An amateur film produced by Ken Ellwood of the annual Skipton Gala taking place during the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 1977. Various decorative floats, marching bands and a Burrell General Purpose Traction Engine 3918 owned and driven by Ken Ellwood parade through the town passing large crowds and lampposts decorated with jubilee crowns. In the second part of the film the LNER Thompson Class B1 61306 Mayflower steam locomotive pulling into Skipton railway followed by the LNER...

An amateur film produced by Ken Ellwood of the annual Skipton Gala taking place during the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II in 1977. Various decorative floats, marching bands and a Burrell General Purpose Traction Engine 3918 owned and driven by Ken Ellwood parade through the town passing large crowds and lampposts decorated with jubilee crowns. In the second part of the film the LNER Thompson Class B1 61306 Mayflower steam locomotive pulling into Skipton railway followed by the LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman both of which are photographed and admired by rail enthusiasts. On Sackville Street in Skipton a police officer approaches a senior office and salutes, in the road behind them another policeman on a motorcycle and behind him a car and two decorated floats. Parked along the curb a Burrell General Purpose Traction Engine 3918 with a nameplate attached reading ‘Deborah. A man and two boys look over the engine changing to the Skipton Brass Band marching past. Two Tetley’s drayman riding a horse and wagon turn right at a junction changing to a horse-drawn gypsy caravan being ridden past watched by a crowd standing along the pavement. A man attempts to attach a small poster that reads ‘Miss Yorkshire Television’ above the doorway of the caravan, a young woman sits beside him speaking with a second woman standing beside the horse. Two policemen on horseback in front of the caravan move off, the man in the caravan continues to try and attach the poster to the vehicle. The camera shakes from the footplate of the traction engine as it slowly makes it way past crowds gathered along the pavements on Swadford and High Street in Skipton; many holding up umbrellas from the rain. The engine passes a clown rides around on an oversized bicycle. Behind the engine a policeman on horseback leads a procession through the town centre. A decorative float drives past, a large banner along the flatbed surrounded by Union Jacks reads ‘Skipton Gala Jubilee’. A woman in white sits atop a throne, two other women sit nearby all hold up umbrellas from the rain. A series of decorated flatbed lorries and floats drive past many with banners that reads ‘World of Sport’, ‘Cowling Gala Queen’ and ‘Skipton Amateur Swimming Club’. Several cars drive past with banners that reads ‘He is coming’ and ‘He has gone before you’. One lorry drives past carrying a model of the aeroplane Concorde. A marching brass band, two juvenile jazz bands including the ‘Gilley Law Cavaliers’ and a Scottish bagpipe parade past as well as a group of Royal Navy cadets and local Scouts. A car parked in the street changes to the Burrell General Purpose Traction Engine slowly steaming along Swadford Street and turning into High Street passing crowds lining the route, Ken Ellwood is at the controls and sitting around him his four children. The engine continues its journey filmed both from the street and the engines footplate. A procession of costumed children makes their way past including one boy dressed as a Black & White Minstrel with Union Jack hat. The horse-drawn gypsy caravan containing Miss Yorkshire Television passes, she waves at the crowds. A second float with the ‘Gala Queen’ Julie Wareing on it drives past, she waves at the crowds. Behind her a marching brass band. At Skipton railway station a couple sit on the opposite platform as the LNER Thompson Class B1 61306 Mayflower steam train pulls in. Rail enthusiasts rush along the platform towards the locomotive as it slows. From the tracks two Union Jacks adorn the form of the now stationary locomotive, the driver looks out from the engine cab smoking a pipe. From the tracks a small group of enthusiasts watches on as the Mayflower steams up readying to depart. Photographs are taken as it pulls out of the station passing the nearby signal box. Heads stick out of carriage doors and windows as the train passes. The LNER Class A3 4472 Flying Scotsman pulls slowly into but doesn’t stop at Skipton railway station. Again, it passes rail enthusiast stand along the track taking photographs. As the locomotive begins to pick up speed as it heads away from the station, it’s wheels spin.