This film is part of Free
See-saw Cycling
Thrills and spills on two wheels at a charity motorcycling gymkhana in Mitcham, Surrey.
Overview
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.
Related
Hints and Hobbies No.11 Hints and Hobbies No.11
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.
Lobsters Lobsters
Documentary 1936 15 mins
Follow the life cycle of the king of crustaceans in this quirky documentary by Bauhaus artist László Moholy-Nagy.
Audrey Hepburn Test Audrey Hepburn Test
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.
Facts and Fancies Facts and Fancies
Documentary 1951 24 mins
Joan Collins gets to grips with the by-products of coal in her first screen appearance
Cabtrack The Direct Auto-control Personal Taxi Service Cabtrack The Direct Auto-control Personal Taxi Service
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).
Is This Your Life? Is This Your Life?
Amateur film 1957 9 mins Silent
An unusual and visually sophisticated commentary on the routine drabness and drudgery of everyday suburban existence.
Mitcham Fair Mitcham Fair
Non-Fiction 1913 1 mins Silent Location: Mitcham
"The usual three days merriment on Mitcham Common"
Spotlight at the Fair Spotlight at the Fair
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.
Frederick Wiseman's High School - a discussion Frederick Wiseman's High School - a discussion
Short documentary 2026 22 mins
Filmmaker Andrea Luka Zimmerman and curator Matthew Barrington discuss Frederick Wiseman’s High School with Sandra Hebron.
A Last Resort A Last Resort
Comedy 2022 17 mins
Rose is desperate to celebrate her 60th birthday in style, but her daughter Genevieve is struggling to ignore some recent tragic news about her mum.
Hard, Cracked the Wind Hard, Cracked the Wind
Horror 2019 17 mins
A haunting with words is the lure between life and death for a young Cornish poet.
The Walk The Walk
Drama 2023 12 mins
Adeel Akhtar portrays a man on a weekly trek to his nearest JobCentre, entering a state of purgatory through barriers put in place by the system.
Seagull Seagull
Horror 2022 6 mins
Seagull is a recovering drug addict who is about to have a very strange night on The English Riviera.
Octopus Octopus
2021 13 mins
Upon returning to her home town for a funeral, a young woman reconnects with the friends she left behind.