An amateur film produced by A. McManus of the Lambretta Club Northumbria holding the Whitley Bay Scooter Rally at Langley Park in the town on Sunday 21st September 1958.The film begins in July with the club preparing for the rally followed by the day itself with members of the clubs dressed in distinctive yellow overalls helping to co-ordinate the various scooter trials that are being watched by large crowds. As well as trials the film also features other attractions on site include a trade...

An amateur film produced by A. McManus of the Lambretta Club Northumbria holding the Whitley Bay Scooter Rally at Langley Park in the town on Sunday 21st September 1958.The film begins in July with the club preparing for the rally followed by the day itself with members of the clubs dressed in distinctive yellow overalls helping to co-ordinate the various scooter trials that are being watched by large crowds. As well as trials the film also features other attractions on site include a trade and refreshment marquees. Title: Lambretta Club Northumbria presents Title: The Whitley Bay Scooter Rally Credit: Photographed by A McManus Title: July 1958 Members of the Lambretta Club Northumbria walk around the empty Langley Park playing fields in Whitley Bay looking over plans for the upcoming scooter rally. They stop at various spots and point certain things out to each other. Notes are made on pads and the sun sets behind houses at the far end of the field. Title: September 21st 1958 Two members of club ride between two planks of wood laid on the ground that form part of one of the trials or games set up for the coming day. Others in the club stand around watching to see if it works properly. Around the site other trails are being tested in readiness for competition. Behind a roped barrier members of clubs sit chatting, a man in overalls steps out of a red Messerschmitt KR200 bubble car and addresses the group. Yellow overalls are handed out and the group disburses. Phantom scooter ride through Whitey Bay to Langley Park passing a number of RAC directions signs. The bikes come to a stop in front of man who signals it to stop. Scooters, cars and vans begin to arrive at Langley Park as members of the club work a registration table taking competitors details or giving visitors directions. The Messerschmitt KR200 bubble car drives past a sign ‘Competitors only’ making its way towards a long line competitors standing beside their various scooters. Overlooking the field is a raised platform, a sign at the foot of the steps reads ‘No Unauthorised Persons Allowed’. From the top the competitors and their scooters below as well as member of the Lambretta Club Northumbria in distinctive yellow overalls and white helmets. A panoramic view of the games field with various types of trials set up ready for competition. Two men stand beside a marquee, nearby a sign reads ‘Lambretta Club Northumbria Headquarters’. General views of various scooters from across the country including the 'Dunfermline & District Scooter Club' and the 'West Cumberland Scooter Club'. Officials check over the first trail in readiness for starting while spectators watch from the side lines as scooters begin to make their way towards the start line. Scooters are lined up in readiness for a go-slow race which begins. From the platform a man speaks into a microphone. Back on the ground officials stand beside scooters waiting for another trial to begin. A flag is dropped, and another race gets underway with scooters slowly travelling between two parallel lines. Spectators watch from behind a barrier and cheer and clap when their scooter wins. There are several more races in which the passenger on the scooter has to pick out flags placed in the ground from the scooter travelling at speed. Support staff dressed in grey overalls layout the wooden planks seen earlier in the film in readiness for the next trail. The race begins with riders having to run to their scooters before speeding back along the track and around a series of flags and climbing through an old tyre. A number of people fall of their vehicles during this race. Another race features balloons being stepped on and people bobbing their faces in a bucket of water all watched by a laughing crowds. The event field is cleared, and judges look over the scores. More races or trials follow watched over by members of the Lambretta Club Northumbria, one race required competitors to do some knitting while another has them peeling potatoes. Decorated scooters from across the country are lined up to be judged. Some of them have distinctive livery such as ‘The Tykes’ from the 'Vesper Club of Great Britain Leeds Branch' and another scooter from the 'Thames Valley Vesper Club'. Large crowds wonder around the site, in one corner of a field a brightly coloured ‘scooter filling station’ has been erected beside a petrol tanker that include four petrol pumps. Trade marquees are set up in another area including one from ‘George & Jobling Motor Engineers’ of Forth Street in Newcastle. In another marquee refreshments provided by ‘Tyler’s of Nile Street North Shields’. A couple stand outside drinking soda from a bottle while three men walk over and buy ice creams from a ‘Wall’s’ concession stand. Inside a large marquee more trade stands including ‘Harry Wood Ltd’ and ‘W.J. Ward & Co’ as well as ‘Cowies of Newcastle’. Crowds wonder around looking at the items for sale including a man and woman wearing mayoral chains who are shown a display of scooters. Potential customers sit and try out the latest models of Vespa on display, while on anther table crash helmets for sale. Back outside a display of caravans provided by ‘L & G Hartley Caravans Ltd’ while nearby an RAC van is parked outside a smaller RAC marquee or ‘RAC Information Centre’. A man comes over to the RAC official and to pick up a leaflet. In another tent the ‘RAF and WRAF Information Team’ sit beside a table while nearby another information van for the ‘National Blood Transfusion Service’. The man seen speaking with the RAC officer comes over and is looked over by a nurse, she doesn’t look impressed. Back out on the field pegs are pulled from the ground as the man and woman seen previously in mayoral chains are introduced to some of the riders standing beside their scooters. Two men shakes charity tin at the large crowd standing behind a barrier, someone puts a coin in one of the tins. They continue to wonder through the crowd collecting more money. A large number of scooters ride around in a circle, down the middle of the field a line of flags have been placed. From the raised platform an overview of proceeding showing both spectators and competitors. The crowd watches as suddenly all of the competitors as well as some of the Lambretta Club Northumbria in their overalls and crash helmets, suddenly rush towards the centre of the field to grab a flag. The rush over, the group disperses as quickly as it began. The crowd watches excitedly as the event is repeated several more times until only one scooter rider is left. The crowd watches as a woman, girl and two men walk over to a white scooter parked in the middle of the field. They pose together beside the scooter, the girl holding an insignia. Members of the club in their overalls sit on the grass relaxing. From the raised platform competitors can be seen sitting around the field beside their scooters chatting and relaxing. Four men ride out on one scooter, two of them standing on the front and rear. They stop in the middle of the field and three of them climb off getting onto their own scooters. The four of them perform a synchronised routine for the watching crowds. Looking down from the raised platform winning prizes are set up in readiness for presenting. The man and woman in mayoral chains present various awards to men and women to the applause of the crowd. The film ends on two large banners for Mobil and Shell that both read ‘Finish’.