International Brigade Christmas Card

Councillor Woolatt

 Mr C.R. Woolatt of Errol Gardens, Hayes, Middlesex was a member of the Hayes Urban District Council in the 1950s, he had been an employed by Glaxo's Laboratories at Greenford for 33 years until he retired in February 1971. 

Mr Woolatt joined Glaxo's in 1938 as a joiner and became charge hand in 1956. This was followed by subsequent promotions.Cllr Woolatt held the post of assistant building engineer at Glaxo's.

He served in the RAF for five years during the second world war.

He had alsoserved as a Labour councillor on n Ealing Borough council before moving to Hayes in 1956. 
In 1957 he was elected as a Labour councillor to Hayes and Harlington Urban District Council.

Mr Woolatt had been the founder member of Perivale Community association and served as its chairman for seven years. He was also a keen Co-operator and was Secretary of the National Guild of Cooperators (Harlington branch).

On retirement he stated he and his intended to go traveling

Labour candidates Hillingdon 1971

Cricket 1970 - Anti Apartheid

Anti Apartheid demonstration Hayes 1971

The Fake Daily Mail "Zinoviev letter" Foreigners & Lady Devonshire of Chatsworthvonshir's

One elector in the rural Derbyshire village of Great Hucklow during the 1924 general election, an election dominated by the fake Daily Mail "Zinoviev letter" recalled the following events a number of years later in the Daily Worker 13th February 1940

"One night" he recalled "The Duchess of Devonshire and Mrs Berry, who I always understood was connected with the newspaper Berrys (Kemsley & Camrose) came to the village classroom to speak on behalf of Lord Hartington of Chatsworth House and Conservative MP

"They worked the Red letter good and hard. Mrs Berry said if she had her way she would drive all "these foreigners" out of the country at the point of the sword"

"She stabbed the air with an imaginary sword, and stamped her foot p but a local farmer punctured her with the remark. "peace and retrenchment all round, weve had enough bloodshed"

Note: - Click to enlarge sections of the M16/Tory forged Zinoviev letter

The Zinoviev letter - Another Daily Mail conspired Tory Lie

The Zinoviev letter was one of the greatest British political scandals of the last century - it was forged by a MI6 agent's source and almost certainly leaked by MI6 or MI5 officers to the Conservative Party, It was then sold to the newspapers.

The Daily Mail printed the forged letter allegedly from the newly established Soviet Russian Government on 25th November, in order to cause maximum embarrassment and electoral damage to the first Labour government, days prior to the 1924 General election (Which Labour duly lost).

The extent of the Intelligence Services, Foreign office, and Conservative Party involvement in perpetrating the forgery was not fully known until the late Robin Cook Foreign Secretary ordered a report by chief historian Gill Bennett into the events.

Ken Livingston House of Commons 10th January 1996

We all know about the Zinoviev letter, which led to the downfall of the first Labour Government in 1924. It is now believed to have been produced by two Russian emigres who were working in Berlin. They passed the forgery to an MI5 officer, Donald Thurn. Once in the hands of MI5, senior officials realised that its details of an alleged communist plot would be a devastating blow to the Labour Government in the closing days of the election campaign. MI5 leaked the letter to a Tory Member of Parliament and former intelligence officer, Sir Reginald Hall. It also leaked it to Tory central office and the Daily Mail, which obligingly ran it on its front page. 
 
In the run-up to the 1929 election, the links between MI5 and the Tory party were renewed. The head of MI5's investigation branch, Major Joseph Ball, was employed by Conservative central office to run agents inside the Labour party. After the election, Ball was rewarded with the directorship of the Tories' research department.

Victor Durand - The IWW, The Navy & The Incident of the "On The Knee, Dog"

Victor Durand
The IWW, The Navy and The Incident of the "On The Knee, Dog"

On the 9th September 1935 Comrade Victor Durand died in Cardiff, South Wales at the early age of 55.

Victor Durand was an old navy man and served for many years on the Royal Yacht and was a petty officer in the Royal Naval Reserve.

He took an active part in organising the lower deck men during the infamous episode of "On the knee, dog" and was instrumental in forming a branch of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) or "Wobblies" among the naval ratings after his transfer to the China station

Always uncompromising in his work on behalf of the workers he will be sadly missed by all who knew him, and the workers movement have lost a noble fighter at a critical period in its history

M.S.
Daily Worker 10th September 1935

NOTE

The incident of "On the knee, dog" would seem to refer to an order given by Lieutenant Bernard St. George Collard, who unhappy at the state of the "muster" at the Portsmouth Naval Barracks on 4th Febuary 1905, (it had been raining heavily and the men keen to get into the dry) recalled the men to Royal Navy gymnasium where he gave then the humiliating naval order "On the knee" (kneel on one knee).  The 110  navy stokers from the Nelson, present took exception to this order, and refused to do so, eventually after threats of being put in the cells, all but one First Class Stoker Edwin Allan Moody agreed to do so. Later in the canteen at 10 O'clock someone shouted out "on the knee" and the 300 stokers angered, began to make a disturbances and headed for the officers quarters at the Naval barracks and the disturbance spilt over into the surrounding streets . The guard turned out and fixed bayonets. Only After assurances were given the men returned to their rooms at 12 after what was called a "Riot" in the papers. 



Edwin Allan Moody was Court Martial in December 1906 in Portsmouth and received 5 years hard labour. The order "On the knee" was changed so that it could only be used in a military (front line) situation. The Daily Mail of course said that the order was simply "a misconstrued order"

Daily Mail, Hitler and "safeguarding" Free Speech 1935

The Daily Mail who printed the Zinoviev letter, who supported Hitler and Mosley, who opposed Jewish refugees entering Britain, unsurprisingly throwing its support behind the Coalition Government attempt to defend free speech by stopping alleged "Left wing and subversive" broadcasts by the BBC in April 1935

In other words, anything not sanctioned by the Conservative Party or Adolph Hitler.

Today, the Daily Mail and the Conservative Party just threaten to stop the funding to the BBC.

50,000 protestors marched in September 2013 at Conservative Party conference against Government changes to the NHS, representing the largest march in Manchester since Peterloo - Such is the left wing bias of the BBC that they failed to cover the event.

The First British Football Team To Play In Cuba

 

Grasmere Rovers were an English amateur team from Manchester (later playing in Glossop)  founded in  1961. Grasmere Rovers became "allegedly"  the first British football team to play a competitive football game in Cuba, in front of 25,000 spectators in June 1975

This was as part of the clubs 14 day extensive tour of the Caribbean in June 1975 which included games against the national Jamaican football team in Kingston, the Venezuelan national amateur team in Caracas a team called Violetti from Haiti

In the squad of eighteen was included Roy Huddleson from Great Harwood, Fred Eyre former manager of Stalybridge Celtic and Paul Fitzgerald former Hyde United and Grasmere player

The Grasemere Team circa March 1975 

Keith Jones (Goalkeper), David Charlton, Steve Mooney, Ian Halfpenny, John Dougherty,, John McArdle, Roy Jones, Brian Kellock, Danny Cooney, Eddie Green, Keith Greenhalgh, Norman Higginson

In 1983 Grasmere Rovers FC changed their name to Cheadle Town FC (but have now reverted to playing in Green & white the old Grasmere Rovers colours)

 

Hayes Cottage Hospital Occupation 25th October 1983 - 30th Anniversary

Hayes Cottage Hospital Occupation 25th October 1983

 

30th Anniversary

Hayes Cottage hospital, West London. Occupied 25th October 1983 until late December 1983, when the local health authority backed down and the hospital was saved.


Marge Bayne, Sylvia Tebbenham, Susan Marshall led the Occupation for the staff members of COHSE and NUPE.

Northwood & Pinner Cottage Hospital was also occupied at the same time starting 26th October, led by the Matron Jean Carey COHSE member.

Stjepan Filipovic - Yugoslavia Partisan - SFSN

Executed Today Post

On the 22nd May 1942, this happened:

The young man striking the dramatic pose is Stjepan Filipovic, an anti-fascist partisan hanged in the city of Valjevo by the Serbian State Guard, a collaborationist force working with the Axis occupation of Yugoslavia.

Filipovic is shouting “Death to fascism, freedom to the people!” — a pre-existing Communist slogan that Filipovic’s martyrdom would help to popularize. Smrt fašizmu, sloboda narodu! … or you can just abbreviate it SFSN!

In the city where Filipovic died, which is in present-day Serbia, there’s a monumental statue in his honor replicating that Y-shaped pose — an artistically classic look just like our favorite Goya painting, poised between death and victory.

(cc) image from Maduixa.

Since the break up of Yougoslavia he has been claimed by all sides - Valjevo monument — it’s in Serbia, remember — calls him Stevan Filipovic, which is the Serbian variant of his given name. But as Serbia is the heir to Yugoslavia, he at least remains there a legitimate subject for a public memorial.

Filipovic himself was Croatian, but his legacy in that present-day state is a bit more problematic: in his native town outside Dubrovnik, a statue that once commemorated Filipovic was torn down in 1991 by Croat nationalists; its vacant plinth still stands sadly in Opuzen. (Opuzen’s film festival, however, awards its honorees a statuette replicating the destroyed monument.)

Hayes Labour 1971

Labour candidates Hillingdon 1971

Belmore Ward
Mrs D "Beryl". Bell Labour
  Mrs E "Maggie"  Broughton (Labour)
Mr Paul Harmsworth (Labour)
Martin Craxton (Labour)

John Mansfield (Communist)

Hayes Ward
Robert Came (Labour)
Ossie Garvin (Labour)
Mr J. Walters (Labour

Jim Ford (Communist)

Yeading Ward
Mr Stanley Chilton (Labour)
Mr G. Edwards (Labour)
Mr Robert Willams (Labour)

Peter Pink (Communist)

Frogmore Ward
Ken Gigg (Labour)
Alan Madge (Labour)
E "Ted" Harris (Labour)

Steve Panayl (Communist)


Uxbridge Labour party Officers 1971
Percy W. Bush (Secretary)
Peter Smith (Chairman)
Ald Mrs W. Pomeroy (Vice Chairman)
George Pringle (Vice Chairman)
A. J. Potts (Treasurer)
Dave Heppenstall (Youth Officer)
A. Collins (social secretary)

President of Hillingdon Trades Council
Arthur R Groves called for maximum support for the demonstration against the Industrial relations Act on 21st February at Hyde Park at 1 pm 
"I dont believe this will stop the Industrial Relations Bill- only general action will do it, not a days strike but a general strike...I would prefer to strike for five weeks than have to put up with five years under the Tories"

Peter Pink Perspective Communist Party candidate


Vishnu Sharma spoke on the New Immigration Bill at a meeting organsied by Hayes Communist Party April 1971 He stated the new Act "would create insecurity in the lives of coloured immigrants and help the racialists to persuade Britons that black people were undesirable".

Arthur Skeffington MP had died causing a by election, John Ryan former Labour MP for Uxbridge decided not to stand


New Oxfam shop to open at 44 Coldharbour Lane, Hayes in March 1971 run by a Mrs Davis

March 1971 an Anti Apartheid demonstration on Botwell green was held in Hayes under the auspices of the Anti-Apartheid Movement. marched from Botwell green to a field in North Hyde Road

Patrick "Pat" Lyons addressed the demonstration also in attendance John Gaestewe (one time President and the General Secretary of SACTU ) Bob Hughes Labour MP for Aberdeen, Ernie Roberts (engineering union later MP Hackney) and Maggie Broughton, Alan Madge,Peter Pink, - Ealing Technology College banner was present.

Housing Estate for BA Workers


A new housing estate for British Airways staff was opened April 1971 at Manor Court, Monument Hill, Weybridge for BOAC workers. The scheme comprises of 75 two bedroom flats in three blocks built by the British Airways Staff Housing Society Limited. The BA Housing Society had now provided 1,650 houses. One of the first residents was Mr & Mrs E. A Ryan a British airways loader/driver employed by BEA having been notice to quit furnished rooms in Chiswick.

Workers Olympic's 1936 - Barcelona

Barcelona Workers Olympics 1936 (Cancelled)

Apartheid backed cricket tour 1970

Apartheid backed cricket tour 1970 was canceled when the Cricket Council reversed a decision to allow South African cricketers to tour England in summer of 1970.


The move follows strong pressure from the Home Secretary, James Callaghan and campaigns by the Anti Apartheid movement

Frank Stanley

Frank Stanley Frank Stanley (pictured above addressing the 1967 Communist Party Congress at Camden Town hall and left in one of his election addresses)   Frank Stanley was born in 1920 in Acton. His father was an active trade unionist and steward.  At the end of life in his junior school, Frank won a scholarship to the local Grammar School. But, because his father was unemployed at the time and unable to afford the loss of wage to the family, or the cost of a uniform, he was unable to take his place and eventually left school at the age of 14. In 1937 he joined the Young Communist League and in 1940 became a full member of the Communist Party, in the same year he married his wife Joan who he met through the YCL and with whom he would have two daughters. From 1942-1946 he served in the REME (14th Army) for three and a half years in Burma and became a Warrant Officer. An instrument maker by trade, he started work at EMI Hayes in 1950 and became an Amalgamated Engineering Union (AEU) steward the following year. From 1959 he was AEU convenor and Secretary of the Joint Stewards Committee, negotiating on behalf of 6,000 workers at EMI.  In February 1962 a one day strike took place at EMI at which a number of scuffles with police broke out. The local MP was to state that, in Blythe Road, Hayes, the police "appeared to encourage them to drive at the pickets".  That March 700 AEU members marched from Hayes to Southall protesting at the Government imposed a "Pay Pause". They were addressed by Mr Sheeny convenor at Alladin's factory. The local paper refers to a Wally Hannington, a retired Jarrow engineer being present on the march. This must be Wal Hannington (1896-1966), former AEU and National Unemployed Workers Movement organiser (See entry for Hannington). Stanley was Chairman of West Middlesex District Committee of the Communist Party and national chair of the Communist Party’s Central Committee and was a pallbearer at Willie Gallacher’s funeral in 1965. Frank Stanley lived in Hayes and was the Communist Party candidate for Hayes & Harlington constituency on a number of occasions. In his first attempt in the General Election of October 1964, he stood on a platform of:  1) Put yourself before the Monopolies and land speculators 2) Vote to abolish nuclear weapons 3) Break the American grip on our country  He also featured a campaign for a branch line linking Hayes with the Central or Piccadilly Underground line). Frank and the local Communists canvassed over 16,000 houses in Hayes during this election and John Gollan, Communist Party general secretary, spoke at his adoption meeting on Monday 14th September at the Civic Restaurant, Coldharbour Lane. He was one of 36 Communist parliamentary candidates at the 1964 election and took part in the Communist Party Election rally at Hyde Park and march to the BBC to demand air time on Sunday, September 13th. He also appeared in the Communist Party’s election broadcast in the following General election. Frank Stanley was also active in  the promotion of the Trades Union Congress inspired Centre 42 arts programme in 1962 (named after the arts resolution number on the agenda at TUC Congress), Centre 42 "aimed to provide an outlet for cultural ambitions and entertainment of the ordinary person" The public face of which was Arnold Wesker and toured Britain visiting Hayes and Southall November 19th - 24th, 1962, this stop included the first presentation of "Enter Solly Gold" by Bernard Cops, a Youth Theatre production of "Hamlet", Music Theatre presented "The Soldiers Tale” and the "Nottingham Captain", a Jazz band, poetry reading, photograph exhibition, drawings, folk singing including Ewan MacColl and Peggy Seeger. Ill-health forced Stanley to retire to Banbury, Oxfordshire.

Hayes Trades Union Council

Hayes Trades Union Council 

circa 1960

Hayes Trades Union Council was an organisation that represented all the local branches of unions active locally in the Hayes area (including Heathrow)

centre 

Arthur Skeffington MP for Hayes & Harlington

Elsie "Maggie" Broughton

100th Anniversary - Kilbirnie Women Workers Strike 1913

Women workers in the numerous fishing net factories of Kilbirnie (Ayrshie, Scotland) entered into a battle to secure improved pay and union recognition.

Led by Kate McLean organiser of the National Union of Women Workers who had established a local branch in 1912, 

The dispute amongst the women working in the fishing net factories was fought for 22 weeks, there were frequent skirmishes with the police, but with the help of the Scottish Trades Union Congress, who raised £1,300 in financial support, the strike was finally settled in September 1913 with an agreement which included union recognition and non-victimisation of strikers. 

However, the dispute continued to flare up in factories were the women refused to work alongside non union workers.

Kilbirnie Women workers strike picnic 9th June 1913

NOTE

Banners in top photo of Kilbrinie women workers include National Federation of Women Workers - Kilbirnie branch banner (centre) and a local Kilbrinie banner  (right) can make out words top line Kilbrinie xxxx Strike and second United and Firm We Stand. Back left Daily Citizen (newspaper) banner

Mr Chairman by Wal Hannington

Mr Chairman by Wal Hannington  - Farleigh press (1950)

"Some years ago I was asked to draft a small handbook for (trade union) Branch Presidents. it was printed and issued, and many times in the course of my visits to branches, i have heard unsolicited expressions of appreciations for the usefulness of that booklet"

No doubt also published as an alternative to right wing TUC General Secretary, Walter MacLennan Citrine's "A. B. C. of Chairmanship" (1939).

What the Labour movement can say is that conduct at our meetings while boring and sometimes stifling is usually democratic and structured, unlike many others outside the movement

Engineering union members at Grunwick 1977

Engineering Union members picketing Grunwick,February 1977 with AUEW Engineering Union banners. Notably Acton and London north District

Kevin Halpin Chairman of the Liaison Committee for the Defence of Trade Unions (second from left) and fifth from Left, George Anthony president of London North District Committee

The Grunwick dispute was now in its 25th week

Women from the Trico equal pay dispute marched in support of Grunwick workers fight for recognition (Southall engineering Workers union banner)