Name/Title
Framed photograph of Mods in "cages" at Brighton Railway Station August 1981Entry/Object ID
2257Description
Framed reproduction photograph showing a Sussex Police sergeant guarding a number of youths dressed in parkas and held in mail bag trollies, at Brighton Railway Station in August 1981Context
During the mid to late 1970s there was a revival in the Mod subculture spurred on by the popular music of the period, especially by groups such as "The Jam" and also "The Who", and the release of the film "Quadrophenia" in 1979, based on "The Who's" album of the same name. As the movement grew so did rivalries with other groups, with them all trying to emulate the activities of the subcultures from the 1960s. Inevitably this took the form of seaside gatherings on public holidays and the inevitable clashes.
In an attempt to prevent the type of disturbances seen in the 1960s Police often took pre-emptive action. In this photograph, thought to have been taken on 31st August 1981, Sussex Police have detained a group of youths dressed as Mods and held them temporarily in these mail bag cages, awaiting a train to take them out of Brighton. Other photographs from earlier in August 1981, show Sussex Police officers intercepting scooter riders on the A23 enroute to what was advertised as a "Lambretta Rally"in Brighton, named after the scooter manufacturer.
If there was any doubt about the date of this photo the officer is clearly a Sussex Police sergeant, with a uniform and radio that date from the late 1970s to the mid 1980s, not the 1960s.