however, vivid colour Kodachrome stock was available from 1935 in 16mm and then one year later as 8mm. This stock was a ‘reversal’ film where the original film that ran through the camera was sent away to be processed. The original film would then return as positive and would be ready for projection.
The Bellingham Show that the film is based around is believed to date back to 1842, which makes it one of the oldest agricultural shows in the North . These agricultural shows are where farmers can show off their cattle and crops, as well as taking part in competitions. There are often many trade stands which offer the latest farming machinery, feeds, fertilisers, and other farming products. During the 1960s the local agricultural societies started to buy land to create permanent show grounds ..
Entertainment shown includes a juvenile jazz band and at a distance Cumberland and Westmorland wrestling. Juvenille jazz bands started in the 20th century, predominantly in working class mining areas in the North and the midlands . It was a type of children’s band “with unfurled banners, colourful uniforms and twirling drumsticks, the bands were a distinctive sight while on the march” . They became incredibly popular in the 70s after appearing again after the Second World War but had largely died out by the 80s .
The Cumberland and Westmorland Wrestling is an ancient practiced tradition. The origin of the wrestling is a matter of debate with some arguing that it has evolved from Norse wrestling brought over by the Vikings, others associating it with the Cornish and Gouren styles that indicate it as a longer standing Celtic tradition . Entertainment such as this would have been typical for agricultural shows as it displays the areas past and traditions as well as showing the agricultural changes and developments.
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/cabinetpapers/themes/subsidy-eec.htm
2 http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/december/1/newsid_3204000/3204279.stm
3 https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/cabinetpapers/themes/subsidy-eec.htm
4 https://www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/The-1960s-The-Decade-that-Shook-Britain/
5 http://www.rutlandproductions.co.uk/history-cinefilm
6 https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/thousands
7 https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/thousands-turn-out-bellingham-show-9953976
8 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/County_show
9 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juvenile_jazz_band
10 https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/history/north-east-jazz-bands-distinctive-13397640
11 https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/history/north-east-jazz-bands-distinctive-13397640
12 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumberland_and_Westmorland_wrestling