Libraries Gave Us Power

My aim is to create a book that brings together the history of trade union education for members. At the very least I hope to celebrate the lives of those Trade Unionists whose actions and campaigning has changed our society.

@rogerhuddle Hope you don't mind but I found your name when searching for information on the Socialist 10 Commd'nts. My book (librariesgaveuspower.net) seeks to provide a history of trade union education. I was looking for an image of the commandments & wondered if you could help?

I found this today in the archives of union leader, Rodney Bickerstaffe. It's the joint trade union's case against water privatisation in 1985. The depressing this is that it isn't weirdly far-sighted, just blindingly obvious. Thought you would be interested @Feargal_Sharkey

New blog post - Women, Trade Unions and Lifelong Learning librariesgaveuspower.net/post/women-tra…

"It's time for the unions to re-join the fight for adult education" - My blog for the @WEAadulted wea.org.uk/unions-adult-e…

Reminder that I'm continuing my reporting into the history of TUs and Education over at BlueSky. (Would be good to depart this place!) Search: lgupbook. @john_holford @GFTUET @The_TUC @LdnMetSpecColl @MRCWarwick @StudyLabHistory @DurhamMiners @LilianGreenwood @Karen_karenelee

Next on my reading list: the life of John Gast. Active in the London Mechanics Institute fighting to ensure it remained Working Class. "He was, with Gravenor Henson and John Doherty, one of the three truly impressive union leaders who emerged in these early years" EP Thompson

Next Thursday 16 Jan 7pm we’re teaming up with ⁦@GFTU1⁩ & ⁦@wcmlibrary⁩ for this special free online session on the 1926 General Strike with ⁦MML⁩ trustee John Foster chaired by ⁦MML⁩ Secretary Mary Davis marx-memorial-library.org.uk/event/492

My new profile image is of William Lovett (1800-1877). Trade Unionist, Chartist, Co-operator, and lifelong champion of working class education. "The first and greatest of working-class educationalists" (RH Tawney)

@colinrtalbot Colin, thank you so much for the offer. I'll message you now. Thankbyou

@LGUPBook as someone who’s life was changed by TU education (ending up as a Professor myself) happy to help if I can?

This letter is a response to Rogers' articles on Working Class Education (Weekly Dispatch). It could have been written today or even stated in response to Gillian Keegan when she put the Government's case for ending the ULF in 2020 in the debate called by @LilianGreenwood

"I will content myself with saying to all who think, all who hope, all who believe that national progress is a thing worth living and working for -educate, educate,educate" Frederick Rogers, Weekly Dispatch 27 Jan 1884

I'm guessing it's a bit of b & c. But mainly c. In fact, I asked the same Q at my local Indie & was told that they'd stopped selling them due to lack of interest. If so, what does that tell us?

a. Waterstones are instruments of the establishment that doesn't want us to know about our history? b. That unionists buy their books in indie bookshops? c. That very few people will buy them? Or something else?

Visited Waterstones this week &, out of curiosity, asked about their Trade Union history books. A nice, informed, chap told me they didn't have any. So, why is this? Is it:

I've updated my overview of the Labour MPs elected in 1906 focusing on their trade union links & education. Of the 29 men elected, 26 were trade unionists (23 of which were senior - Gen Sec, President etc). 4 had even helped found their union drive.google.com/file/d/18WrIcb…

Settling in for a day with the Dictionary of Labour Biographies. I never thought this would be my source of joy as an adult.

Spending the day with the reports of Typographical Association delegate meetings dating back to 1918. Adult Education is a major topic throughout and a brilliant example of how the fight between the WEA and Labour Colleges could do more harm than good.

The Pitmen Painters were a group of coal miners from Ashington who began painting in the 1930s in a WEA class. Learn more about how a previously unknown work by one of the Painters was recently discovered and is now on display in the North East: bbc.co.uk/news/articles/…

@WEAadulted I wish I had enough letters for a quote or two!

@LGUPBook What a great find!

You can spend hours searching archives & books for the learning journeys of union members. Sometimes though they're just in the cupboard at work. These two UNISON E Mids docs tell the stories of members who've participated in Return to Learn and Women's Lives with @WEAadulted