Undoing 2007; Preparing for 2038: Abolition, Birmingham and Commemoration

Billed as ‘a day-long, co-productive community conversation, about Abolition, Birmingham, and Commemoration’, and convened and chaired by Dr Nathaniel Adam Tobias Coleman, Undoing 2007; Preparing for 2038 will take place on Saturday 1 June at The Exchange, 3 Centenary Square, Birmingham B1 2DR. The event takes as its starting point the ‘deception’ of the abolition of the slave trade in 1807, and of ‘the state-sponsored jingoistic jamboree … Continue reading Undoing 2007; Preparing for 2038: Abolition, Birmingham and Commemoration

Solidarity, the law and how history preserves the memory of the 1984-85 miners’ strike

Two panel discussions hosted by the Marx Memorial Library and Workers’ School on the legacy of the 1984-85 miners’ strike are now available as podcasts on the Library’s Spotify channel The Miners’ Strike 40 Years On: State Repression, Solidarity and Civil Defence explores the role of the law, the state and communities in the 1984-85 miners’ strike with Lord John Hendy KC on the role … Continue reading Solidarity, the law and how history preserves the memory of the 1984-85 miners’ strike

Remembering the Preston Lockout 170 years on

Mike Sanders reports from a conference and exhibition marking a nine-months long industrial dispute that shaped the work of Charles Dickens and Elizabeth Gaskell. 2023 sees the 170th anniversary of the start of the Preston Lockout which began as a series of isolated strikes in August/September 1853 and became a general lockout in October 1853 before reverting to a strike in February 1854 which lasted … Continue reading Remembering the Preston Lockout 170 years on

Remembering the miners’ strike, 1984-85

As events marking the fortieth anniversary of the 1984-85 miners’ strike continue, BBC Sounds has produced a five-part podcast series on the strike presented by the actor, writer and producer Jonny Owen. Among those contributing is Professor Keith Gildart, a member of the Society’s executive committee, and himself a former miner and expert in the historiography of the strike. Listen to Strike on BBC Sounds. … Continue reading Remembering the miners’ strike, 1984-85

Labour, Health and Sunshine: The Alpine Sanatoria of the 1920s

From the late 19th century, the Alps were a sanctuary for tubercular patients. Supervised by Auguste Rollier – the ‘Sun Doctor’ – many recuperated through fraternity, labour, and the healing power of the sun… Speaker: Dr Ilaria Scaglia, Aston University.Date: 22 May 2024, 6pmVenue: Birmingham People’s History Archive, 2nd floor, Birmingham & Midland Institute, 9 Margaret Street, B3 3BS.  This talk is free, all welcome, … Continue reading Labour, Health and Sunshine: The Alpine Sanatoria of the 1920s

Marking the Great Preston Lockout 170 years on

The Great Preston Strike and Lockout was a momentous national event. It began as a series of isolated strikes at a small number of mills in August/September 1853, and became a general lockout involving most textile operatives that October. It once again became a strike in February 1854, though this time on a much larger scale, and continued until May 1854. The dispute was immortalized … Continue reading Marking the Great Preston Lockout 170 years on

Conference report: Essex and the 1984-85 miners’ strike

Paul Topley reports on a one-day event that brought together Essex trade unionists and others involved in supporting the 1984-85 miners’ strike. A one-day conference on the role of the Essex labour movement in supporting striking miners during the strike of 1984-85 took place on Saturday 9 March. Organised by Essex Association of Trades Councils, with financial support from the Society for the Study of … Continue reading Conference report: Essex and the 1984-85 miners’ strike

Online classes in labour history at MML

The Marx Memorial Library is offering a course of six consecutive online classes in labour movement history spanning two centuries and with a focus on race and empire. Run by Professor Mary Davis, professor of labour history and secretary of the Marx Memorial Library, the first lecture is on 19 March, at a cost of £30 (£15 concessions) for all six classes. The series covers: … Continue reading Online classes in labour history at MML

E.P. Thompson at 100: the personal and political

Had he lived to see it, Edward Palmer (E.P.) Thompson would have turned 100 on Saturday 3 February. To mark the occasion Calderdale TUC, with support from the Society for the Study of Labour History, Yorkshire CND, Calderdale National Education Union, and the Independent Working Class Education Network, organised a celebratory commemorative event. The venue, Trinity Sixth Form Academy, located in the town centre of … Continue reading E.P. Thompson at 100: the personal and political

Border Mills: Lives of Peeblesshire Textile Workers

The 2024 Ian MacDougall Memorial Lecture takes place at the National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh – Thursday 4 April 2024, 5 pm. It will be delivered by Caroline Milligan. Based on a series of oral history interviews made by the late Ian MacDougal with mill workers between 1996 and 2004, Border Mills: Lives of Peeblesshire Textile Workers is a new book that … Continue reading Border Mills: Lives of Peeblesshire Textile Workers