Look At Life: 1960's Scrambling

[Sam Tyler]

Having just gone on to YouTube to find some music that I heard earlier, I was browsing the recommended videos and this one was in the list.

Whilst motorcycle scrambling may not be of taste to many on here, the clip does show a very different way of life compared to today: turners at the lathe without safety glasses, posters of topless women stapled to the back wall of the garage, and old-school riding gear without the body armour or fluorescent colours of today.

Some great classic motors too: Austin A60 / Morris A55 pickup anyone?



I had a scrambler many years ago and used to love the feeling of getting airborne over jumps as well as the speed and adrenaline rush with some of the fast, bumpier track sections. The film also took me back to the days when we could go over to the old gravel pits where I lived (not those in the film in Essex) and ride around without fears of complaints and the rozzers turning up to get us off the land as would happen today.

Two downsides to the film:
1) The overdubbing of four-stroke engine sound when the bikes are two-strokes, and
2) I want to go back to the 70's to ride them again

Sam.

[Three Litre]

See what you mean about the pictures!

Used to very common in machine shops.

I think breasts are illegal now.

[Steve Austin]

Fantastic film and a great series.  Look At Life was repeated on BBC4 a couple of years ago.  They were originally shown in cinema's prior to the main feature and were designed to replace the older Pathe News reels, which had become old hat.

A fascinating range of films from scrambling to knitting which is available from Network/Amazon.

Thanks for posting Sam 

[Del Boy]

Nice film Sam
As Steve says its a really good series. They still pop up on BBC 4 now and again as filler.
They make for a great view of 60s Britain.

[John Steed]

Great film there Sam. It is interesting to see the vehicles in these old films 



Steed

[The Saint]

Great stuff Sam, thanks for posting

The Saint 

[D.C. Burtonshaw]

Thanks Sam, yep I've enjoyed a few of those A look at life's.

The film puts reminds me of a Childrens Film Foundation drama film "Scramble" made in 1970, regarding Scrambing bikes. First saw it as it was laid on at a kids party I went to at Pontins holiday camp at Camber Sands in 1979 whilst on holiday.

Didn't realise till years later, Robin Askwith was in it, who I think may have been a villain, and Sweeney stars Alfred Marks and David Lodge were also in it. Alfred Mark's real life son Gareth played his screen son in the film too.

As for the film above, that's a remarkable trike the disabled business owner is riding! I just also thought, the narrator sounds like Eamonn Andrews, but I could be wrong.

[Sam Tyler]

Mar 25, 2019 20:05:50 GMT D.C. Burtonshaw said:

As for the film above, that's a remarkable trike the disabled business owner is riding! I just also thought, the narrator sounds like Eamonn Andrews, but I could be wrong.

At about 12 seconds in the opening credits state that it is narrated by Eamonn Andrews. 

That trike is definitely remarkable - as is the gent's name: Derry Preston-Cobb. With a name like that he could have been written in as a toff Sweeney villain.

Sam.