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Thrills and spills on two wheels at a charity motorcycling gymkhana in Mitcham, Surrey.
Non-Fiction 1928 1 mins Silent
Evel Knievel meets Wacky Races in this superb Topical Budget newsreel item on the London Ladies' Motor Club gymkhana at Mitcham. The fearless motorcycling men (and one or two women) show us how it's done as they tackle the giant see-saw and other death-defying stunts: proof that life is more fun on two wheels!
The year this film was shot, twin-sister motorcycling poster girls (and gold medal-winners) Nancy and Betty Debenham published 'Motorcycling for Women', a book promoting the sport's suitability for ladies. Women's motorcycling was a hot topic in the 1920s, part of the growing debate around female emancipation. The London Ladies' Motorcycle Club was a specialist club for fearless females, but, curiously, female motorcyclists in this film are few and far between.
Cinemagazine 1926 14 mins Silent
Jiu-jitsu for ladies, how to get ink off a white apron and other life essentials courtesy of the 'Hints and Hobbies' team.
Documentary 1936 15 mins
Follow the life cycle of the king of crustaceans in this quirky documentary by Bauhaus artist László Moholy-Nagy.
1952 6 mins Silent
The future Holly Golightly exudes a certain grace even for a modest screen test, in the earliest known colour footage of the timeless star.
Documentary 1951 24 mins
Joan Collins gets to grips with the by-products of coal in her first screen appearance
Government sponsored film 1972 16 mins Location: London
Could computer-controlled taxis solve the traffic crisis? Maybe not, but this film's a must for technology buffs (and fans of early electronic music).
Amateur film 1957 9 mins Silent
An unusual and visually sophisticated commentary on the routine drabness and drudgery of everyday suburban existence.
Non-Fiction 1913 1 mins Silent Location: Mitcham
"The usual three days merriment on Mitcham Common"
Documentary 1951 18 mins Silent Location: Mitcham
Rides, boxing booths, and a dog-faced monkey keep on moving as the travelling fair hits Mitcham and Stratford-upon-Avon, with a look in at Blackpool.
Non-Fiction 1927 1 mins Silent Location: Mitcham
Carousels, doubling up on the helter skelter and an enormous key feature in this fabulous film of the annual funfair on Mitcham Green
Non-Fiction 1928 1 mins Silent Location: Mitcham
There are two mighty performances from one of Britain’s first female athletics stars at this meeting in Mitcham.
Charity appeal 2020 2 mins
Beautiful NHS fundraiser, setting Michael Rosen’s poem to powerful archive images.
Non-Fiction 1901 4 mins Silent Location: Manchester
A volunteer cavalry regiment is enthusiastically welcomed home after active service in South Africa.
Non-Fiction 1901 2 mins Silent Location: Liverpool
All ashore! Passengers disembark and crew offload after a long Atlantic crossing.
Non-Fiction 1902 3 mins Silent Location: Weston Park
A stroll in the park for civilised city-dwellers in Edwardian South Yorkshire.
Non-Fiction 1924 1 mins Silent Location: Woking
The UK's first purpose-built mosque welcomes a huge crowd of worshippers - and newsreel cameras!
Comedy 1914 9 mins Silent
A vicar is caught flirting with an improperly-dressed chorus girl in this saucy silent comedy.
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