North East Labour History

First Tuesday. Dr Christopher Massey, Teesside University will talk about: The Man at the Back: Lord Tom Sawyer and the modernisation of the Labour Party
2022-04-05 19:00 - 20:30 (Europe/London) | Zoom
‘The Man at the Back: Lord Tom Sawyer and the modernisation of the Labour Party’ with Dr. Christopher Massey
This talk highlights the significant contribution of Lord Tom Sawyer to the Labour Party’s modernisation between 1983 and 1997. Sawyer, as a key trade union official and later General Secretary of the Labour Party, played a crucial role in the redevelopment of Labour’s internal structures, policy making and campaign machinery.
Sawyer’s political journey in these years closely mirrored Labour’s national position, shifting from the hard-left towards the centre-left. His contributions to Labour’s renewal included vital roles during the Inquiry into the Militant Tendency in Liverpool (1986), the party’s Policy Review (1987-92), the shift to One Member, One Vote (1993), the change to Clause IV of Labour’s Constitution (1995), and Partnership in Power (1997).
Through such input, Sawyer played a crucial, and often undocumented, role in the modernisation which led towards the party’s 1997 general election victory.
Christopher Massey is the Principal Lecturer for Programmes within Humanities and Social Science at Teesside University. His research focuses on the Labour Party and the labour movement. His recent work includes the official biography of Lord Tom Sawyer, The Man at the Back, and a 2020 monograph, ‘The Modernisation of the Labour Party, 1979-97.’
He was elected as a Councillor for Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council in 2011, and was Deputy Leader between 2017 and 2019.
Here’s the link:
Topic: Tom Sawyer and the Labour Party
Time: Apr 5, 2022 07:00 PM London
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Meeting ID: 897 2966 2565
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Tyne & Wear May Day Celebrations: May Day Social (Newcastle Irish Centre, Fri 29 April), March and Rally (Exhibition Park, Sat 30 April)
2022-04-29 - 2022-05-01 | Various North East Venues
Please click on the image to enlarge it.

BBC Radio 3: The Ballad of Johnny Longstaff
2022-05-01 19:30 - 20:30 | BBC Radio 3
Award-winning North East folk band The Young’uns – Sean Cooney and David Eagle with Jack Rutter (for Michael Hughes) present their production of The Ballad of Johnny Longstaff, recorded in front of a live audience in their hometown of Stockton-on-Tees.
It’s the true story of one man’s journey from unemployment, through the Hunger Marches of the 1930s, the mass trespass movement, and the Battle of Cable Street, to fighting fascism in the Spanish Civil War. A touching and often hilarious musical adventure, its themes of war, hunger, poverty, and displacement have a powerful resonance almost a hundred years on.
To be broadcast by BBC Radio 3 on the 1 May 2022 at 7.30pm – UK time.

First Tuesday: 'Hidden Chains: The Slavery Business and North East England' with John Charlton
2022-05-03 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom
North East England is rarely associated with the African slave trade, but new research has shown that the region was inextricably involved in that shocking state-sanctioned traffic in human beings. “Hidden Chains” reveals the links between some of the North East’s wealthiest, most prominent families and the plantations of the New World. It also tells the story of ordinary people from Northumberland, Durham and Tyneside who were caught up in the slavery business.
Some were bonded labourers; others crossed the Atlantic on ships carrying human cargo, returning with tobacco, sugar, rum and other profitable goods. At the same time the North East’s men and women were playing a determined part in the anti-slavery movement and their vital contribution to abolition is also explored.
John is a member of the NELHS Committee and Editorial Board.

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Meeting ID: 851 5449 9646
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Durham Town Hall, The Miners’ Strike in County Durham: A Family and Community Conversation
2022-05-24 18:00 - 19:30 | Durham Town Hall, Market Place, Durham, DH1 3NJ
Register here for tickets to attend in person or here to join online via Zoom.
A free public event hosted by Durham University History Department.
Although the Miners’ Strike took place nearly forty years ago, the families and communities that experienced it in County Durham still have vivid memories of that year and have had to wrestle in their lives with the destruction of an industry.
This event features historian Robert Gildea, who is writing an oral history of the strike, in conversation with one of the families he interviewed. David Wray was an electrician at Sacriston during the strike. He and his wife Dorothy ran a soup kitchen in Leadgate and their daughter Sam, a teenager at the time, enjoyed the visits of musicians who helped to raise funds for striking families. They will be joined by Sam’s daughter, Caitlin, now a student at Newcastle University, who speaks for a third generation that has been shaped by the strike.
Following a conversation with the family the floor with be open to members of the audience who would like to share their own memories of the strike and its legacy.
Robert Gildea is Professor Emeritus of Modern History at the University of Oxford. His most recent book is Empires of the Mind: The Colonial Past and the Politics of the Present (2019), and he has published many books on modern European and transnational history, especially on the Second World War and Europe’s 1968. His work has been awarded the Wolfson Prize for History.
With thanks to Tom Hamilton, Associate Professor, History Department, Durham University.

Event commemorating Nigel Todd, Bike Garden, Nuns Moor, Newcastle
2022-06-18 12:00 - 15:00 | Bike Garden, Nuns Moor, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE4 5NU
Nigel, with his daughter Selina, on an anti-austerity march in Manchester, 4th October 2015. Photograph courtesy Peter Brabban.
Music by Bethany Elen Coyle and pizzas from the pizza oven. Opportunity to share memories about Nigel and his work in the community. Open to all.
The bike garden is located in Nuns Moor Park here: https://goo.gl/maps/Q1LwGLu3ZRZxmJT96

The Active Utopian: A Celebration of The Work and Passions of Nigel Todd, Neville Hall, Newcastle
2022-06-20 10:00 - 15:00 | Common Room, Neville Hall, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE
Nigel Todd
Friends and colleagues of Nigel will gather on 20th June to celebrate his life, his work and most of all his passion for progress, social justice and lifelong learning.
North of Tyne Mayor, Jamie Driscoll, will give the keynote address and there will be local and national speakers from the Workers Education Association, Co-operative College, Newcastle City Council, the Green movement and other parts of Nigel’s life. There will be music, a slide show from his 1983 General Election campaign and a memory board, as well as an opportunity for reunions with old friends and making new ones.
This will be a joyous occasion, following-on from and in the same spirit as the community event in his memory which will happen at the Bike Garden, Nuns Moor on Saturday 18th June.
Sold out. Check here for any places that may become available from cancellations.

Programme

There will be a memory board. If you have anything you would like to put on it please contact silviefish@yahoo.com
9:30 Coffee
10.00 Welcome and Introduction: Chairs for the day, Liz O’Donnell and Kath Connolly
10:05 Keynote Speaker. Jamie Driscoll, North of Tyne Mayor
10:15 Workers’ Education Association
Keith Hodgson. Chair NE Region WEA, formerly NUPE/UNISON Education Officer
Jude Murphy. WEA Education Co-ordinator, Musician and Historian
Anne Staines. WEA Regional Education Manager – retired
Simon Parkinson. General Secretary & Chief Executive at WEA
10:45 Nigel’s Centenary Commission colleagues
Centenary Commission on Adult Education, John Holford. Robert Peers Professor of Adult Education, University of Nottingham
Nigel’s work on Raymond Williams and the New Diggers. Sharon Clancy, Assistant Professor of Education, Nottingham University
Building community, democracy and dialogue. Iain Jones. Associate Lecturer, The Open University
11:05 WEA Green Network: Ruth Hayward. Co-founder WEA North East Green Branch
11:15 Discussion and Q&A of WEA topics
11:30 Coffee
11:45 Nigel’s Political Activism, Internationalism, Palestine, Kashmir, Bangladesh, Ann Schofield. Internationalist and Political Activist
12:05 Greening Wingrove: Dave Webb. Director, Greening Wingrove
12:25 Slide show of Nigel’s 1983 GE campaign. Peter Brabban, Professional Photographer
12:45 Lunch: Ordinary Heroes. WW1 Documentary
Rochdale Pioneers Songs (recorded)
13:30 Irim Ali. Chair of Greening Wingrove
13:50 Joseph Cowen and the Chronicle. Andy McSmith. Journalist and Author
14:10 The Co-operative college. Hazel Johnson. Co-operative college trustee
14:30 Round Table:
Matt Perry. Historian, Newcastle University
Charlotte Alston. Historian, University of Northumbria
Simon Parkinson. General Secretary & Chief Executive at WEA
15:00 Close and songs from Bethany Elen Coyle with Jude Murphy
About
This is a collaborative event by the Workers’ Educational Association, the Co-operative College, The Labour and Society Research Group at Newcastle University and the North East Labour History Society
Our thanks to the Workers’ Educational Association for their generous sponsorship of this event

Rebel Town Festival: Tyne Pedestrian Tunnel - South Entrance.
2022-06-25 10:30 - 12:00 | Tyne Pedestrian Tunnel – South Entrance, Jarrow, NE32 3PS
As attached, the sixth annual commemoration of turbulent events in Jarrow in the 1830s takes place this Saturday 25 June with particpants asked to assemble by the Pedestrian Tunnel NE32 3PS at 10.30am.
The speakers will be Jeremy Corbyn MP, Kate Osborne MP for Jarrow and Dave Douglass, Follonsby Miners Lodge Association and former NUM official. Music will be provided by the Felling Silver Band followed by refreshments at the Albion Gin & Ale House.

NELH Tuesday Meeting: Bob Clay (former MP), The Closure of the Sunderland Shipyards and the thwarted Cuban orders
2022-06-28 19:00 - 20:30 | To be notified
Further details to be added

Tyneside Irish Centre: Tyneside Irish Brigade Memories Project - 1 July 1916
2022-07-01 10:00 - 16:00 | Tyneside Irish Centre, 43 Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4SG, United Kingdom
From Rosie Serdiville:
Tyneside Irish Brigade Memories Project
We are all very aware of the 7200 Tyneside Irish who served during World War 1 and, in particular, of those who never made it home. 1200 of them died, many on the first day of the Battle of the Somme – 1st July 1916. Friends and families were left behind to mourn and to remember.
For the past year volunteers of the Tyneside Irish Cultural Society, funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, have worked with those families, researching and recording their memories. They feature in a new exhibition which has been touring the North East.
On Friday 1st July, it returns to Newcastle. We plan to celebrate and commemorate at a gathering at Tyneside Irish Centre, 43 Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4SG. The exhibition will be open from 10 – 4, with a special event taking place at noon.
It is, of course, the anniversary of the first day of the Battle of the Somme so it is fitting that there should be a short ceremony to mark the occasion. This will be followed by free refreshments and a chance to meet the volunteers and families.
We would be delighted if you would be able to join us. It would be useful to know if you are coming so we can gauge numbers for catering – just hit the RSVP button below to register or send us an email.
Do let us know if you can think of anyone else who should be invited.
Regards,
Rosie Serdiville
RSVP here

Tyneside Irish Cultural Society

43 Gallowgate
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 4SG
(+44) 0191 261 0385

www.tynesideirish.com

Online: Seminar on the History of Trade Union Education
2022-07-06 18:00 - 20:00 | Online
​This seminar will explore the history of Trade Union Education – both learning for activists and broader learning for members. It will discuss current issues and how to shape future Trade Union Learning.
Speakers: John Holford (Nottingham University), Teresa Donegan (Unison), Kevin Rowan (TUC), John Lloyd (academic)
Book here
Organised by Professor John Holford, Nottingham University.

Newcastle University: Newcastle Antiquaries Conference, Eighteenth-Century Political Participation and Electoral Culture
2022-07-07 - 2022-07-10 | Old Library Building, Newcastle University
From Newcastle Antiquaries
Newcastle University have announced the programme for their conference on Eighteenth-Century Political Participation and Electoral Culture, on 7-9 July. This is part of a wider project, which aims to explore how ordinary people participated in parliamentary elections in England, from 1695 until the Reform Act of 1832, run by the University in conjunction with Liverpool University and the Arts and Humanities Research Council. Follow this link to register.
The Antiquaries were in at the beginning of this when we digitised our copy of the Poll Book for the Newcastle election of 1780, and it was then transcribed by a group of volunteers. We have supported the project since then, and are providing the funds for four £50 travel bursaries for unwaged participants. Closing date for applying for these is 1 May, and they will be allocated by the Conference organisers.

Bridge Hotel, Newcastle. Memorial for Peter Burnett
2022-07-08 16:00 - 17:00 | The Bridge Hotel, Castle Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, NE1 1RQ, United Kingdom
From Kate Routledge, daughter of the late Peter Burnett
We are holding a small memorial for my Dad at the Bridge Hotel in Newcastle on Friday 8th July from 4pm. Could you let anyone that might want to come along and raise a glass to him know.
It would be lovely to see you there if you could make it.

Durham Miners Gala 2022
2022-07-09 08:00 - 17:00
This year’s Gala takes place in Durham City on Saturday 9 July and it’s the first in three years.
For more information see here

Gala information – Friends of Durham Miners’ Gala
The Durham Miners’ Gala is the world’s greatest celebration of c ommunity, international solidarity, and working class culture. It is a unique and inspiring spectacle. More than 200,000 people pack the streets of Durham to enjoy the sights and sounds of The Big Meeting.
www.friendsofdurhamminersgala.org

The Gala is funded by subscription and donation through the Friends of Durham Miners’ Gala and those who contribute are known as ‘Marras’, a Durham miners’ term for a friend who can be relied on in times of need.
To support the Gala, join the Marras here https://www.friendsofdurhamminersgala.org/join_us

Cleadon Park Library. Peter Chapman will talk about his book: A Tyneside Heritage: Reflections
2022-07-18 16:15 - 18:45
LECTURE AND BOOK SIGNING ‘A TYNESIDE HERITAGE: REFLECTIONS’
Peter Chapman, author of A Tyneside Heritage: Reflections will be talking about his book at a meeting organised by South Shields Local History Group on Monday 18 July, 5.15pm – 6.45pm.
It takes place in Room A (upstairs) at Cleadon Park Library, Primary Healthcare Centre, The Nook, South Shields NE34 8PS. Admission £1 for non-members.

South Shields Local History Group Presents:
Peter Chapman’s book, spanning 150 years of South Shields’ changing fortunes, was published a year ago. In this lecture he will discuss the boom years of coal exporting and shipbuilding, the business and community leaders who made it happen, the ensuing problems of unemployment and political turmoil in the inter-war years and the peacetime challenges after it ended. He will highlight the leading role of the Chapman family in the town and in County Durham, and reflect on topics which are still relevant today.

NELH Tuesday Meeting (date to be notified): Nkechi Managwu, university student will talk about The Work of the Decolonise Durham Network
2022-07-19 19:30 - 21:00 | To be notified
My name is Nkechi Managwu and I am currently a History and French student at Durham University. I recently held the position of Decolonisation Intern for the History Department, which aims to ‘engage with the past to orientate ourselves in the present’ whilst acknowledging the involvement of educational institutions in imperialised and racialised views and divisions.
As part of my Decolonisation internship at Durham University’s History Department, I reflected on my views on the importance of having a diverse bank of resources in today’s day and age as we become increasingly aware of how crucial different views and understandings of events can be in a learning, and personal, environment.
As a result of this, I put together a resource list to allow students to access a wider range of resources which they might otherwise not be aware of to help in their studies and individual interests. Moreover, this document was created to give lecturers and module convenors a chance to perhaps explore a wider array of resources to those they commonly use as they structure seminars, lectures, and their own research. Students and educators alike will hopefully be able to gain new insight into different histories through a range of channels, immersing themselves in a novel, inclusive perspective.

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Meeting ID: 881 9967 6107
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Elswick’s Shipyard and its Colonial Legacy 1885-1918 with Celina Hart on Tuesday 26 July at 7.00pm by Zoom
2022-07-26 19:00 - 20:30
Scholarship surrounding the history of the North East is dominated by its industrial heritage, and more specifically, the global reputation it held for shipbuilding. Existing scholarship on Lord Armstrong’s shipbuilding business at Elswick, in particular, has been explored from a biographical, industrial, and military perspective.
Existing work has not made the link between shipbuilding at Elswick and colonialism. Despite such an established global reputation and market, historians have stopped short of researching what the ships were used for and involved in beyond their launch date.
This presentation aims to challenge the dominant narrative which has been created because of the copious literature on the subject. This dominant narrative emits what the ships went on to achieve and conquer. The project will create new perspectives which highlight the global ramifications it had at the time when European powers scrambled to own as much of the Earth’s surface as possible.
Furthermore, Newcastle as a city profited from the money and philanthropy which came from both Armstrong and the profits which were made from sales at his Elswick works. Therefore, this research will also challenge the idea that only those directly involved with colonising other countries, through the ships produced, were enriched by it.
Celina is an MA student in Public History at Newcastle University.

A Zoom link will be sent nearer the time.

NELH Tuesday Meeting: Forbidden Kinder: The 1932 Kinder Scout Mass Tresspass Re-examined with Keith Warrender
2022-08-16 19:00 - 20:30
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Meeting ID: 822 1464 1133, Passcode: [REDACTED]
The 1932 Kinder Scout Mass Trespass is mired in myth and controversy but Keith Warrender, author of the recently published FORBIDDEN KINDER, reveals the truth behind the many claims made for it.
In his talk he will describe the iconic protest in the campaign for ramblers’ right to roam, in which five of the ramblers were jailed after the confrontation with keepers, and how it has divided opinion ever since.
Keith will deal with the spurious claims that the protestors were not dedicated ramblers and explain the politics behind the Trespass.
Critics have said that the Trespass made little impact to free up the wild Derbyshire moors for all, but Keith will show how rambling organisations were spurred on by the event, and the landowners felt pressured into negotiation.
Many of the people on the Trespass went on to live extraordinary lives – and Keith will detail how they were involved in the higher echelons of post-war Government planning, how they attained high office in local government and were involved in social justice around the world. One achieved fame as a top speedway rider, another was a professional footballer, while a further Kinder protester became a science expert on TV shows.
Did the Trespassers actually reach Kinder Scout? It had been thought they hadn’t but Keith will share an interesting discovery.
His book, FORBIDDEN KINDER is the fullest and most comprehensive publication ever written on the Kinder Mass Trespass, setting the scene how Kinder became barred to ramblers, and then outlines the fight to make it open to all.
Keith Warrender is an author and publisher specialising in the local history of Greater Manchester, Cheshire and the Peak District.
He has been interested in the Kinder Trespass since his first book ‘High Peak Faces & Places’ in 1978. Over the years he has given many talks on the subject, and in 1982 published Benny Rothman’s account of the protest.
In 2012 he co-wrote ‘Battle For Kinder Scout’, and then this year, to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Trespass, Keith has written and published ‘Forbidden Kinder’ – the most comprehensive work on the subject.

CHANGE OF VENUE: NELH Annual General Meeting: Lucy Grimshaw and Lewis Mates will talk about the Follonsby Banner Project
2022-09-13 19:00 - 20:30 | The Lit & Phil, 23 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE, United Kingdom
Please note this meeting will now be in Lecture Room at the Newcastle Lit & Phil.
Agenda
1. Welcome from the Chair
2. Apologies for Absence
3. Election of the Chair: Liz O’Donnell is standing for re-election
4. Minutes of the Annual General Meeting held on 7 September 2021
5. Sid Chaplin Prize 2022: This year’s prize will be awarded to Lucy Jameson (Durham University) for her essay, Pneumoconiosis and Social Class in Twentieth-Century County Durham Mining Communities. Grahame Chaplin will present the trophy
6. Secretary’s Report
7. Treasurer’s Report
8. Independent Assessor’s Report
9. Journal Editor’s Report
10 Elections
i Vice Chair – Kath Connolly
ii Secretary – David Connolly
iii Treasurer – Judith McSwaine
iv Committee: Brian Bennison, Pat Candon, John Charlton, Mike Greatbatch, Steve Grinter, Peter Nicklin, Wendy Palace, Rosie Serdiville, John Stirling, Win Stokes, Don Watson
11 Close of Meeting

Guest Speakers
Lucy Grimshaw (Northumbria University) and Lewis Mates (Durham University) will talk about Using Trade Union Banners for Education: The Case of the 1938 ‘Red’ Follonsby Miners’ Banner
This talk considers the use of trade union banners as tools for mainstream education in the context of the recent reclamation, recuperation, and re-articulation of industrial heritage taking place in localities in the former Durham coalfield, north-east England. It does so by focusing on the educational work undertaken by the Follonsby Miner’s Banner Association in partnership with a local primary school.
It is divided into four substantive sections. The first locates our approach theoretically, primarily in the rich pedagogical literature, while the second briefly contextualizes the Association and the school. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with teachers and activists, it offers a chronology of a project that, catalysed by the replica Follonsby miners’ banner, developed spontaneously in several exciting directions.
These included the school developing its own miners’-style banner, unveiled by the late Tony Benn, who featured on it. The third section offers some wider observations about the educational partnership and then considers the specific challenges that the Follonsby banner’s iconography posed in terms of teaching and how these were overcome.
Finally, we discuss legacies and lessons, arguing that the wider impacts of the project went far beyond the specific learning experience they offered the children involved.

NELH Tuesday Meeting: Professor Donna Chambers, Sunderland University will talk about African Lives in the North of England
2022-10-11 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom
In this session, Donna Chambers, Professor of Creative and Cultural Industries at Northumbria University will discuss the origins of the African Lives in Northern England project focusing on its aims, why it was considered necessary, and also the process of collaboration and decision-making which led to the publication of an educational booklet in 2021.
She will also provide an overview of three of the African lives included in the booklet both historic and contemporary – Archie Sibeko, Celestine Edwards and Chi Onwurah. Here’s the link:
Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 856 7888 7936
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Gala Theatre, Durham City: Black History Month event, Time for Change - Action Not Words
2022-10-12 17:30 - 19:00 | Gala Theatre, 1 Millennium Place, Durham, DH1 1WA
From Dr Liam J Liburd, Durham University
I’m writing as the new Public History Officer at Durham University’s Department of History to spread the news about our upcoming History Now! event to mark Black History Month. History Now! is a series of public talks organised between the History Department and the Gala Theatre in Durham.
This year’s Black History Month event will be held in-person at the Gala Theatre on 12 October at 5:30pm, organised in cooperation with Durham’s BAME Network.
The event is a panel discussion reflecting on the theme of this year’s Black History Month: ‘Time for Change – Action Not Words’. Bringing together speakers from within higher education as well as historical researchers beyond academia, the speakers and our audience will consider (among other things) the present and future of Black history in Britain.
One thing to note, this is a ticketed event. Tickets cost only £1 to cover the cost of room hire.
*PLEASE ALSO NOTE* In order to avoid the paying booking fee, rather than booking online or over the phone, it is best to either pay on the door on the evening itself or to pop into the Gala ahead of time and buy tickets in person from their box office. The Facebook event link can be found here and the Gala theatre event page here.
The panel will consist of the following speakers:

Professor Heidi Safia Mirza is Emeritus Professor of Equality Studies in Education at UCL Institute of Education and Visiting Professor of Race, Faith and Culture at Goldsmith’s College, and Social Policy at London School of Economics. She is a daughter of the Caribbean Windrush Generation and is internationally known for her pioneering intersectional academic research on race, gender and identity and championing the rights of Black, Muslim, and Asian women through educational reform. She is author of several best-selling books including Black British Feminism and Young Female and Black, which was voted in the top 40 most influential educational studies in Britain. Professor Mirza is a leading voice in the global debate on decolonisation and co-edited the flagship book, ‘Dismantling Race in Higher Education: Racism, whiteness and decolonising the academy’.
Dr Beverley Prevatt Goldstein has worked extensively in the fields of social work practice, social work education, community development and training and consultancy. She has led training on equalities in the major child care organisations in the North East, the majority of the North East universities and with foster carers and adopters nationally. She is an active researcher and her 28 publications include articles and chapters on black children with a white parent, black perspectives and social work education. Her most recent publications are African Lives in Northern England (2021) and ‘Searching for new perspectives on heritage: The Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans’ in Whose Heritage? Challenging Race and Identity in Stuart Hall’s Post-nation Britain (forthcoming, Routledge, 2023). She has been Acting Programme Director of the Diploma of Social Work at Durham University, Director of BECON (Black Minority Ethnic Community Organisations Network for the North East region) and Chair of North East of England African Community Association. She is a member of Culture Against Racism and Stand Up to Racism, North East.
Chair: Dr Liam J. Liburd is the Assistant Professor of Black British History at Durham University. His research focuses broadly on the ongoing impact of the legacies of empire and decolonisation in modern Britain. His current research focuses on Black radical analyses of fascism and on the question of how historians might use these to transform our understanding of the relationship between British fascism and the British Empire, as well as, more broadly, of the politics of race in modern Britain. He is currently developing his doctoral thesis ‘The Eternal Imperialists: Empire, Race and Gender on the British Radical Right’ (University of Sheffield, 2019) into a book.

We’re hoping for a lively discussion involving the audience as well as the panellists, so please do come along and spread the word!

Durham University: Riots and Roughs: The Violent Origins of English Electoral Democracy
2022-10-24 18:00 - 19:30 | Durham University
From: Dr. Patrick M Kuhn (PI), Proff. Gidon Cohen and Nick Vivyan and Drs. Luke Blaxill, Gary Hutchison
We would like to invite you to ‘Riots and Roughs: The Violent Origins of English Electoral Democracy’ for an evening of electoral violence and local history.
Britain’s electoral development has not always been peaceful. Nineteenth-century elections were, in fact, often extremely violent affairs, much more violent than commonly believed. Our team of Political Scientists and Historians from Durham University have been investigating the causes and consequences of electoral violence in England and Wales. Their database of violent election incidents and interactive map reveals the true extent of bribery, intimidation, and aggression, which characterised Britain’s democratic processes in the nineteenth century. Now, they invite you to come and explore your locality’s own dubious relationship with democracy.
Join us, on Monday 24 October from 18.00 – online or in person – at Durham University’s Teaching and Learning Centre (Room TLC033; parking is available at the Durham Park & Ride Howlands less than ½ mile south of the venue), where Dr. Patrick M Kuhn and his colleagues will introduce you to the dark side of democracy. Together we will explore the surprisingly violent history of elections in England and Wales, taking a close-up look at some of our more amusing and disturbing finds. Patrick will demonstrate how our interactive map works and highlight opportunities for local historians to refine and contribute to this resource, which we aim to continuously update and improve. We are also eager to learn what information we might be able to share from our research to enrich and support your work.
For any secondary school history or citizenship teachers, there will also be a separate presentation to introduce you to our free educational material (KS3/4) designed to aid the teaching of democracy in schools. Those who can join us in person will then have the opportunity to chat with our researchers and explore their local area’s history of electoral violence, using our interactive map for themselves with a glass (or two!) of wine.
This event is free to all, but booking is necessary whether you plan to attend online or in person. Booking closes on 20 October (in-person) and on 23 October (online). Just click here to sign up.
We look forward to seeing you on 24th at Durham University’s Teaching & Learning Centre!
All the best,
The 19th-Century Election Violence Project Team

Newcastle Civic Centre. International Brigades Commemoration
2022-10-30 11:30 - 12:00 | International Brigades Memorial Plaque, Newcastle Civic Centre
From Martin Levy
You are invited to attend the annual commemoration for the volunteers from the North East who gave their lives fighting in the International Brigades against fascism in Spain.
The event will take place at 11.30 am this Sunday, 30 October, at the memorial plaque in the grounds of Newcastle Civic Centre, not far from the Great North Road.
This commemoration is being organised by the Communist Party but is not intended to be a sectarian event, and will be open to all participants to say a few words.

NELH Tuesday Meeting: Peter Brabban will talk about Derwentside in the Winter of 1962/3
2022-11-01 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom
My talk looks at the harsh winter of 1962/3 as a watershed period when the stuffy, conformist 1950s gave way to the liberal and progressive 1960s. The winter weather is described along with the events that marked the watershed.
Peter Brabban was born in North West Durham in 1948, one of the very first NHS babies born in Consett. He was educated at Burnopfield Secondary Modern and left in 1963. He had a long career as a photographer covering portraiture, fashion, then later as a documentary photographer for Oxfam in Central Africa and South East Asia. He retired in 2011 and lives in Newcastle.
Here’s the link:
Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 844 1308 5685
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Sunderland: Lindsay Leonard will talk about The Struggle for a Better Britain 1900 - 1951
2022-11-05 09:00 - 16:30 | Seventeen Nineteen – Holy Trinity Church, Church Street East, Sunderland, SR1 2BB
I am a Labour Party member in St Michaels Branch of the Sunderland Central CLP. The branch has organised a social history conference, The Struggle for a Better Britain 1900 -1951 on Saturday 5 November in Sunderland, with four academic historians as guest speakers, which will focus on the first half of the Twentieth Century. The programme details are attached.

The event is open to all and is intended as a way of raising some additional funds for the branch in readiness for the fight ahead. It is also meant as an engaging and educational event that will hopefully resonate with the current dire situation the country is in: by warning of the danger of history repeating itself but also show there is a ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ in a new Labour government.
You can book your place at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-struggle-for-a-better-britain-100-1951-social-history-conference-tickets-399990832347
Seventeen Nineteen – Holy Trinity Church, Sunderland Seventeen Nineteen – Holy Trinity Church

Irish Centre, Newcastle. The Guy Fawkes Working Class and Anarchist Bookfair
2022-11-05 12:00 - 17:00 | Tyneside Irish Centre, 43 Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4SG, United Kingdom
From Trevor Bark
A broad range of literature, books and ephemera, and will be on display. As well as a bar there will be an open and tolerant atmosphere, where discussion is encouraged.

This bookfair is organised at a time of economic crisis and political crisis. What passes for democracy is in desperate need of serious change. The Politicians lie for the billionaire oligarchs and the media spread it in because it’s in their interests, not ours. Their plan is to divide and rule a disintegrating society which they pretend can be healed with sticking plaster solutions.

It’s time to think our way beyond these limitations and do something about it.

The developing economic crisis, unemployment, energy prices, inflation, the next protests and lots more can be discussed.

Books, mags and pamphlets will cover at least; local and general history, Marxism, labour history, environment, football and other sport, culture, railways, mining, fiction, social science, co-operatives, economics, Anarchism, international relations, socialism, trade unions, sex, drugs & rock n’ roll… 🙂

This is an open invite to all fellow travellers and troublemakers to come on down to the November 5th bookfair and have a great time.

We would especially welcome comrades who travel across the North, such as friends in York, Leeds, Carlisle, Dumfries, Berwick, Middlesborough and lots more.

COP27 Global Day of Action - Newcastle rally
2022-11-12 12:00 - 13:00 | Lisle St, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7AL
Show decision makers that protecting our planet is our top priority! Join our Climate Action Newcastle members on the march and rally. More details about where to meet will be added as soon as available.
Details: https://www.climateactionnewcastle.com/event-details/cop27-global-day-of-action-newcastle-rally

Independent Working Class Education: "Trussonomics and After"
2022-11-15 17:00 - 19:00 | Zoom
Independent Working Class Education invites you to contribute to “What’s behind ‘Truss-economics’? What is really going on? “Will you join us?
Keith Venables is inviting you to a Zoom meeting.
Topic: Trussonomics and After
Tuesday 15th November 5:00 pm UK and International
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83345845025?pwd=[REDACTED]
There will be three short presentations (see below) and then as much discussion as you want.
Presenters:
Dr Martin Allen “Running the economy like a household’ ! How do we challenge Neo-liberal thinking on budgets, borrowing and ‘economic competence? Martin has been teaching young people economics for many years.
Simon Mohun, formerly Prof of Economics at Queen Mary Uni London (who will talk about the ‘macro’ side) and
Sue Himmelweit, formerly Prof of Economics at the OU, who will talk about the gendered impact of the proposed policies.

Brunswick Church Hall, Newcastle: Clean Air, a Public Meeting
2022-11-24 19:00 - 20:30 | Brunswick Methodist Church, Brunswick Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7BJ
From Sandy Irvine
I am writing to let you know about an important public meeting to be held in central Newcastle at 19.00 in Brunswick Church Hall on Thursday November 24th. It will be of real interest to anyone involved in local history.
The topic is the story of a successful campaign led by a remarkable local woman, Jennie Shearan, in the fight for clean air. It was an inspiring victory won against the odds, a struggle based on rallying the local community in Hebburn against one of the worst polluters in the region, Monkton Coke Works. It is a story that has many positive lessons for today. We certainly need success stories in these dark days!
More background:
Trailer on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CLEANAIRbyGianfrancoRosolia
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cleanairbook
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clean_air_book/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/clean_air_book
All are welcome. If you agree about the importance of this story and its pertinence to many issues in the here and now, perhaps you could forward news of the event to anyone else you think might be interested. You can tell people they can book a free place here:
https://actionnetwork.org/events/clean-air-a-david-and-goliath-story?
source=direct_link&fbclid=IwAR1VSi_OksCpvnmHUBa9OwBqpH0VT0_FAwHEezA67ydklRX95s4RSJIBLMA
Thanks for any help you can give.

Magic Hat Café, Newcastle. ‘Testimonies’, a film created as part of the Food for Thought: Newcastle Corn Riots 1740 project
2022-11-30 19:00 - 21:00 | Magic Hat Café, Higham House, Higham Place, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8AF
Shoe Tree Arts invites you to the Magic Hat Café, Higham House, Higham Place, NE1 8AF on 30th November 7pm for the launch of ‘Testimonies’, a film created as part of the Food for Thought: Newcastle Corn Riots 1740 project. It will be shown with a film of the song ‘Geordie Barleycorn’ also written and produced for the project.
Testimonies commemorates and explores the events of 1740 when food shortages led to demonstrations and riots on Newcastle Quayside and makes parallels with today’s issues of food poverty, climate change and the right to peaceful protest.
There will be films, refreshments, hot and cold drinks and a chance to chat, ask questions and celebrate the culmination of the project.
All welcome
Entry is free but please RSVP to phetheanellen237@gmail.com
The project was supported by:
The Joicey Trust
National Lottery Heritage Fund
Newcastle City Council
