The North East Film Archive is one of a network of regional film archives established to collect, preserve and show film made in, or about the North East of England. Our collections are non-fiction, and date from the early 1900s to the present day, providing a rich record of life in the region over the 20th century. Many of our films are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
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Durham Police Cadets
Young cadets train up for a life on the beat with Durham Police in this charming film of the 1960s.
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Overview
A booster film for a recruitment scheme follows a bunch of adventurous young cadets training in County Durham. Precision drills prove a little tricky, but cadets get to grips with judo and gymnastics, and theres dog handling, horses and arms training for the boys. The recruits bond on rigorous Outward Bound hikes and camping expeditions, offering tantalising glimpses of picturesque scenery in Northumberland and the North York Moors.
This film makes police work look so appealing! But it certainly bears the imprint of its time no arms, police dog or mounted training for the few girl cadets of the period. By 1968 4,280 women were employed in the police force slow progress indeed since militant suffragette journalist Nina Boyle co-founded the Womens Police Volunteers in London at the outbreak of World War I. Female police officers were excluded from many of the roles held by male colleagues until the introduction of the 1975 and 1976 Sex Discrimination Acts. On the appointment of the first female traffic officers in the late 60s, local press branded them The Petticoat Patrol.
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