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V.T.O.L

Jet set thrills at a 1969 Royal Air Force Exhibition on the Town Moor in Newcastle.

Amateur film 1969 8 mins

From the collection of:

Logo for North East Film Archive

Overview

The RAF have flown in to Newcastle. Crowds on the Town Moor enjoy gymnastics, motorcycle and aerial displays but the true star of this formidable exhibition is a revolutionary and slightly ominous Harrier Jump Jet. The filmmaker’s husband was a military man with honorary guest status, which explains her extraordinary access to the military hardware. Her son looks scarily at home with anti-aircraft guns and minesweepers in this pre-video games era.

This film was produced by the Middlesbrough-based amateur camerawoman Betty Cook, who was also the President of the Cleveland Cine Club and the North East Cine Society. She filmed many events in the north east region from the 1960s through to the 1980s.