Metadata
WORK ID: YFA 4636 (Master Record)
Title | Year | Date |
MOTOR CYCLE ACTION GROUP NATIONAL DEMONSTRATION | 1976 | 1976-01-01 |
Details
Original Format: 16mm Colour: Colour Sound: Silent Duration: 24 mins 47 secs Credits: Produced by the West Yorkshire metropolitan police. Subject: Transport |
Summary This film documents the West Yorkshire Police operations during a motorcycle action group demonstration in 1976. The demo featured a rally from Huddersfield to Halifax, where at both location enthusiasts congregated to hear speeches from local delegates - showing support for riders rights in the UK. Interspersed throughout there are also excellent ... |
Description
This film documents the West Yorkshire Police operations during a motorcycle action group demonstration in 1976. The demo featured a rally from Huddersfield to Halifax, where at both location enthusiasts congregated to hear speeches from local delegates - showing support for riders rights in the UK. Interspersed throughout there are also excellent aerial views of the West Yorkshire district, which are taken from a helicopter as it follows the demo.
Title - The motor cycle action group...
This film documents the West Yorkshire Police operations during a motorcycle action group demonstration in 1976. The demo featured a rally from Huddersfield to Halifax, where at both location enthusiasts congregated to hear speeches from local delegates - showing support for riders rights in the UK. Interspersed throughout there are also excellent aerial views of the West Yorkshire district, which are taken from a helicopter as it follows the demo.
Title - The motor cycle action group national demonstration. Huddersfield and Halifax Divisions.
The film opens in a lecture theatre, where police officers wearing reflective jackets sit in rows listening intently to a senior officer. In a car park, an officer is captured putting on his motorcycle gloves, before police riders leave the lot pairs. A shot then captures motorcycle enthusiast standing round wearing leather jackets on a street in Huddersfield while a policeman watches.
There is then a shot of a motorcar with a homemade sign that reads, 'Mag H80 Rally', pinned to the radiator grill. This is followed by more shots of bike enthusiast entering the rally area, which appears to be a large open, earthy area. A young boy on a mini motorbike is then wheeled past the camera by his dad.
More enthusiasts continue to arrive and are handed tickets by organisers, while a sign in the background reads, 'W & W (Glazing) LTD, Huddersfield depot'. Policemen, in a tight group, then walk down the street and a couple in leather jacket make room as they approach. A policeman then directs motorcycle demonstrators into the area, and shots capture some of the police vehicles on the scene, including a police Land Rover, trailer and motorcycle.
Inside the police trailer, an officer on the phone takes down notes. Back on the streets, more motorcyclist sporting leather jackets ride past the camera. The filmmaker captures shots of the crowd milling around as yet more bikes arrive at the demonstration start point. A helicopter is briefly shown flying overhead, and there are aerial views of the city from the helicopter, where the filmmaker focuses in on the rally site. There is then a shot of a plaque taped to a telephone pole that reads, 'West Yorkshire Metropolitan police - Please drive carefully, Observe the rules of the road - directions of police. Do not break the law'.
A shot captures the bikers assembled in large numbers down a narrow street; some of the bikes have side cars, with drivers and riders talking amongst themselves. Again aerial shots resume - capturing the surrounding area from above. Groups of bikers begin to leave the narrow side street, driving past the camera; one man wears an Indian headdress. Aerial shots show the procession of bikes as they move through the Huddersfield in a long line. People on the pavements take pictures as the bikes pass, and a sidecar pulls up to the pavement.
More bikes continue to drift out of the starting area, and a shot captures a policeman talking to a waiting motorists. Aerial shots again capture the procession from above, illustrating the large turnout as it moves along various streets, onto a dual carriageway and through a tunnel. The procession, led by a police bike, drives past the camera with some of the riders waving as they pass.
The following sequence continues to follow the bikers as they pass the camera on different roads; people watch from pavement and some of the bikers hold white flags. A group of bikers then stand by a Harley Davidson parked on the road making rude hand gestures at a police officer, who rights up a ticket. Another shot shows bikers being given a ticket before more aerial shots resume. The bikers continue past the camera, and among them there is a police rider who waves at the camera. A bike then rides past with the state flag of Texas attached to the back. Again aerial shots follow the procession as it nearly fills one side of a dual carriageway.
Officers parked up by the side of the road talk to some of the demonstrators, while shots capture some of the expensive bikes parked on the hard shoulder. Police escorts ride past the camera and one shot shows a motorcyclist towing another biker using a length of blue and white material. The rider towing the bike is pulled over and given a stern talking to by the police by the side of the road.
In Halifax city centre, a large crowd has gathered along the pavement in anticipation of the demo; interspersed in this sequence are yet more aerial perspectives. From the crowd's point of view, the motorcycle procession passes. Scores of bikes pass, with many shots showing police officers (on foot or bike) watching from the side-lines. Once the procession has passed, the crowds move off, before aerial shots resume and follow the procession through the city.
The bikes arrive at a field in Halifax, where the final phase of the demonstration will take place. An officer takes details from a man wearing a suit with arrows on it. The man in the suit climbs onto a grassy verge, and, standing alongside other senior organisers, addresses the large crowd who have turned out.
The procession moves off again with the filmmaker capturing demonstrators as they ride round a round-about. More aerial views show the procession traveling through the city, before there is a shot of a sign on a brick wall that reads, 'Holmfirth Properties'. The procession moves through the streets of Holmfirth, again with a small crowd watching along the pavement, and policemen standing guard by a zebra crossing as they pass.
Again aerial shots show the surrounding area, before the filmmaker captures bikers driving down country roads. Aerial views of the countryside are followed by a scene of a policeman in a reflective jacket scribbling notes while a group of demonstrators halt on a quiet country road. The film concludes with another aerial shot of the area.
Title - Produced by the West Yorkshire Metropolitan Police.
Title - The end.
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