News and information of interest to labour historians.
The Working Class Movement Library’s new series of Invisible Histories free talks starts up again on Wednesday 9 February at the later than usual time of 3pm, when Kirstie Blair and Iona Craig from the Piston, Pen & Press project will give a free online only talk on the topic ‘Industrial workers and reading spaces in Manchester, Salford and the North’. This first talk in … Continue reading WCML free talks programme kicks off for Spring 2022
The sinking of the RMS Titanic in the early hours of 15 April 1912 was a shocking and traumatic event, felt particularly deeply in Belfast where the ship had been built and in Southampton which had been the home port for many of its crew. As news emerged that at least 1,500 people had died, there was a sense of anger throughout the country at … Continue reading A ‘vicious class antagonism’ at the heart of the Titanic disaster: the dockers’ union’s response
A small green booklet published as a souvenir of the United Society of Boilermakers’ centenary celebrations shows members’ pride in their union’s achievements By 1934, the United Society of Boilermakers and Iron and Steel Shipbuilders was able to trace its history back a full hundred years, to the birth at a meeting in Manchester of the Friendly Society of Boilermakers. Although the new organisation had … Continue reading Steam power: boilermakers mark 100 years of trade unionism, 1834-1934
Dr Mike Mecham introduces the new-look website of the Irish Labour History Society The Irish Labour History Society has rebuilt and relaunched its website, offering free access to biographies and articles on labour history, information on labour history resources, and a collection of book reviews published by the society’s journal Saothar in 2021. The website consists of seven categories: Society: information about the society, membership, … Continue reading A fresh look for Irish labour history
Britain’s biggest-ever rights of way dispute took place outside Bolton 125 years ago. Martin Challender tells the story of the Winter Hill mass trespass, and of plans to commemorate it with a specially commissioned signpost. Continue reading Will yo’ come o’ Sunday mornin’? Winter Hill and the 1896 fight to access the moors
BBC Radio 4 turned its attentions to the suffragette and pioneering journalist Lady Rhondda, as former President of the Supreme Court Baroness Hale got the opportunity to nominate a new member of the programme’s pantheon. Professor Angela V John, a Vice-President of the Society for the Study of Labour History and President of Llafur, provided expert testimony and commentary on the life of Lady Rhondda … Continue reading Great Lives: spotlight on Lady Rhondda
In 2022, as every year, it is possible to look back and see significant milestones in labour history taking place 25, 50 or 100 years ago. Here we recall seven memorable events, each a quarter of a century further back in time. They include labour movement victories and defeats, and like all of history their interpretation and significance continue to be contested – the role … Continue reading Seven labour history anniversaries in 2022
In an era when every self-respecting town centre of any size had at least one department store, no December shopping trip would have been complete without a visit to Santa’s grotto. The experience left most small children with a smile on their face and a cheap toy, while the store owners were equally happy with the additional profits. But for the bit-part actors and bar … Continue reading When Santa and his elves formed a union
The Society for the Study of Labour History calendar for 2022 enables you to see the whole year at a single glance – and maybe get just a little distracted working out which trade union badges appear in the photo. Download the 2022 SSLH calendar (PDF format) Continue reading Society for the Study of Labour History 2022 calendar
The 2021 edition of the Scottish Labour History Society’s peer-reviewed journal Scottish Labour History is out now Continue reading Scottish Labour History out now
