The Yorkshire Film Archive collects, preserves, and shows film made in, or about Yorkshire. Our collections are non-fiction, dating from the 1890s to the present day, and providing a rich and visually compelling record of all aspects of lives, cultures, landscape, industries, major events and everyday activities, many of which are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
This film is part of Free
Gee Bee Pop
Bottling the fruits of the world into a fizzy drink much beloved by the youngsters of Yorkshire.
From the collection of:
Overview
Not to be confused with the pop group, the Bee Gees (or their off-spin the Hee Bee Gee Bees), this is a brand of soft drinks that are better known in some parts of the country than others, but that has been around for a long time. Here we have the Bradford makers of a popular brand of fruit flavoured drinks in the 1980s associating their product with healthy exercise and the natural waters of Yorkshire, before showing the entire production process from fruit to supermarket shelf.
This is a further example of a promotional film made in the post-war decades by Bradford film producers C H Wood, who are better known for their many films of motor sports. Gee Bees became the brand name for what started out as George Barraclough's, with a factory on Cutler Heights Lane in Tyersal, Bradford, before moving further out to Westgate Hill. Barraclough's was taken over by the retail group Princes in 1991 (which had itself come under the giant Mitsubishi Corporation in 1989). There used to be many more makers of carbonated drinks in West Yorkshire, including Gomersal's "Magpie Minerals" near Morley, Thompson & Pearson from Bradford and Ben Shaws of Huddersfield – often delivering door to door.
Related
Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A Getting it Back: The Story of Cymande - Q&A
Inside Film 2024 22 mins
The director of a documentary about British funk pioneers Cymande joins the band at BFI Southbank to talk about the film.
The West Case The West Case
Action and Adventure 1923 28 mins Silent Location: Tilbury
Plotting world domination, Devil Doctor Fu-Manchu steals plans for a new aero-torpedo in this earliest surviving thrill-a-minute serial instalment.
Enter the Scala!!! Enter the Scala!!!
Inside Film 2024 16 mins
Filmmakers Jane Giles and Ali Catterall discuss their documentary Scala!!!, revisiting the legendary and inspirational cinema venue and some of the most notorious films that screened there.
Smith Smith
Charity appeal 1939 10 mins
Long thought lost, this Powell-directed promotional short for a veteran’s charity was only rediscovered in 2003.
An Airman's Letter to His Mother An Airman's Letter to His Mother
Documentary 1941 6 mins
A poignant, stirring letter from a recently deceased pilot to his mother is read by John Gielgud.
The NHS75 Celebration The NHS75 Celebration
Short documentary 2023 3 mins
Former Bristol Poet Laureate, Miles Chambers reads a poem specially commissioned for the 75th anniversary of the NHS.