Leave it to Sam

North East motorcycle enthusiasts rev up for a popular scrambling event at Belmont Park on the edge of Durham City.

A Newcastle cine club filmmaker adopts the character of Sam, a droll sports commentator sent to cover a muddy national motorbike scramble event at Belmont Park near Durham, for St Andrews Motors (SAM). The thrills and spills at this popular pre-war motocross course drew large crowds into the 1950s and 60s. According to Sam, the two cameramen risked “life and limb” to film the races and won a prize for their troubles at the prestigious Scottish Amateur Film Festival in 1954.

Sam, aka George Cummin, was a former dance band musician who cut his filmmaking teeth with the Newcastle & District Amateur Cinematographers’ Association back in 1933. He made more than a dozen films for St Andrews Motors, a dealership for Norton and Vincent motorbikes on Gallowgate in Newcastle from the 1930s to 60s, which was involved in many of the motocross events organised across the North East by Newcastle and District Motor Club. This film was one of several shot on cheap ex-government film stock once used in aircraft gun cameras during World War Two.