This film is part of Free
Road Signs and Signals
Cycling safety, 40s style, in a charming and unexpectedly exhilarating film shot in and around Leek, Staffordshire.
Overview
Don't be put off by the functional title: this is a charming and unexpectedly exhilarating educational film, shot in and around the Staffordshire market town of Leek. A young girl takes her new bicycle out for a spin, with Daddy on hand to relay the finer points of the Highway Code. Made to promote road safety, the film was sponsored by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.
The film is striking today for its depiction of a gentler pace of life in this scenic corner of the West Midlands - with barely a hint of the all-conquering ascendency of the motor car that lay just ahead. It takes us on a journey out of town into the undulating hills of the Staffordshire Moorlands, on the fringes of the Peak District National Park. Accidents seem an unlikely prospect: our cyclists are almost entirely untroubled by motorists on the quiet streets and new highways, lending the film an otherworldly quality.
Related
Riding on Air Riding on Air
Documentary 1959 16 mins Location: London
A beautiful and evocative survey of cycling's golden years.
It's a Bike! It's a Bike!
Sponsored film 1983 21 mins Location: Yaxley
A ripe slice of 80s cheese: a lively, rapping cautionary tale for the young cyclist.
BMX BMX
Magazine and Review show 1983 5 mins Location: Adderley Park Sta
Riders from the Birmingham Wheels Project show off the tricks and techniques of the new BMX craze.
Riding Abreast Riding Abreast
1940 23 mins Silent
Three carefree schoolgirl cyclists learn the dangers of 'riding abreast' in this quaint cautionary tale shot in idyllic countryside.
Cyclist Turning Right Cyclist Turning Right
Instructional film/TV programme 1983 1 mins
Two young BMX-ers nearly come a cropper in this short and shocking cycling safety film.
Boy and Bicycle Boy and Bicycle
Drama 1965 28 mins Location: Hartlepool
Ridley Scott's first film features his younger brother, the late Tony Scott, as a schoolboy playing truant for the day to meander around Hartlepool on his bicycle, lost in his own thoughts.
Inside W. Tatton Silk Works, Leek Inside W. Tatton Silk Works, Leek
Promotional 1963 14 mins Silent Location: Leek
Spinning silk with speed and precision in Staffordshire.
Back to Back Back to Back
Promotional 1961 18 mins Location: Leek
Have you ever wondered how dad's distinctive cardigan was made? This colourful industrial film shows how the Co-op's Nelson Mills in Staffordshire does it.
Lest We Forget: The Nicholson War Memorial Lest We Forget: The Nicholson War Memorial
Non-Fiction 1925 11 mins Silent Location: Leek
Huge crowds flock to Leek to witness the unveiling of the town's tribute to the Great War's fallen. At 90 feet the Nicholson War Memorial is the tallest in the country.
Khichdi Khichdi
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 16 mins
The interwoven stories of four best friends who reunite in the UK, thirty-five years after training together as nurses during their teens in Ferozepur, Punjab.
Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.
Every Moment Counts Every Moment Counts
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 9 mins
A short animation that offers a window into the world of children’s palliative care.
Police Story: Panel Discussion Police Story: Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 24 mins
Panel discussion on Jackie Chan's 1985 action classic Police Story, with Chase Armitage, Sam Mak and Jadey Duffield.
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.
Women in Action Panel Discussion Women in Action Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 28 mins
Action Xtreme - the UK's leading action film studio - hosts this panel discussion with four leading women in action cinema - Soo Cole, Jo Rolison, Jadey Duffield and Ioanna Karavela.