Centenary: The 1926 General Strike on Stage

A century on, the strike that shook Britain comes to life on stage – and it’s now just weeks away. May 1926. Millions of workers across the country walked out, standing shoulder to shoulder for a fairer world. To mark the one hundredth anniversary of the 1926 General Strike, ‘Centenary’ celebrates the event at the Glasshouse International Centre for Music in Gateshead. Created by Wisecrack … Continue reading Centenary: The 1926 General Strike on Stage

Online Talk: South and North rather than North and South: The ‘Big Strike’ Novel

To mark the centenary of the 1926 General Strike, Professor Michael Sanders (University of Manchester) will deliver an online talk on Wednesday 20 May at 7pm covering two Mancunian female trailblazers. Elizabeth Gaskell may have been one of the first to write a ‘picket-line’ romance, in her much-loved classic North and South, but she was certainly not the last. In the centenary year of the ‘General … Continue reading Online Talk: South and North rather than North and South: The ‘Big Strike’ Novel

1926 General Strike Centenary Open Day

The People’s History Museum in Manchester is hosting a special open day to mark the centenary of the 1926 General Strike on the 9 May 2026. The event will delve into the strike’s continuing significance and legacy. Academics, activists, trade unionists, and heritage professionals will explore the 1926 General Strike through a range of papers and panels, and highlight rare archival material. The event is … Continue reading 1926 General Strike Centenary Open Day

CfP: Edinburgh Companion to Modern Scottish Political History

Naomi Lloyd-Jones (History of Parliament) and Malcolm Petrie (University of St Andrews) have issued a call for papers for their new Companion to Modern Scottish Political History. Call for Papers deadline Monday 18 May 2026 The volume will represent a significant historiographical intervention, providing a comprehensive account of Scottish politics from the Union of 1707 to the early twenty-first century as well as a stimulating … Continue reading CfP: Edinburgh Companion to Modern Scottish Political History

Call for 2026 SHCG Journal and Conference Submissions 

The organisers are pleased to announce an open call for submissions to the 2026 editions of the Social History Curators Group journal and conference, under the theme of ‘The Long March – Strikes, Protests and Riots Through History’.   Inspired by the centenary of the 1926 General Strike, this year’s theme invites papers that examine how museums and heritage sites engage with stories of strike, protest, rebellion, and resistance. The organisers … Continue reading Call for 2026 SHCG Journal and Conference Submissions 

Chartism Day 2026: venue, date and call for papers

Chartism Day 2026 will take place at Friends Meeting House, Warwick on Saturday 19 September. Please add the date to your diary. Further details including information on how to register will be published here nearer the date. Call for papers The Chartism Day Conferences were launched at the University of Birmingham in September 1995 by the renowned Chartist historian Dorothy Thompson (1923–2011). Apart from the … Continue reading Chartism Day 2026: venue, date and call for papers

Call for papers: General Strike Exploration Day

Date – 9 May 2026Venue – People’s History MuseumAudience – Public audience and those with an interest in the working-class history, the labour movement and Manchester regional history May 2026 will mark the centenary of the General Strike when, for 9 days in May 1926, industrial production in Britain ground to a halt after trade unionists and workers tried unsuccessfully to force the government to … Continue reading Call for papers: General Strike Exploration Day

Votes for Women in Halifax and West Yorkshire

Writer and historian Jill Liddington is to talk at an event on ‘Votes for Women in Halifax and West Yorkshire’. The event takes place in the Albany Club, Hope Hall, Halifax, on the evening of Friday 20 February, and will include book signing opportunities. Tickets can be booked via Eventbrite here. Event details When Votes for Women campaigns swept the country, Yorkshire was no exception. … Continue reading Votes for Women in Halifax and West Yorkshire

John Halstead Memorial Lecture 2026

The fifth annual John Halstead Memorial Lecture will be delivered by Professor John Goodridge, President of the John Clare Society.  Organised by the Society for the Study of Labour History and taking place at the John Rylands Library, Manchester on Saturday 13 June 2026, the lecture will be titled ‘Reading by glow worm: the struggles of labouring-class poets’. All are welcome, but you must register … Continue reading John Halstead Memorial Lecture 2026

Seminar to mark 40th anniversary of the Wapping dispute

The Marx Memorial Library & Workers’ School is holding a day-long seminar marking forty years since the Wapping dispute. The seminar will take place on Saturday 24 January and it will be possible to attend either online or onsite. This event will commemorate the year-long struggle of workers for their jobs and trade union rights and reflect on its legacy. The Wapping dispute began when Rupert Murdoch’s News … Continue reading Seminar to mark 40th anniversary of the Wapping dispute