The North East Film Archive is one of a network of regional film archives established to collect, preserve and show film made in, or about the North East of England. Our collections are non-fiction, and date from the early 1900s to the present day, providing a rich record of life in the region over the 20th century. Many of our films are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
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Silverstone 1983
All the advertising and allure of motor racing captured at the Silverstone race circuit in the 80s.
From the collection of:
Overview
Drivers and fans gather for the 1983 British Grand Prix at a turbo-charged Silverstone in Northamptonshire, which claims to be the home of British racing. Mechanics work on the Formula 1 cars as Patrick Tambay, John Watson and Alain Proust prepare pre-race alongside race marshalls. A shirtless Stirling Moss and sunburnt spectators watch practice laps trackside and racing legend Jackie Stewart joins Prince Edward as a celebrity guest in the pits. Rene Amoux came out tops.
Jackie Stewart had retired a decade earlier in 1973 with a record 27 Grand Prix wins, not equalled for another 20 years. Stirling Moss was described as "the greatest driver never to win the World Championship". This film was produced by a Middlesbrough-based amateur 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 80s. The filmmaker and her husband were devoted fans of motor racing and volunteer marshals for the British Grand Prix so they frequently had good access to the pits, a prime spot for her camera to capture many well-known drivers and championship cars over the years.
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