An amateur film of the first ever two day Whitley Bay Scooter Rally held by the Lambretta Club Northumbria at the Churchill Playing Fields in Whitley Bay on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th September 1959. The film begins with members of the club advertising the event around Whitley Bay followed by the rally itself. Both men and women from the club, all wearing matching overalls, help out at the rally working together to organise riders as well as adjudicate various events. As well as footage of...

An amateur film of the first ever two day Whitley Bay Scooter Rally held by the Lambretta Club Northumbria at the Churchill Playing Fields in Whitley Bay on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th September 1959. The film begins with members of the club advertising the event around Whitley Bay followed by the rally itself. Both men and women from the club, all wearing matching overalls, help out at the rally working together to organise riders as well as adjudicate various events. As well as footage of many of the various games, trials and competition, the film also captures the crowds wondering around the various trade stalls set up in a number of large marquees. Title: Club Northumbria presents Title: The 1959 Whitley Bay Rally Credit: Photographed by Mac A poster on a wall for a ‘Scooter Rally’ taking place on the Churchill Playing Fields Whitley Bay on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th September 1959. In a street near the seafront at Whitley Bay members of the Lambretta Club Northumbria have gathered with some sticking leaflets for the rally all over a car and van. A couple drive away on a scooter which have posters for the rally attached to both sides of the vehicle, the woman passenger waves. Other scooters with posters attached also drive away in different directions. At the scooter rally taking place on Churchill Playing Fields in Whitley Bay crowds watch as someone attempts to push a scooter under a cargo net, another rider falls off into some water as he attempts to drive across a plank of wood over it. Crowds watch other riders take part in various other trails or races taking place on a large field. A polo type game is played with scooters replacing horses intercut with riders attempts to complete an obstacle course on their scooter. A man rests on the ground, another wearing overalls rushes past carrying an oversized sparkplug. He is then seen being drive around the show ground in a three-wheeled buggy, sitting in the back someone dressed as a clown who waves at the camera. A group of mainly young woman shout and wave in encouragement as a man attempts to complete the obstacle course. He slips of a plank and his scooter drops into a pool of water. Two wheel-less scooters are carried out onto the show ground and placed at a starting line, nearby a stock of tyres is being set up while a man and woman hammer into the ground a wooden post. The clown seen previously runs around handing out sweets or biscuits to children sitting behind a rope barrier. The competition begins with the two teams racing against each other to put on the tyres to their scooter before carrying and then pushed the scooter around an obstacle course. Eventually all four competitors in each team climb aboard their scooter and drives around the field. A woman attempts to cross a pool of water on her scooter by driving across a wooden plant, men in overalls catches her scooter as she falls off it. She then tries to driver her scooter under a cargo net and around other obstacles. A loudspeaker set up next to a marquee; a sigh above the entrance to said marquee reads ‘Cowies’. A policeman and woman walk past, the camera follows them as they pass near to several large marquees. The camera continues in a panoramic movement showing the showground where several scooters are currently parked. Two men in overalls hammer a long metal pole into the ground, another helps his female companion with her overalls. Another man paints lines on the grass. More scooters arrive at the event registering their details with men and women working at a long table. A long line of scooters waiting to be shown where to go, a man points a convoy of scooters around the showground. The scooters and their riders are lined up, a man or woman in overalls stands beside each of them. A flag is dropped, and a race begins with competitors expected to ride using only one hand. Another race begins with all competitors being watched by adjudicators making sure only the one hand is being used. Overalled men and women rush out onto the showground and begin setting up for another trial. The race begins with scooters speeding along a lined track before riders have to jump off and climb through old tyres. They get back onto their scooters and drive through a field of flags before climbing into a sack and jumping to the finish. Another race featuring women competitors having to tie knots in pieces of string before leaping in a sack and jumping towards the finish. A line of women poses on their scooters, labels or badges on many of the vehicles identify where riders have come from including ‘The Quakers’ from Darlington, the ‘Geordie’s Tyneside Vesper Club Newcastle’ and the ‘Blyth Tyne Vespa Club’. A woman holds a large emblem in her hands for her club. Four judges gather around to discuss a winner, a group of women cheer as another young woman on her scooter smiles. A group sits on the ground enjoying a picnic lunch of sandwiches and soft drinks, one man enjoys a bowl of soup with bread. A line of decorative and polished scooters stands nearby, many are covered in badges and other travel emblems. A woman stands on the back of a scooter and is driven through the crowds, a flag for the ‘Dundee and District Scooter Club’ is draped over the front of another scooter. Around it other scooters from a number of clubs including the ‘Tyne-Tees Vespa Club’, and the ‘Edinburgh and District Lambretta Club’. The clown comes over and sits on a plant of wood and rocks up and down like a seesaw with another man sitting on the other end. A third man stands in the middle. A flag is dropped and the first of several obstacle races gets underway with several competitors falling off the seesaw or knocking over a high bar while trying to drive under it. From a raised platform a panoramic view of scooters, riders and visitors wondering around the site. Several large marquees have been constructed; behind them a car park. A sign reads ‘Guess the Milage of this scooter’ beside which is said scooter with visitors writing their guesses down on pieces of paper. A man speaks with another standing behind a table set up in front of a tent, a banner across the top of the tent reads ‘Mac Smith’. A ‘scooter repair service’ scooter is parked beside a tent, two young boys look over various mechanical items laid out on a table. Four men stand chatting outside another small marquees, tables inside are laid out with goods. Another sign, this time reads ‘Test Drive the amazing Lambretta Here!’ changes to various people testing driving said scooters including a small boy. A temporary filling station has been set up beside a petrol tanker, inside a ‘Vester Service’ tent a mechanic looks over a scooter. A woman lays napping on the ground while her husband tinkers with the motor of scooter sitting on a ‘George & Jobling’ flatbed lorry. A gathering of dozens of scooters lined up together changes to large crowds wondering around the site. Several young boys each take turns sitting on a scooter changes to a ‘Lambretta 175’ on a plinth which is a prize in an ‘Evening Chronicle’ competition. Outside the ‘St Andrews Motor Company’ marquee a poster to advertise scooters on display inside as well as a screening of a film showing last year’s rally. In another trade marquee crowds wonder past various stall for companies including ‘Harry Wood Ltd’ and ‘W.J. Ward Ltd’. The marquee also has a display by Club Northumbria Lambretta for a new ‘hi-fi’ system for scooters. Outside a lorry for the Royal Air Force followed by caravans for sale sold by 'L & G Hartley Caravans Ltd'. Inside the ‘Stuarts of Scotswood’ marquee displays of the latest model scooters including the ISO Milano 150cc, the Heinkel 175cc four stroke and the Dunkley Popular Major. A display showing scooter stability features a dummy attached to a vehicle being swayed side-to-side by a machine. The clown sits outside the ‘Cowies’ marquee, but then rushing off into the crowds. On the show field a large crowd watches a synchronized display featuring three scooters, one with a sidecar. They leave and are replaced several more scooters who also put on a display of synchronized driving. The displays over, another competition in which a group of men and women rush into the centre of the show field to try and pick up flags that have been placed in the ground. The routine is repeated several times with the number of competitors reducing each time until eventually there is a winner. A large group of men, women, and children, some in overall sit or stand together posing for the camera, some wave. A woman in mayoral chains comes over and the crowd gathers around her as she presents prizes to some of the men and women who took part in today’s events. A medal is placed over the shoulder of one women who is also presented with a bouquet, the crowd applauds. A group sit around relaxing beside a tent, a man comes down a ladder from the raised platform. Inside the doorway of a caravan a woman dries something with a t-towel, another young woman stands holding a sign that says ‘ladies’. A man walks over to a scooter and tares of a sticker for the rally from the windscreen, he then proceeds to walk around the site collecting rubbish. End title: The end The film ends on the ‘Scooter Rally’ poster seen at the start of the film.