A struggle for racial justice In 1963, activists from the West Indian Development Council (WIDC) had their suspicions confirmed that Bristol Omnibus Company operated a colour bar on the employment of drivers and conductors. But who was behind this? Management? Workers? Unions? Passengers? Silu Pascoe explores the background and the ensuing campaign to end the blatant discrimination on the buses. “I was there!” One of the young activists was Joyce Morris-Wisdom. In this pamphlet, she tells of her […]
To mark the centenary of the 1926 General Strike and miners’ lockout, BRHG members are involved in a project to commemorate the strike in Bristol and the surrounding area. The outcome of this will either be a number of pamphlets on general strike themes or a book containing a number of essays. The aim is for the publications to be launched in April or early May 2026 and that the launch will coincide with a commemorative event. The centenary of the start of the strike will be on May 4th 2026. The […]
Dave's talk is intended to be an introduction to the Somerset Coalfield, one of the West Country's best-kept historical secrets. Whilst 'Killing yourself to keep yourself' will cover geography, geology, land owners, mine owners, mining techniques, accidents and disasters, the talk will focus on the miners' trade union, the Somerset Miners Association (SMA). It will look at some of the battles with vicious employers the SMA engaged in, to gain recognition, respect, and improvements to wages and […]
Ever wondered why there’s a pub called the Jolly Colliers on West Street? Do you know that the first Bristol Co-op was founded at 88 West Street by miners - who also set up a ‘Gospel tent’ and school on the site of what’s now United Reformed Church? The Somerset coalfields included the Malago and Argus pits, both of which were located on West Street, more or less where Tesco and Airpoint are now. The West St BS3 Neighbourhood Group is continuing its local history project supported by BS3 charity […]
Strike: An Uncivil War tells the story of the Battle of Orgreave, the most violent confrontation between miners and police during the 1984/85 Miners’ Strike in Great Britain. The year long Miners’ Strike was the most divisive and violent industrial dispute that Britain has ever witnessed, and using powerful personal testimony, previously hidden government documents and a treasure trove of never before seen archive material, Strike: An Uncivil War follows the events at Orgreave, which took place […]
This was a warm and extraordinary performance. It captured the spirit of the Clarion clubs, a nearly – but not quite – lost world, dear to the hearts of many radical historians. It was brought to us by Neil Gore, a man of many parts it seems, actor, songsmith and musician, dramatist, compere, promoter, ticket collector, programme seller, lights technician, and slide projectionist. This summer, Neil is AKA Robert Blatchford (1851-1943), likewise a man of many parts, and the hero of the […]
In the last few weeks, people have been looking back to the 1984/5 miners’ strike, and celebrating the tremendous solidarity shown by National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) members to sustain their fight to protect jobs and communities. The strike provoked a wave of solidarity from people across the UK that helped to sustain the striking miners. It also had an impact on levels of political organisation more generally. Many younger activists became more confident and developed organisational skills […]
To celebrate Mayday and three new Bristol Radical History Group publications focusing on the vibrant labour history of Bristol we are bringing the authors together at Tony Benn House for an early evening event. Deference and Dissent: Labour relations in a family firm by Mike Richardson is a study of the printing and publishing company J. W. Arrowsmith Ltd from 1855 to 1927, providing a window into the working lives of compositors, letterpress machinists, and bookbinders and their relationships […]
The fight for union rights. In the early twentieth century, workers could be sacked by their employer with impunity simply because they had joined a trade union. Such was the situation for those who worked on Bristol’s trams. In Trouble on the Trams, Rob Whitfield recounts how the drivers and conductors fought back when nearly one hundred of their number were dismissed in 1901. Using contemporary newspaper reports and the company’s own records, he details this dispute and those that were to […]
