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

In Our Time: Chartism

On 21 May 1838 an estimated 150,000 people assembled on Glasgow Green for a mass demonstration. There they witnessed the launch of the People’s Charter, a list of demands for political reform. The changes they called for included voting by secret ballot, equal-sized constituencies and, most importantly, that all men should have the vote.  The Chartist were the first national mass working-class movement. In the … Continue reading In Our Time: Chartism