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Walking and Pop-up Open-air Museums

Purton and the River Severn Walking around Purton on the River Severn is almost literally rather than figuratively a pop-up experience. The biggest riverine boat-grave in Britain: old boats and barges rammed into the river bank to try and keep it stable. And there are the boats: rusting, mouldering, skeletal and cadaverous, beached in a liminal half-solid, half squelching aqueous mud-scape. There they lie, some staring out mutely at the rushing river. Others are slip-sliding away to oblivion. After our trip in the Bongo, we drove back along the A38 to find a spot for the night. Where better than Arlingham? We camped at Weston Farm, right next to field after field of orchards, and field after field of medieval ridge and furrow: an open-air pop-up of corrugated pasture, and sea-waves of...

The Workers’ Bulletin

Tuesday May 4th, The Workers’ Bulletin   Congratulations to the workers of Great Britain! Nothing finer has ever been seen … The stoppage is complete. The wanton brutality of the Government and the coal-owners in their combined endeavour to force a reduction of wages...

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The British Worker

The British Worker Wednesday 5th May, MESSAGE TO ALL WORKERS The General Council of the Trades Union Congress wishes to emphasise the fact that this is an industrial dispute. It expects every member taking part to be exemplary in his conduct and not give any...

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The British Gazette

Wednesday 5th May the British Gazette:   ‘…the democratic State cannot possibly submit to sectional dictation. It is bound to defend and assert, no matter at what cost, the national and constitutional authority … a General Strike … is a conflict between Trade...

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Upper-Class Volunteers 1926

Oh, it’s such a lark being a volunteer and helping to break this damned strike, don’t you know. Just listen to this!   ‘Seeing it Through’ Tommy is stoking an engine, Grandpa waves flags red and green, Innocent Florrie Is driving a lorry, While Millicent runs a...

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BBC 1926

This is the BBC; Tuesday May 4th.1926 Reports from every part of the country to-day reveal that the General Strike which began at midnight has caused an almost complete industrial paralysis. The Report of the Trades Union General Council was that the stoppage had been...

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Swindon and the General Strike

Swindon and the General Strike Factory walls can sometimes feel like prison walls, But I always thought the Factory walls in Swindon Had a welcoming, warm and friendly feel, Even in the low sun days of midwinter. For this was a railway town, A Great Western Railway...

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