An Amateur film produced by Ken Ellwood begins with a traction engine rally taking place at the Old Cattle Market in Skipton. The Burrell General Purpose traction engine owned by the filmmaker is on display along with several other engines, vintage Rolls-Royce cars and the Tom Vardy steam wagon ‘Pendle Queen’ driving around the site. Next the Skipton Band leads a decorative float containing Santa Claus along Skipton High Street during December 1971. This is followed by another traction engine...

An Amateur film produced by Ken Ellwood begins with a traction engine rally taking place at the Old Cattle Market in Skipton. The Burrell General Purpose traction engine owned by the filmmaker is on display along with several other engines, vintage Rolls-Royce cars and the Tom Vardy steam wagon ‘Pendle Queen’ driving around the site. Next the Skipton Band leads a decorative float containing Santa Claus along Skipton High Street during December 1971. This is followed by another traction engine rally taking place at Embsay railway station and finally the 1972 Skipton Gala which features the filmmaker’s traction engine being driven through the town alongside a number of decorative floats and marching juvenile jazz bands. At the ‘Old’ Cattle Market behind the mill of John Dewhurst and Sons in Skipton crowds look over displays of vintage Roll-Royce cars and steam traction engines including the Burrell General Purpose engine owned by the filmmaker. A family stands beside a Rolls-Royce car eating ice creams. Next to the Burrell engine the Aveling and Porter Tractor 11839 ‘Oberon’ owned by John Crowther. The Tom Vardy steam wagon ‘Pendle Queen’ drives around the site past watching crowds. Kath and David Ellwood stand beside one of the Rolls-Royce cars on display as the steam wagon continues to drive around the site. Owners and visitors chat and look over the various Rolls-Royce’s on display. The Burrell engine reverses with Ken Ellwood at the controls. The Skipton Band marches onto and along Skipton High Street followed behind by a decorative float in the shape of a castle with someone dressed as Santa Clause waving from the battlements. The lorry pulls off the road as the Skipton Band continues to play. The Hudswell Clarke Works No 1935 steam shunter Nellie steams through Embsay railway station changes to a group of men standing around another steam shunter that sits on blocks beside the Embsay Station signal box. Among the group of men is John Crowther in a boiler suit, one of the train’s bogies does not sit on the track resting instead on a block. A man pumps a hand winch possibly attempting to put the locomotive back onto the track. Another steam shunter named ‘Pony’ passes a crowd of onlookers beside the track, in the near distance a display of steam traction engines. The locomotive is now parked beside the Burrell General Purpose traction engine ‘Deborah’. On the other side of the engine the Aveling and Porter Tractor 11839 ‘Oberon’ and a Marshall General Purpose traction engine 54492 owned by John Ostle. Back along the trackside the shunter Pony pulls the other engine away coming to a stop behind the Burrell General Purpose traction engine. A Wallis and Steevens Road Roller 7869 ‘Sir Echo’ passes changing to a young girl looking at a horse-drawn carriage. People wonder past the various steam engines on display beside the railway tracks. A man stands proudly beside his small engine atop a wagon. A steam powered musical calliope changes to the Skipton Band performing on the platform at Embsay railway station. A man and boy in a pony-and-trap ride past changing to a display of vintage Rolls-Royce cars and steam traction engines. The shunter train seen previously steams past and two boys and a man look out from the cabin of the shunter ‘Pony’. Ken Ellwood at the controls of his Burrell General Purpose traction engine ‘Deborah’ steams past changing to the engine now on display. Both the Marshall and Burrell General Purpose traction engines are parked in a street in Skipton, two policemen on horseback ride past. A group of young men sit on a decorative float drinking. Standing beside their banner next to a backstreet a Washington-District juvenile jazz band. People and traffic move along a terrace street, in the near distance the Skipton Band standing around chatting. A small boy dress as a chef is escorted past, a sign on his back reads ‘Nelson’s Diddy Baker’. Along the road more children in fancy dress costumes. The Skipton Gala Queen drives past seated on the back of a flatbed lorry heading towards the High Street. Crowds gather along the pavement as the Skipton Band leads a procession along the High Street followed behind by the Marshall and Burrell traction engines with Ken Ellwood at the controls of his engine. He waves as he passes. A series of decorative floats travel past along various points on the route including one for the Skipton Amateur Swimming Club, it’s banner reading ‘From L to Champion’, with many of the girls onboard dressed as mermaids. Another float banner reads ‘Skylo – Trylko Queen of Threads’. On board young women in hotpants standing around an oversized spool of threat that forms a swing on which two of the women are sitting. Another gala queen passes on her float, this time the ‘Cross Hill District Charities Gala Queen’. A man in drag pushes a shopping trolly past packed high with items, a banner across the trolly reads ‘Super Savers’. Another float passes with those on board, mainly young children, dressed in traditional Dutch costumes. The float carrying the children dressed in Dutch costumes pulls up beside another in a field, around them some of the floats seen previously. The Burrell engine stands just off the road as another float turning into the show field it followed by another juvenile jazz band marching behind their banner. Two small children sit in a horse-drawn carriage, nearby a girl dressed as a Native American sits on a horse. A couple stand watching children on a fairground ride. On the Dutch float two women enjoy a drink along with three of the children. A cow attached to a carriage sits on the back of another float, a hand-written banner on the wagon reads ‘Off to Market’. On a raised platform in the middle of the showground the crowning of the gala queen watched by a crowd of spectators. Several men and women come forward and speak into a microphone. A boy stands next to a Scout Master and a member of the Skipton Band walks past carrying his instrument.