An amateur film produced by Durham County Constabulary of a training exercise taking place during June and July 1964. The exercise involves a column of police vehicles travelling from Blackfell Camp at Birtley near Gateshead to a field by the coast, possibly near to Westoe Colliery at South Shields to test communications equipment. However. while the film does show radio antenna’s being erected, most of the police officers featured are seen relaxing over mugs of tea and hot food. Credit:...

An amateur film produced by Durham County Constabulary of a training exercise taking place during June and July 1964. The exercise involves a column of police vehicles travelling from Blackfell Camp at Birtley near Gateshead to a field by the coast, possibly near to Westoe Colliery at South Shields to test communications equipment. However. while the film does show radio antenna’s being erected, most of the police officers featured are seen relaxing over mugs of tea and hot food. Credit: Durham County Constabulary Title: Police Mobile Column Title: Blackfell Camp 151 Weekend Training Centre A printed sign points towards ‘Police Mobile Column’, a number of wooden barrack huts surround a parade ground. Parked in a line on the parade ground are a number of police lorries, their crews standing to attention at the front of the vehicles. The crews climb aboard their vehicles and police motorcyclists escort the column out of the camp. As they turn onto the road from Blackfell Camp a policeman stops traffic from passing. The convoy travels through the Durham countryside, at a road junction one of the police motorcycle riders holds back the civilian traffic allowing the column to travel on without the need of stopping. Back at Blackfell Camp a number of soldier’s hammer communication antenna into ground while police technicians attached cabling to outlets of the side of a police lorry parked nearby. Two solider carry the heavy cabling across the parade ground to the to antenna which is then linked. Two solider check the telephone lines with the control on the lorry. A group of policemen watch their colleagues construct a tent, in a field turf is dug up and another tent erected. A police Sargent watches over a man working on a vehicle engine. He helps two soldiers attach something to the vehicle. A police motorcycle rider drives away. In a kitchen a man comes over and looks inside one of three large steaming vat, in another part of the kitchen staff serve up food onto plates. From one of the police lorries a phantom ride along a country road, other lorries in the column follow in behind. A number of police motorbikes overtake and speed past. The column drives through a town and into a field where a number of other vehicles have already arrived. Mugs of tea are served to the men, nearby a cook stirs one of a number of trays of food cooking. Men relax in the field beside their vehicles, in the background a cliff edge and the sea beyond. Five senior police officers look over plans while their men have more tea, nearby cooks watch over a number of trays of food cooking on a raised wooden platform. Back beside their vehicles three of the men relaxing fake a stretch and yawn, around then others are napping on the grass. Surrounded by police lorries another communication antenna is erected in the field and secured in place. Cables from it are attached to ports in the side of one of the police lorries. Policemen form a line and are served a meal from the metal food trays seen previously. The men eat happy from mess tins in the sun. Following their meals, the men wash up before playing a game of cards. Nearby the cooks eat their meal from a trellis table. A number of police take part in an exercise where one of them is securely strapped onto a stretcher. He is turned upside down and does not fall out. The food tents are taken down and packed away followed by all the men standing to attention beside their vehicles. A senior officer salutes. The film ends with the column leaves the field once again following on behind their motorcycle escort. End title: The End