North East Labour History

Bridge Hotel, Newcastle. Memorial for Peter Burnett
2022-07-08 16:00 - 17:00 (Europe/London) | 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.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88199676107?pwd=[REDACTED]

Meeting ID: 881 9967 6107
Passcode: [REDACTED]

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
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82214641133?pwd=[REDACTED]
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
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85678887936?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 856 7888 7936
Passcode: [REDACTED]

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
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84413085685?pwd=[REDACTED]
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

Durham University. December World Heritage lecture: Redhills World Heritage - who would have thought it?
2022-12-06 18:00 - 19:30 | Pemberton Rooms, Palace Green, Durham, DH1 3EP
From Dr. Jo Shoebridge, Durham University
We’re delighted to share details with you about our December World Heritage lecture, which is now available for booking!
Tuesday 6th December 6pm,
Pemberton Rooms, Palace Green, Durham
Redhills World Heritage – who would have thought it?
Following on from our previous two lectures discussing serial World Heritage nominations, we are pleased to welcome Ross Forbes, Programme Manager for Durham Miners’ Association who will talk about Redhills Miners’ Hall here in Durham and its part in a serial nomination bid.
After the lecture you are very welcome to join us for a drink and a mince pie at 7 Owengate!
Click here to book please direct any queries to the World Heritage Site Visitor Centre: visitor.centre@durham.ac.uk and accept our apologies for duplicate / cross postings.
With thanks to Sue Ward.

Online: Peter Brabban's Fiendish NELH Christmas Quiz
2022-12-13 19:00 - 20:30 | Venue TBD
The Society’s Christmas Quiz hosted by Peter Brabban will take place this Tuesday 13 December at 7.00pm, all are welcome and here’s the link:

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84526575104?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 845 2657 5104
Passcode: [REDACTED]

NELH Tuesday Meeting. Andy McSmith: Five Russians in the North East of England
2023-01-17 19:00 - 20:30 | Zoom
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82279384542?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 822 7938 4542
Passcode: [REDACTED]

From the 1880s until the Bolshevik revolution, Tyneside hosted a number of Russians who lived strange and sometimes dangerous lives. They were few, but fascinating.
The first was an anarchist and aristocrat wanted by the Russian police since his escape from a fortress prison in St Petersburg, There was a writer who, unknowingly, was a major influence on British post war literature; a Bolshevik whom Lenin described as the “favourite of the whole party”, and several who used false names abroad to hide their secrets.
Each was to be found at different times in Newcastle, and one of them had a searing memory of something terrible that happened in Whitley Bay.

Andy McSmith is an author and journalist whose interest in the subject originated during the nine years he lived in Newcastle. His published works include a history of famous artists who lived in Russia during Stalin’s time.

North Shields: Stuart Barlow on The Hidden History of Robert Lowery
2023-02-11 11:00 - 12:30 | The Old Low Light, Clifford’s Fort, North Shields Fish Quay, North Shields, NE30 1JE
I am doing a talk at the Old Low Light Heritage Centre, North Shields NE30 1JE on Saturday 11 February at 11.00am which is about, what I have called, the hidden history of Robert Lowery, the North Shields man who was one of the leaders of the Chartist movement.
The talk will cover his birth in North Shields, his life and exploits as a child and young man, and how he become involved in what was going on around him at a time when there was much agitation in the area for Lord Grey’s Reform Act. From this Lowery began speaking publicly locally which led to him being involved in Chartism nationally.
People can find out more about the talk and how to book a place on the Old Low Light Heritage Centre web site at:
https://oldlowlight.co.uk/event/heritage-talk-a-north-shields-hidden-history-robert-lowery-chartist-leader/

NELH Tuesday Meeting. Jude Murphy: Routes of Social Change (WEA Project)
2023-02-21 19:00 - 20:30 | Venue to be notified
Routes of Social Change https://wea-historywalks.org.uk is an ongoing pilot project funded by Lipman Miliband Trust and WEA’s own Volunteer Innovation Fund. During lockdown, several of us at WEA were struck by the growth in interest in self-guided soundwalks. Obviously, this kind of activity was going to grow when you were limited to outdoor activity in your own back yard. As we explored the idea further, we realised there were alternative approaches that we wanted to trial. We wanted any walks we developed to reflect lesser-told stories. We wanted to show the landscape as something dynamic, affected by and in turn affecting social change. We opted to focus on four areas rich in tales of industrial and post-industrial transformation: along the Sustrans C2C route from Beamish to Consett; Newcastle-upon-Tyne’s sites relating to human rights and social justice; along the river Wear in Sunderland; and from Dunston Staithes, across the river into Ouseburn and Byker.
Considering the rich mix of skills among the volunteers in the NE History and Heritage Branch, it was clear that simple soundwalks might limit our ability to successfully communicate our message. We wanted to incorporate visual arts, photography, maps and video. This required a whole new platform and luckily we had a volunteer with superb digital skills who was seeking a new challenge. What followed was a pilot project that increased our awareness of the exciting possibilities of this kind of platform, but also the difficult editorial decisions that it brings. How to relate a nuanced social history in segments of no more than 4 minutes? What happens if some parts of the map are rich in stories while others have few points of interest? What about if every point of interest on a certain segment is quite depressing? There are as yet unexplored possibilities of digital archives to enrich the material presented on each walk, and this may address some of these issues.
The presentation to NELHS will involve sharing some of these stories and their dissemination, but also consultation with members of the society to explore ways to improve and extend these walks.
Jude Murphy’s PhD was on Tyneside Culture and the Second Folk Revival, and she has continued to explore social and cultural history of the region through several projects for WEA, WHIST, Education 4 Action and in collaboration with local universities. Her latest role is Heritage and Culture Development Coordinator with Community Opportunities Washington.

Special Event, Bosnia and the North East. Newcastle City Library
2023-03-18 10:00 - 13:00 | Bewick Room, Newcastle City Library, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8AX
On Saturday 18th March there will be a special event in Newcastle to celebrate the links between North East England and Bosnia. All are welcome, especially those involved in education and in trade unions. The event will hear from a number of speakers related to educational and trade union work around the links between the North East and Bosnia.
Then we will plan to do groundbreaking work over the next two years in the areas of education and trade union activism.
We will plan to increase awareness of what happened in Bosnia in the 1990’s, how we can learn from it here and how we can work to get more schools to teach about these issues. We will plan to get the Bosnia Education Trust into more schools and also strengthen the Newcastle schools of sanctuary scheme.
We will also plan to let more people in the North East know about the strong trade union links between Bosnia and the North East in the past, how miners in Bosnia helped miners in this country during the 1984/5 strike and how trade unionists in the North East helped Bosnians during the war in the 1990’s, through Workers Aid for Bosnia. We will also plan how we can strengthen the international links between trade unions in the Northeast and Bosnia.
The story of North East links with Bosnia can be found on the NELHS website here: From-Tuzla-to-Tyneside.docx (live.com)
Speakers include:
Smajo Beso, Bosnia Education Trust
Shirley Allen-Jackson, WEA Area Education Manager Union Learning
Rosie Tapsfield, Newcastle Schools of Sanctuary
Erin Parker, daughter of Workers Aid for Bosnia NE coordinator Tony Parker
10 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturday 18th MarchBewick Room, City Library, New Bridge Street West, Newcastle, NE1 8AX
Please join us for what will be an uplifting and important meeting.
For more information please contact Peter Sagar at peter0462@gmail.com

NELH Tuesday Meeting. Charlie McGuire (Teesside University): The 1980 Steel Strike on Teesside
2023-03-21 19:00 - 20:30 | Venue to be notified
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The focus of the talk is the 1980 national steelworkers’ strike and its impact in Teesside. This was the first national industrial conflict between trade unions and Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government, which had been elected seven months earlier. Lasting three months, from January-April 1980, it was – up to that point – the largest strike in post-1945 British history, involving over 100,000 workers and accounting for almost 9 million working days.
It was the first national strike in the history of the British steel industry (excluding the General Strike of 1926) and was characterised by very high levels of activism from the workers, in the form of mass picketing, widespread secondary picketing, and involvement in the numerous strike committees that were organised throughout the steel-producing regions in Britain. The outcome of the strike was a higher pay increase for workers, but this was accompanied with a continuation of the closures and redundancies programme; by the end of the 13-month period from the finish of the strike to May 1981, British Steel Corporation, under its new Chairman, Ian McGregor, had shed over 55,000 jobs.
Teesside was heavily dependent on steel as a source of employment. In 1980, around 21,000 people worked in the region’s steel plants, including Hartlepool, Redcar-Lackenby, South Bank and Cargo Fleet among others. Therefore when the strike was called, it proved to be a significant social, economic and political event. The strike was very well-supported and organised in the local steel works. However, in the years following the strike, job losses hit the Teesside steel industry and by 1986 employment was down to just 7,000. This talk will explore the strike and discuss its difficult aftermath in this region.
Charlie McGuire is a senior lecturer in history at Teesside University. His main research areas are in Irish and British labour history. Charlie’s PhD was a study of the career of Irish socialist and labour movement activist Roddy Connolly, who was the son of James Connolly. This formed the basis of the book Roddy Connolly and the Struggle for Socialism in Ireland, published by Cork University Press in 2008. His second monograph Sean McLoughlin: Ireland’s Forgotten Revolutionary was published by Merlin Press in 2011 and focused on the life of a little-known but significant figure of the Irish Revolution.
Charlie continues to research in Irish labour history, and is also interested in oral histories of working lives and trade union struggles in Britain. He was part of a major oral history project at Westminster University that focused on building worker trade unionism in post-war Britain and is currently researching an oral history study of the 1980 national steelworkers strike, which will be published by Manchester University Press.

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists at the Tyneside Irish Centre
2023-03-24 19:30 - 22:00 | Tyneside Irish Centre, 43 Gallowgate, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4SG, United Kingdom
Neil Gore’s brilliant one man show returns to Tyneside Irish Centre on 24th March 2023
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists adapted by Neil Gore from the book by Robert Tressell, directed by Louise Townsend
Neil Gore, presents a one-person version of the classic novel by Robert Tressell featuring projection, political conjuring tricks, live music and song. Meet the famous characters and enjoy the scenes, speeches and songs, featuring the Great Money Trick as its centrepiece.
This enduring and absorbing classic story of a year in the life of a group of Edwardian painters and decorators is brought to life by Neil Gore using his extensive knowledge of the book and the play, having performed it in many versions over forty years.
‘The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists’ follows a group of workers as they renovate ‘The Cave’, a three-storey town house, for Mayor Sweater. It traces their hardships and struggles for survival in a complacent and stagnating Edwardian England.
These workers are the ‘philanthropists’ who throw themselves into back-breaking work for poverty wages in order to generate profit for their masters. They are joined by artist Owen, whose spirited attacks on the dishonesty of Capitalism along with his Socialist vision, highlights the exploitation in their workplace but also focuses on the inequality in society as a whole.
Tickets £15, £10 concesssions.- available on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/518591379777 or contact us on 0191 261 0385 or at tyneirishcs@gmail.com

NELH Tuesday Meeting. Gianfranco Rosolia: Clean Air, the long community struggle against the environmental damage caused by the Monkton Coke Works
2023-04-11 19:00 - 20:30 | Venue to be notified
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Meeting ID: 874 3475 9208
Passcode: [REDACTED]
The inspirational true story of a dynamic Geordie woman’s rise from ordinary housewife to remarkable environmentalist.
‘An inspirational true story about female empowerment, grassroots activism and environmental justice. What an eloquent spokesperson Jennie Shearan was.’ Sting
‘A wonderful record of Jennie Shearan’s extraordinary campaign for environme ntal justice. CLEAN AIR recounts the vision, courage, and staying power of Jennie and her close colleagues in the Hebburn Residents’ Action Group. They provided hope for countless people.’ – Jonathon Porritt CBE
‘Jennie Shearan was a remarkable woman who was rooted in – and utterly devoted to – her local community. CLEAN AIR is a timely reminder of the importance of honouring women such as Jennie who can inspire others to follow her example of pursuing worthwhile causes and giving selfless public service.’ – Baroness Joyce Quin, former Europe Minister‘An inspiring story of an indomitable woman fighting for the health and well-being of a poor community against the combined power and influence of big business, supine regulators, and government.’ – Dr Wendy Le-Las
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Gianfranco Rosolia is a Literature graduate from the University of Cambridge and has an MBA from Bayes Business School. CLEAN AIR is his first book. Born and raised in the North East of England, he currently lives in Austin, Texas with his partner Michelle.
Jennie Shearan and the Hebburn Residents’ Action Group deeply loved their community. They put their heart and spirit into improving the lives of ordinary people. Their redoubtable efforts left a deeply positive and long-lasting legacy, giving thousands of people hope for a stronger and healthier future and transforming their quality of life.
To continue their good work, all proceeds from CLEAN AIR will go directly to three charities that represent what Jennie was fighting for:
Friends of the Earth: https://friendsoftheearth.uk
The Environmental Law Foundation: https://elflaw.org
Hebburn Helps: https://hebburnhelps.co.uk

2023 Tyne & Wear May Day celebration
2023-04-29 - 2023-04-30 | Grey’s Monument, Newcastle upon Tyne
Assembly from 11 am at
the Bandstand, Exhibition Park, Newcastle
Bring your banners and placards!
March leaves at 11.30 am, led by the RMT Fishburn Band
Rally at Grey’s Monument at 12 noon
Speakers include:
FRAN HEATHCOTE PCS president
DAVE KING RMT national executive
SUZANNE REID Unite regional coordinating officer
LINDSEY GERMAN Stop the War Coalition convenor
plus supporting local speakers
___________________________________________
Social after the rally at the
Tyneside Irish Centre
43 Gallowgate NE1 4SG
Lunchtime food available
Entertainment from the BELTA REIVERS

May Day in South Tyneside
2023-05-01 19:00 - 22:00 | Alberta Social Club, Railway Street, Jarrow, NE32 5HW
From Paul Mayne
South Tyneside Trades Council is organising a May Day Celebration, which will be on Monday May 1st at the Alberta Social Club, Railway Street, Jarrow NE32 5HW starting at 7.00pm.
The club is very close to Jarrow metro station on the Newcastle bound side. The speakers are: Kate Osbourne, MP for Jarrow, Emma Lewell Buck, MP for South Shields and Terry McPartlan from the Centre for Unemployed Workers in Gateshead.
Entertainment provided by the Shamrock Street Band. This will be a distance for some members to travel but the venue is not too inconvenient for folk near a metro station or who live in the Gateshead or South Tyneside areas. It would be nice to have a good turn out.

Land of Oak and Iron. CLEAN AIR: Monkton Cokeworks. Talk and Book Signing by Gianfranco Rosolia
2023-05-20 12:30 - 14:30 | Land of Oak and Iron Heritage Centre, Spa Well Road, Winlaton Mill, Blaydon on Tyne, NE21 6RU
Gianfranco Rosolia, who gave an excellent talk at our recent meeting on the history of the Monkton Cokeworks, will be speaking at theLand of Oak & Iron Heritage Centre on Saturday 20 May from 12.30 – 2.30pm for a “meet the author” & book-signing.
The address is Spa Well Road, Winlaton Mill, Blaydon upon Tyne, NE21 6RU
People can buy an author-signed copy of the paperback on his CLEAN AIR website: https://clean-air-book.square.site/
Alternatively the book is available in ebook, paperback, hardback and audiobook on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/CLEAN-AIR-Gianfranco-Rosolia/dp/1739102401
