• Short Summary

    Motorbike boys are seen in action, coming to the call of a new Volunteer Emergency Service in London.

  • Description

    London.

    This story shows us young men on motorbikes who have joined a new Volunteer Emergency Service.

    Various shots of young men riding through the streets of London on motorbikes. Cut to C/U of a map, covered with tags. A young man picks up the phone, puts another tag in the map then telephones another man, Tony Roper, at home. Commentator explains that he is a member of the voluntary hospital messenger service that is now nation wide.

    Tony sets off on his motorcycle and rides through the town to a building sign posted 'National Blood Transfusion Centre'; he collects a box from a man in a white coat and rides off again, eventually delivering the box to a porter at the West London Hospital. The porter hands the box to a woman in a white coat, who goes into a room marked 'Blood Bank' and takes samples from a bottle of blood in the box, putting small tubes of blood into a spinning machine.

    Various shots of young men getting on and revving up motorbikes outside the 59 Club in Paddington as "ton-up parson" Father Shergold comes out to join them, putting on his helmet and mounting his motorcycle.

    Cuts exist - see separate records.

  • Tags

  • Data

    Film ID:
    401.13
    Media URN:
    4201
    Group:
    Colour pictorials
    Archive:
    British Pathé
    Issue Date:
    09/02/1967
    Sound:
    Sound
    HD Format:
    Available on request
    Stock:
    Colour
    Duration:
    00:03:23:00
    Time in/Out:
    01:50:07:00 / 01:53:30:00
    Canister:
    CP 637

Comments (4)

  1. Unknown user says

    I read this with interest, but was concerned it appeared to refer to London motorcyclists only. I was a member of this organisation then, as were a number of my friends on Tyneside. We met on a regular basis in a hotel near Nevilles Cross in Durham.
    Sadly, or fortunately , I was never called to help in any way, but we were all willing volunteers just waiting for the call. I still have my original membership card and I am sure the office was in Plough Lane, Wallington, Surrey.

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  2. Unknown user says

    "Tony sets off on his motorcycle" - its a Triumph.

    Reassuring the previous contributor, the commentator does say that the service is "nationwide".

    "Father Shergold" is Bill Shergold.

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  3. Unknown user says

    Members came from all over Britain, most were motorcyclist but not all. You are correct the office was at Plough Lane later to become Mollison Drive in Wallington.

    The young man at head office our dining room was little Bob.

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  4. lordcoulson says

    I I was in the VES in Derby and we were on call 247/ 365 all day and all night . I was out on Xmas days delivering urgent meds and blood which we fetched from Sheffield blood bank. Un like the blood bikes of today {nothings new} we were not allowed free bikes and blue lights . I was also asked to go to peoples houses and tell them their relationship was in hospital and not expected to live and as i had a car i would take them to hospital. Unfortunatly we could not get any sponsorship or help so eventual it was wound up. I was the secretary for the Derby branch and still have all my books and my badge. I am now a volunteer driver for the Royal Derby Hospital.

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