Carnival Parade in South Shields: Bertram Mills Circus Parade: Youth Parade: Shipwreck, Adelfotis II: Town Moor Fair: Blaydon Races

South Shields erupts into colour in the early 60s. A sea front carnival parade features geishas, rockets to the moon and scooter enthusiasts of The Coasters Lambretta Club (formed in 1961), whilst Bertram Mills Circus comes to town with tigers, elephants and a stud of horses and ponies. The streets are packed for the annual Good Friday Procession of Witness to the Old Town Hall, the camera well placed to capture a marvellous variety of Sunday school groups and ladies’ hats.

The carnival mood continues with great footage of the Blaydon Races Centenary parade in Newcastle and Gateshead, and a few punches more with the fairground attractions of the annual Hoppings on Newcastle’s Town Moor. Here there is rare footage of a black boxer touting for opponents outside showman Ron Taylor’s Excelsior boxing tent. The colour bar in British boxing was not repealed until 1948. Also pictured in this wonderful amateur collection of film, a remarkable rescue takes place on Herd Sands, South Shields, on 20 January 1963, when the Lebanese cargo steamer Adelfotis II is shipwrecked off the beach in one of the worst winter storms of the century. The crew of 23 and a dog are saved.