Shelf Life The Newsletter of the Working Class Movement Library Issue No. 61 Winter 2018 More Than Just the Pankhursts

Throughout the year, the media to support full adult suffrage. has marked the centenary of Ali Ronan spoke on the some women getting the vote by indomitable Margaret Ashton, concentrating on the activities Manchester’s first woman and personalities of the councillor, campaigner for Women’s Social and Political women’s rights and suffrage, for Union – the Suffragettes. municipal social reforms and for Speakers at the Working Class peace. Movement Library’s conference Kate Connolly spoke about the in the Old Fire Station, Salford influence of tours of North University in early November America and especially the remedied this by covering the settlement movement, had on wider women’s suffrage Sylvia Pankhurst and on the movement. East London Federation of Professor June Hannam gave a Suffragettes which she founded, broad picture of the changing its appeal to working class political situation before, during women and its growing links and after the first World War with the labour movement. and illustrated it by referring to These developments led to two remarkable women Sylvia’s sister, Christabel, campaigning for suffrage, peace expelling her from the Women’s ….’There was a real buzz and socialism in Bristol. Ruth Social and Political Union. The throughout the day. The Cohen covered the differences conference finished with a re- speakers were passionate about within the Women’s Co- enactment by a local community their topics and their enthusiasm operative Guild on women’s group of the 1916 Burnage Milk was infectious’ … and another suffrage and how its leader, Strike. The conference was wrote ‘One of the best Margaret Llewellyn Davies came summed up by one participant conferences I have attended’. Forward, Sister Women! Following on with the same theme, voices of the past, present and future collided as a group of energetically tuneful students from St Ambrose Barlow School in Salford shared creative reflections on the women’s suffrage movement in relation to contemporary female activism. We were delighted to see lots of new faces in the audience, and it was great to work with community arts organisation enJOY arts and musician Claire Mooney in developing this event – part of our Heritage Lottery Fund Voting for Change project. From The Collection

Len Johnson

The library holds a collection of but despite his talent and papers relating to a lesser- success he was not allowed to known Manchester man with a fight for British titles because of wide range of interests - Len his colour. The British Board of Johnson. The collection has Boxing Control barred black material relating to his boxing boxers - even though born in career, his political life and his Britain - from fighting for writings. British titles. There is a good collection Len Johnson was born in After retiring from the ring Len relating to the New International Manchester in October 1902. devoted himself to his boxing Society including papers, leaflets His father worked as a boxer on booth. He gave up the booth and minutes. The Society was fairground boxing booths and when World War Two started also a supporter of the campaign after a spell in engineering, Len and worked in Civil Defence. to restore Paul Robeson’s passport to him after it was Towards the end of the war removed from him 1950 in Len joined the Communist response to his stance on US Party of Great Britain and government policy. stood in the Moss Side ward six times between 1947 and The collection also contains 1962. In the late 1940s he material on the Pan African helped set up the New Congress and Len’s involvement International Society, which for in the Communist Party of Great a few years was both a social Britain and there are copies of club and also a campaigning his election leaflets in the organisation on issues such as library’s Election Addresses racial discrimination and the collection. treatment of black people in Len Johnson also had a writing the United States, South Africa career and the collection and in Britain's colonies. contains newspaper cuttings of a In his later years Len suffered serialised boxing story, along much ill-health and he died with cuttings of his serialised Oldham in 1974. autobiography and some of his handwritten plays. Material about Len’s boxing career includes a scrapbook of In 1987 the Frontline Theatre press cuttings relating to his Company ran a schools project fights, lists of his fights with that focussed on Len Johnson. the date, his opponent and the They worked with three schools result, photographs of Len in in Manchester, involving 100 eventually followed him into the ring and training, playbills pupils and through a series of the trade. His professional and programmes. workshops created a play called career lasted from 1922 to 1933, Struggle for Freedom: the life and work of Len Johnson. Not Just Peterloo In Manchester and across the decades and across the empire. country, 2019 is going to be the At an initial meeting at the year of Peterloo. There will be Library there were already loads plenty of people to tell us that of ideas: from a daily twitterfeed this was just a one-off, or at least and public events to part of our history that was long collaborations with the Socialist ago left behind. You don’t have History Society and the Society to look very far in our own for the Study of Labour History. collections to discover that this We need not only need as many is anything but the case. Under ideas as we can get, but friends the broader heading ‘Not just and supporters of the library Peterloo’, we will therefore be who can lend some time in organising some additional helping to make these things activities reminding us that happen. Whether you’ve helped violence against movements of us out before or this is your first protest has been a feature of opportunity to do so, please do British political life across the get in touch: **** When Radical Readings Began For Us (or Ta to the Tories) But Also Another Radical All our Radical Readings are the day to arrive. Imagine the Readings produced by Trustee Royston horror then to receive an email Futter and first came about when from Christopher to say that he we received an email from Sheila had got to film in the Lake Sunday April 14th at 2pm in the Hancock asking if there was District on that day and that try Maxwell Hall at Salford anything that she could do to as he could they wouldn’t let University’s Maxwell Hall when help, having read that one of him out of it. “Radical Readings – The Story Salford’s Tory councillors was of Peterloo” is scheduled to take Not for the first time Maxine calling for the closure of the place. All our regular readers came to our rescue . She had just Library in an election leaflet. including Maxine Peake, finished making a radio play Maxine Peake had been a Christopher Eccleston, Sheila with a musician who , she supporter for some time and Hancock, Mike Joyce , Julie thought was also an excellent Christopher Eccleston said he Hesmondhalgh and Nico reader and actor and she gave would take part as well. Salford Mirallergro have promised that Mike Joyce a ring who University very kindly provided they will try to make it and they immediately came back and said a venue and we called the show will be joined by Salford’s he would be delighted to take “Radical Readings and Salford wonderful young poet Oliver part. So the drummer of the Stories”. Lomax and the amazing legendary Smiths came on board songstress and balladeer The Maxwell Hall, with over 800 and has been an ever present Jennifer Reid. seats, was quickly sold out and ever since. we waited with bated breath for So make a note in your diaries and keep an eye out for an announcement about tickets some time in the New Year. Trade Union Support Cellar Upgrade In the last three months, the Trades Councils continue to trade union movement has support us – in the last three Work has started on our major contributed over £5,000 to the months – Colchester & District, project in the cellar to provide Library. Cumbria Assn, Lancaster & improved storage conditions for Morecambe, Merthyr Tydfil our precious archives. There have been donations from and Wisbech, March & District. ASLEF, CWU, GMB, NASUWT, This will also have the Then last but not least North NEU, NUJ, UNISON and important benefit of increasing West TUC. UNITE , including five branches our cellar storage capacity by donating for the first time. 30%. The first job of work was to And Tressell Comes to Town replace the boiler and this has now been completed. On the 9th and 10th of The Great Money Trick must be The next phase of the work will November the Library hosted one of the clearest explanations be to install enhanced air the Townsend Theatre of capitalism. It takes ten conditioning and a dehumidifier Productions ‘The Ragged minutes and may lack the detail to improve the humidity control. Trousered Philanthropists’. of the three volumes of Capital While the new boiler was being but it’s definitely punchier! Neil Gore has been doing the installed, we needed to heat the There was a very healthy streak performance off and on, for building with a number of of insubordination from one of many years but before you’ve borrowed radiators and fan the audience members playing seen it, it’s impossible to heaters. Thanks to the staff and the exploited workers to Neil’s imagine how that big book, volunteers who, at times, had to business man. It’s hoped John with dozens of characters, will cope with a very cold library! McDonnell showed the same be condensed into a one man spirit when participating in a The total cost will be over show. It’s done by magic; a recent performance at the £100,000, and although, as a Magic Lantern and a Great House of Commons. result of very generous bequests Money Trick. , we do have the reserves to Pull the book off the shelf. It’s The lights dim and the show cover this, donat ions towards funny and tragic, a wonderfully starts with flickering images the costs will be welcomed. rich account of the cast by a Magic Lantern, lives of men and whisking us straight back to women trapped in a Edwardian times. We are society that is sophisticated 21st century corrupt. from top to consumers of cinema, used to bottom. Frank CGI and clever special effects Owen’s passionately but we are about to be argued alternatives convinced and enthralled by still have the power one man drawing us into a to move us. story with sing along songs, laughter and a good clear There will be another message. Multiple characters - opportunity to see the grumblers, the abjectly this Townsend apathetic forelock tuggers, the Theatre production sneering bosses, the languid toff next year. Don’t miss and, of course, the socialists - it and tell your are created with a change of friends. voice and demeanour and a lot of hats.

Working Class Movement Library Registered Charity No. 1115731 51 The Crescent, Salford, M5 4WX Tel: 0161 736 3601 fax: 0161 737 4115 web: www.wcml.org.uk email: [email protected]