A promotional film produced by Turners Film Productions for Vaux and Associated Breweries Limited looking back on a year of sporting success across Scotland and Northern England sponsored by Vaux. The film is introduced by the Chairman of the company, Mr Douglas Nicholson. This is followed by reports relating to fifteen different sporting events from horse racing at Redcar and Ayr, athletics, hound racing, show jumping, pigeon racing, swimming, clay pigeon shooting and cycling. The film also...

A promotional film produced by Turners Film Productions for Vaux and Associated Breweries Limited looking back on a year of sporting success across Scotland and Northern England sponsored by Vaux. The film is introduced by the Chairman of the company, Mr Douglas Nicholson. This is followed by reports relating to fifteen different sporting events from horse racing at Redcar and Ayr, athletics, hound racing, show jumping, pigeon racing, swimming, clay pigeon shooting and cycling. The film also reports from the 1962 Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year as well as a school for training future sports men and women at Bede College in Durham supported by Vaux. The film begins on the engraved Vaux Gold Tankard onto which a montage of sporting events featured in this film are projected. Title: Vaux Encourage Sport 1963 Title: Produced for Vaux and Associated Breweries Limited Credit: Filmed by Turners Film Productions Newcastle upon Tyne England Credit: Production F.B. Nicols A.R.P.S. Photography R. B. Copplestone A.I.B.P. Douglas Nicholson steps out of a large country house with his dogs and walks across the front lawn. Title: Introduction by Mr Douglas Nicholson Chairman Vaux and Associated Breweries Limited To camera Mr Nicholson talks about the fifteen sporting events featured in this film from across Scotland and Northern England. He believes 1963 has been a great success and hopes the training courses for young athletes, sponsored by Vaux, will lead to some Olympic success. Title: Vaux Gold Tankard, Redcar The sequence includes close-ups of the jockeys and overhead shots of the race course, including one looking towards a group of gasometers. A crowd of 23,000 gathers at Redcar race course to see the 1963 Vaux Gold Tankard race, ‘still the biggest handicap race in Europe’ as the commentary states. The race was usually held in July. Horses are paraded around the paddock prior to the race. Mr Nicholson chairman of Vaux and his wife along with their youngest son watch over proceedings. Sir Gordon Richards helps his jockey on to his mount ‘By Jupiter’. A field of 15 compete for a prize of 12,750 sovereigns over a distance of just over 1 mile 6 furlongs. The race gets underway and the runners and riders stay in close formation for the whole distance making for an exciting finish. Various tracking shots follow as the race is in progress. Close up of a man in the crowd looking through binoculars. ‘Espresso’ wins the race, ‘Tropical Sky’ second and ‘Young Lochinvar’ third. High angle view follows as horses enter the enclosure after the race. Appearing in the winner’s enclosure, W Williamson the Australian jockey acknowledges the crowd. W Bousher receives the Gold Tankard on behalf of the owner, Mr G A Oldham. A winning punter collects his money from a bookie or 'turf accountant' after betting on the race. Title: The School of Sport. Durham A team of footballers takes a break, lounging on the grass, to listen to their coach at Bede College, Durham. "Vaux Breweries have given a hundred scholarships in various sports along with coaching and accommodation." Expert instruction is given in football, hockey, canoeing, tennis, gymnastics and judo. Leading exponents in their respective sports urge the youngsters along. Footballers test their new found skills by tackling and shooting at goal. The girls’ hockey team receive training and practice their goal scoring. Tennis players demonstrate their skills in a doubles match, watched by their colleagues. The canoeists practice control of their craft and how to right themselves should they capsize. Title: Dinner for the 1962 Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year A range of trophies displayed on a table introduce film coverage of the Vaux Sportsman and Sportswoman of the year annual celebration dinner, which takes place on 15 February 1963 in the Vaux-owned Seaburn Hotel, Sunderland. Mike Weston and Joy Grieveson talk to Vaux Chairman Mr Nicolson whilst holding their awards. The award for the North Sportsman of the Year (1962) goes to 24 year old England and British Lions rugby player, Mike Weston of Neville's Cross, Durham. [Mike Weston was born in Durham (1938) and went to Durham School. He also played rugby for Durham City, captained the British Lions and England five times. He also managed England for the first rugby world cup in 1987, and represented Durham City in minor counties cricket]. North Sportswoman of the Year, 21 year old Joy Grieveson [now Watson, born 1941] is presented with her award. She is England’s quarter mile champion from Darlington. She also is a world record holder for the 400 metres which was achieved at the White City stadium in London. [Joy Grieveson went on to represent Great Britain at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics]. Prize winners stand together for a group portrait at the dinner, the women wearing very 1950s looking dresses, and the men are in formal black suits and bow ties. Also pictured with the prize winners was local boxer Maurice Cullen, sporting a black eye from his recent British Lightweight fight with Dave Charnley which Maurice lost. Close-up shot of the boxer, speaking to someone off camera. The camera focuses on Dorinda Fraser, from Gateshead, who won the bronze medal in the 100m breaststroke in the 1962 Perth Games. Mike Weston collects his trophy (from Mr Nicholson?) followed by Joy Grieveson who collects her award. "A successful and rewarding year for sportswomen and sportsmen of the north." Guests applaud the winners. Title: Grand National for the Vaux Gold Tankard 1963 Aintree race course is the venue for the 1963 Grand National and the prize of the Vaux Gold Tankard. Gregory Peck is amongst the crowd as his ‘ill fated’ horse ‘Owen Sedge’ is paraded around the paddock. Exciting race footage, with a tracking shot from beside the course. Some low angle shots in front of the horses follow as they take a jump. Crowd views include a woman in furry hat, man with binoculars and a small section of the crowd with many men using binoculars. The start of the race and the horses are off, facing 30 difficult and testing jumps for both horse and rider. ‘Out and About’ takes the lead and sets the pace. Prize money is a record £26,000. Josh Gifford keeps ‘Out and About’ in front. ‘Out and About’ is over first and remains in front at the sharp left of Canal Turn. At fence 18 it looks as though ‘Out and About’ is beginning to tire but at Beechers Brook manages to keep at bay all challenges. At fence 26 ‘Out and About’ is still in front but at the next fence falls. ‘French Lawyer’ takes the lead, but in an exciting finish ‘Ayala’ makes a supreme effort to win the Grand National. Pat Buckley is the jockey who rides the winner and wins the Vaux Gold Tankard. Police on horseback accompany the winner to the winners enclosure. Title: The Champion Hound Trail: Kendal In Westmorland, September 12th the trail setters are in action setting the nine and a half mile trail for the 1963 Vaux Champion Hound Trail. At the showground, bookmakers are busy taking bets. The trail is laid and the hounds are held back by their owners as the start of the race approaches. Down comes the starters flag and they’re off. 56 hounds launch themselves into the race. Across open fields and through fences they press on. Swimming across rivers they keep up a relentless pace. Finally a view of the home stretch sees the dogs coming over a wall in the distance. The owners shout encouragement waving towels and holding bowls of food to encourage a quick finish. A close finish as the first three cross the line. As the dogs complete the race, they are given food and put back on their leash. The winning dog belongs to a Mr Parks, finishing in 27 mins 15 secs at an average speed of 21 miles per hour. A late finisher comes in and is fed. Title: Athletics - Scotland v Anglo Scots. Scotstoun. At Scotsoun stadium sprinting and hammer throwing are shown at a very dull and damp venue. The pole vaulting is in progress. During the event attempts are made on the national record. Slow motion shows the technique and agility of the athletes. Slow motion shots also show athletic prowess at the long jump. Hurdling follows with the commentary stating how this competition has been beneficial in helping the development of Scottish athletics. Title: Show Jumping. Durham Durham County show is the venue for the Vaux Gold Tankard show jumping event. A field of 22 with key names from the world of show jumping Pat Smythe , David Barker, Ann Townshend, and Harvey Smith. Andrew Fielder rides ‘Vibart’ in the final jump off. He completes his round but Harvey Smith on his grey horse ‘Warpaint’ is an ambitious contender. A final turn of speed over the water jump and Harvey Smith wins the Gold Tankard which is presented to him by Mr Nicholson. He offers words of consolation to Pat Smythe. Title: International Pigeon Race from Beauvais (Paris) to Scotland and North East England 15,000 pigeons from Scotland and the North East are pictured in their baskets at Newcastle airport. They drink water as they are about to be loaded onto a plane bound for Beauvais near Paris for the Vaux Gold Tankard race. Bill Towers is the secretary for the Up North Combine. He and his helpers put the pigeons onto the plane. The plane takes off and shots from the cockpit of the airplane as it crosses the Channel and route to Beauvais. The pigeons are unloaded at Beauvais onto rudimentary forms of transport to be moved to an area of the airfield where they will spend the night before liberation. "Delays due to bad weather severely hamper the Scots chances of winning." the commentary explains. The pigeons are liberated to head back to Scotland and North East England. A pigeon owner releases a pigeon from his loft. The commentator observes that pigeon owners will have one eye on the Gold Tankard and one eye on the skies as they wait for their birds to return. A map shows the route of the birds from Northern France to the North East of England and Scotland. The film cuts to Mr A. Anderson of Westerhope, Newcastle, who's bird wins the race, walking to his loft with a younger man. They walk inside and take out a bird. Back outside they look it over before releasing it. A view of the Vaux Gold Tankard follows won by Mr Anderson. Title: Usher/Vaux Gold Tankard Race, Ayr Crowds gather in the stands at Ayr race course followed by horses being paraded around the paddock. A notice on a control tower indicates the official going on the course as ‘soft.’ Commentary states that the race is won by ‘By Jupiter’ owned by J Perkins and trained by Gordon Richards. In the distance the runners and riders line up at the start, and they’re off. They endure pouring rain but ‘By Jupiter’ is the winner with ‘Magic Court’ second. ‘By Jupiter’ parades in the winners’ enclosure. Title: Usher/Vaux National Swimming League Finals Spectators crowd the Perth swimming pool for the Scottish finals in September 1963. Tommy Clark wins the 220 yard freestyle for boys after a close race. In the same event for girls, Cathy McAlpine from Motherwell leads for the first three lengths however Penny(?) Sinclair coached by Ian Black is the stronger swimmer and wins the event. Title: The North of England Clay Pigeon Championship. 30th June 1963 The Vaux Down the Line Championship gets underway in dreary weather. Five marksmen prepare to shoot in turn. The venue, at Wynyard Park, County Durham, attracts 72 competitors from as far afield as Nottingham, Blackpool and Stirling. Amongst the competitors are 24 internationals including 2 Olympic champions. Clay pigeons are released from a special bunker as the competition continues. Spectators huddle in the rain to watch the conclusion as the finalist Mr E Spear of Sheffield is beaten by Mr R Townloe of Mansfield after a tie. Title: Inter-Club Three Mile Race The Clairville ‘Arena’ (Stadium), Middlesbrough, is the venue for this Vaux Gold Tankard event on the 7 September 1963. The stadium was officially opened by the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip, on 26th July 1963. Eight teams have entered the event from as far afield as Staffordshire, Coventry and Motherwell. The favourites Coventry Godiva Harriers, with four internationals in the team were beaten comprehensively by the little known Motherwell YMCA Harriers. The runners line up and the starter fires a pistol. The closely packed runners soon spread out. Enthusiastic crowds watch from the stand and the side of the track of this new stadium. A steady pace is soon established. Runners Brown of Motherwell who finished third and Lineker of Coventry who came second are shown in mid race. With 14 internationals in the competition the individual winner is Mike Neville of Coventry. The Motherwell team has the next three finishers and they win the match. Title: Show Jumping. Edinburgh In the Usher-Vaux championship four horses are left in the jump off. Harvey Smith is shown as the first of the competitors half way through his round on his horse ‘O’Malley’. A pole is knocked down. He clears all the following fences but the accumulation of faults eliminates him from the final jump off. Two horses are left to compete against the clock. We see Rita Birch of Cumberland on ‘Spring Lamb’ last to jump and going well. One pole is knocked down. She clears another gate. The Countess of Dalkeith presents the Usher/Vaux gold tankard to the winner. Title: North of England Cycle Championship. Wolsingham. A banner in Wolsingham, Weardale proclaims the start of the Vaux Championship of the North Cycle race. The pack of cyclists, including international contestants, start the race in good weather with an enthusiastic crowd watching. The 28 mile circuit rising to Bollihope Common at 1660 feet, presents a test of endurance for the riders. Bill Bradley former winner of the Vaux Gold Tankard, heads the pack, where the best riders in Britain compete with cyclists from Poland and Sweden. The commentary states "Four laps make up the gruelling 112 mile race. Rising 400 feet in three miles the riders’ fitness is tested. On downhill stretches the riders can reach 60 miles an hour." A thankful rider grabs a drink en route. The Polish riders do well in the hilly stretches, but the Swedes soon outperform them. The riders pass through Frosterley for the last time, with 27 miles to go. A final dash over the last 20 miles, but Peter Gordon of Manchester cannot shake off a Scandinavian challenge. At the finish Peter Gordon finishes third with Albert Hitching second and Juke Reikval (?) of Sweden winning the race. Mr Nicholson presents the Gold Tankard and a victory sash to the winner. The first time a European competitor has won the race The film ends, as it began, with a view of the engraved Vaux Gold Tankard. End Title: Vaux Encourage Sport