It’s easy to forget that a walk around our local supermarkets
Can take you back in a glance to the early twentieth century:
Names like Coronation Road, King’s Road, Queen’s Road,
With the red brick villas lining the streets:
Their soot mixed with mortar like a chequer board,
To save on the costs of sand before the Great War,
With Stonehouse brick stamped with the company’s insignia
On garden walls, to remind us of those vast brickworks
Stretching along the railway line at Stonehouse.
When you reach Spillman’s, busy with traffic,
Imagine vegetables not cars growing in the front gardens,
‘Old Tom’, the horse, chewing on the carrots,
Kept him going on his deliveries rattling
Over the cobblestones of Rodborough’s roads:
Coal and milk and spuds and beer and bread,
And, of course, the fishmonger, basket on head –
But there would be no coal delivered in early May 1926.
Then down we go to the Nailsworth branch line,
And as you step across the bridge,
It’s easy to miss Industry’s footprint,
Lost in the elder, primrose, ash and willow.
But see the rusting mighty iron capstans,
One, now toppled, but one still firm and strong,
Once used for winching trucks down the gas works siding,
To a coal tippler (concrete remains there still),
Where a hydraulic ram tipped the trucks’ coal
Down a chute to a narrow gauge hopper,
And thence over two bridges and the Frome,
To its destination at Stroud Gasworks –
But there was a nine-day General Strike in May 1926,
And the miners were locked-out until November.
About 2,000 persons went on short-time working
During the General Strike in Stroud
As a consequence of a shortage of coal,
With the GWR and LMS on strike;
200 men and 300 women out of work too;
This is the roll-call of firms mentioned in the press:
Holloway Bros. Ltd., Apperley Curtis Co., Ltd., Copeland, Chatterson and Co., Ltd., Stroud Metal Co., Ltd., G. Waller and Son Ltd., Phoenix Iron Works, Thrupp, Charfield, the Woodworkers Co., Charles Hooper and Co., Bonds Mill, Eastington, Messrs. Vowles and Son Ltd., Upper Mills, Stonehouse, Newman, Hender and Co., near Nailsworth, Howard and Powell, of Walbridge, T.B. Worth and Sons, Ltd., Ham Mills, Erinoid Ltd., Lightpill,
Marling and Evans Ltd., are carrying on as usual. Holloway Bros., Ltd., are closing down three days a week. Hill, Paul and Co., are hindered by transport difficulties. The Chalford Stick Mills are carrying on as usual. Henry Workman, Ltd., Woodchester, are keeping on as long as they can in the interests of their employees, hours of labour etc., being the same as usual.
Walker Bros., Dunkirk Mills, are keeping on as usual, but do not know for how long. E.A. Chamberlain and Co., Nailsworth, are carrying on as usual with short shifts.
Now let’s walk past more supermarkets to reach the railway station,
Buy yourself a coffee, sit back on the platform,
Gaze up and down the line and recall …
‘None of the local railway services have been in operation since the declaration of the general strike … At Stroud 75 men out of 84 are on strike at the G.W.R. All are out at Chalford. 13 out of 27 have struck on the L.M.S., one or two working at Nailsworth, Woodchester and Dudbridge. Altogether, in our district, we understand that there are over 200 railwaymen who have ceased work.
Mr. F.E. Wake, J.P., C.C. (secretary of the local branch of the N.U.R.) said that 98% of his members in the Stroud area were out, and that everything was proceeding in a quiet and orderly manner. That morning he had received the following telegram from Mr. T.C. Cramp, the general secretary of the Union: “Position unchanged, no wavering anywhere. Pickets should wear prominent badges. All other members, far as possible, must keep off the streets.”’
As for the canals, the Thames & Severn was falling into disrepair,
There was a confrontation between police and dockers at Gloucester,
When an attempt was made to prevent
Traffic on the Gloucester & Sharpness Canal,
There may have been some trows sailing along
The Stroudwater Navigation
(We are researching even as I write),
But I think I’ll walk along the towpath now to Cainscross
Past the Co-op supermarket to the old Co-op building,
And remember these words from the Gloucester Strike Bulletin:
‘Council of Action is now functioning, with close co-operation of all Unions and workers concerned and the necessary sub-committees are all in operation. A large Labour Demonstration will be held on Sunday May 16th, leaving Lansdown at 2.30 p.m. proceeding to Frome-hall Park with band. Speakers: Morgan Jones and Dan Griffiths. A meeting will be held at night in the Cooperative Hall, Cainscross at 7.30 p.m. Speakers: Mr. G. Hall and Dan Griffiths. All supporters of the cause are heartily invited to join the procession.
Signed
A.H. Williams (Secretary)
K. Underwood (Chairman)’
I’ll walk back to Rodborough past the old council houses
Behind Stratford Road by the bridge over the railway line,
Wheatley’s Housing Act and the 1924 Labour Government,
Passing through my mind as I make my way to the canal,
Past the old mills, sluice gate and chimney,
Thence back to the Bath Road and along to Walkley Hill.
As you climb up towards the church, glance to your left,
You will see a long line of large houses,
One showing its date of construction:
1926,
But they are all pretty much of that time …
Did work stop on Walkley Hill in May that year?
The Gloucester Strike Bulletin on Wednesday May 12:
‘The Stroud Council of Action reports the following strike position: N.U.R. and A.S.L.E. & F. Solid as ever. PRINTERS – Solid as ever, position unchanged. R.C.A. Solid as ever, position unchanged. A.E.U. Some out, rest ready to come out on receiving instructions from Head Office. BUILDING TRADES Majority out, rest awaiting instructions.’
As a counter-point to that, here are the right-wing ramblings
Aka ‘Jottings of Jonathan’, Stroud Journal, May 14:
‘It would be idle to ignore the fact that too often trade union action has militated against the best interests of the public. As an example, it is only necessary to mention the building trade, with the embargo set up by the limitation of output in conjunction with the demand for high wages.’
Whatever.
I’ve reached home now and the fireside.
It’s time to conclude with a few jottings of my own
To remind myself of the time and tide of May 1926:
What was Stroud and the Five Valleys like back then?
I mean the atmosphere in the streets and lanes and fields and shops and schools and pubs …
Was it like this?
Beatrice Webb diary Monday May 3rd
‘The net impression left on my mind is that the General Strike will turn out not to be a revolution of any sort but a batch of compulsory Bank Holidays without any opportunity for recreation and a lot of dreary walking to and fro …’
Beatrice Webb diary Tuesday May 4th
‘The sensation of a general strike which stops the press, as witnessed from a cottage in the country, centres round the headphones of the wireless set.’
GLOUCESTER STRIKE BULLETIN FRIDAY MAY 7
WITH THE WORKERS
Impressions of a stroll round the City
(By our Correspondent)
‘Amongst the black-coated workers the response among the railway clerks is very satisfactory. There was nothing doing on the goods yards of both the railways … It is a sight to see the railway metals beginning to rust owing to the absence of trains. The empty stations and the silence, where once was all noise, indicates the greatness and completeness of the workers’ protest of the crime that is being committed by the coal owners against the miners and against the supineness of a government that sits by with folded hands and allows the sands to run out. Never has Gloucester seen anything like this before …’
But higher up the social scale:
Sir Philip Gibbs: ‘Those of us who have wireless sets, especially those of us who live in the country districts as I do, have been sitting up late at night to get any word over the wireless waves which might mean hope and peace.’
12 May King George the V’s diary
‘Our old country can be well proud of itself, as during the last nine days there has been a strike in which four million people have been affected, not a shot has been fired and no-one has been killed, it shows what a wonderful people we are.’
But, of course, nationally, ‘there were outbreaks of violence. There was, for instance, a major riot at Swindon on Thursday when a crowd of thousands, including women with aprons full of stones, prevented the first trams from returning to the streets.’ (Chris Farman The General Strike)
But I conclude with a key section of the Prime Minister’s speech:
“we should resume our work in a spirit of co-operation, putting behind us all malice and vindictiveness.”
Had there been any malice and vindictiveness in the streets of Stroud and beyond during the nine days? There is a tantalising absence of evidence on that question – the lack of evidence may, of course, suggest peaceful streets. The Stroud Journal talked of local reserve constables who ‘again donned their uniform’ and of the large enrolment of ‘efficient and highly satisfactory’ special constables.’ Significantly, the feature finished with the lofty tone of this sentence: ‘We have been fortunate in this locality in that no disturbances have taken place, which speaks well for the hundreds of men who have been unemployed.’ Indeed, the only court cases that I chanced upon in the May 21 edition of the newspaper involved bicycles (one speeding) and the parking of a motor car.
Addendum:
Extra detail for your walk, firstly from the Citizen:
‘Stroud and district, one of the biggest industrial areas in the county, is already seriously affected by the strike …on Thursday morning over 200 additional men and 300 additional women signed on at the local Employment Exchanges. In the main these comprise employees of Messrs. Holloway Bros. Ltd., who closed down on Wednesday evening until Monday, when they will work three days a week. At the end of the week, Messrs. Apperley Curtis Co., Ltd., woollen cloth manufacturers of Dudbridge, close down for a week, affecting about 170 employees and will afterwards open for three days a week. As a result Messrs. Copeland, Chatterson and Co., Ltd., loose-leaf manufacturers of Dudbridge, and the Stroud Metal Co., Ltd., of the same locality, firms who are supplied with power from Messrs. Apperley, Curtis and Co., will also close down until further notice and Messrs. Copeland Chatterson and Co., for a week, to recommence operations at three days a week. In the case of the last named firm 100 hands are affected, and as regards the Metal Co., some 120 employees will be out … it appears that firms are, generally speaking, full up with orders, indicating a revival in trade, but owing to difficulties with transport and restrictions as to use of coal, they are unable to carry on as usual. In many cases shortened hours will be worked but regarding Messrs. G. Waller and Son Ltd., Phoenix Iron Works, Thrupp, it is understood from a reliable source that at the end of the week they will close down for the duration of the strike. Some 220 hands being involved. At Charfield, the Woodworkers Co., employing about 170 hands, close down on Friday evening for a week, but re-open on the Monday week following while Messrs. Charles Hooper and Co., woollen cloth manufacturers, Bonds Mill, Eastington, have decided to work a week and “play” a week, some 150 hands being concerned. Messrs. Vowles and Son Ltd., brush manufacturers, of Upper Mills, Stonehouse, have decided upon working half-time, but in addition they have definitely suspended about 50 per cent. of their workforce (about 100) because of the shortage of raw material. Thus, locally, taking also smaller firms into consideration, nearly 2,000 workers are affected, in addition to the number actually involved in the strike.’
The “Stroud Journal” of May 7 carried a similar report but with these additional firms and industries:
‘In every case the goods are held up owing to lack of transport. Newman, Hender and Co., near Nailsworth, state that they will keep running as long as fuel and raw materials permits. Manufactures are being stored in the warehouses, as they are unable to be despatched.
Howard and Powell, of Walbridge, are at present unaffected except with regard to transport. They are carrying on as usual while cutting down coal consumption as much as possible. T.B. Worth and Sons, Ltd., Ham Mills, started yesterday (Thursday) working from 9 to 5, and not working Saturdays. This is entirely owing to the coal limitation, and the firm will carry on like this as long as raw materials will permit.
Erinoid Ltd., Lightpill, are at the moment maintaining trade with Birmingham, but there is nothing doing in London owing to power being cut off … Consequently, the sales side of the business is restricted, but the works are carrying on to the end of the week. Beyond this prospects are undecided.
Marling and Evans Ltd., are carrying on as usual. days a week. Hill, Paul and Co., are hindered by transport difficulties.
The Chalford Stick Mills are carrying on as usual. Henry Workman, Ltd., Woodchester, are keeping on as long as they can in the interests of their employees, hours of labour etc., being the same as usual.
Walker Bros., Dunkirk Mills, are keeping on as usual, but do not know for how long.
E.A. Chamberlain and Co., Nailsworth, are carrying on as usual with short shifts which have been reduced from two 12 ones to two 8 hours ones. Otherwise, everything is normal and they have a good supply of coal.’