Sid Chaplin

The author Sid Chaplin was a founder member of the Society and his Memorial Trophy is awarded each year to the winner of our labour history essay competition. The aim of the competition is to foster interest in North East labour history under the following conditions:

1. The Trophy will be awarded for the best essay submitted on any aspect of the history of labour in the North East. The essay should show some knowledge and use of original sources. It should be word- processed and not more than 10,000 words in length.

2. The competition will be open to anyone who is not employed full-time as a professional teacher or writer of history.

3. An Adjudication Panel, drawn from the Society, will judge the essays and the Adjudicators’ decision will be final in all matters affecting the award of the Trophy.

4. All entries must be submitted to the Secretary of the society and received not later than 30th June each year.

The results will be published in the Society’s Journal. The Trophy is a miner’s lamp with the name of each winner inscribed on it. Winners may keep the Trophy for one year. The winner also receives a £100 book token.

Past Winners:

1988  Kit Pearce
1989  Elaine Knox
1990  Sylvia Clark
1991  Martin Searles
1992  David Ridley
1993  Pauline Lynn
1994  Kathleen Smith
1996  Reg Brown
1997  Angela Goldsmith
2000  Robert Hope
2004  Craig Turnbull
2005  Craig Armstrong
2006  Elspeth Gould

2007  Candice Brockwell
2008  Ruth Blower
2009  Rob Doherty
2010  David Reed
2011  Deborah Smith
2012  James English
2013  Aidan Harper
2014  Molly Courtice
2015  Adam Woolley
2016  Leanne Carr
2017  Leanne Smith
2018  Joel Wootten
2019  India Gerritson
2020  Hannah Kent