Faslane.

    

         The Faslane Peace Camp, as far as I am aware, is the longest running peace camp in the world. It sits across the road from the UK's nuclear submarine base at Faslane. This year marks the 40th anniversary of its continuous presence across the road from the nuclear submarine base gates.
          To mark this monumental 40th anniversary Spirit of Revolt are holding an event as a mark of support for the Peace Camp and its aims. It is a free event, and takes place on Thursday 2 June, 5:15-7:15pm in the Blythswood Room at the Mitchell Library, level 5. enter via Granville Street.
         On display will be photos, newspaper cuttings and leaflets etc. from Spirit of Revolt's Faslane Peace Camp Collection. Come along and show your support for this 40 year continuous fight for a peaceful world. Join the discussion, chat about what you think of the situation today. Today more than ever, we need to come together in a strong anti-war, peace movement, as the world teeters on the brink of another catastrophic war.

        With headlines like this, peace movements and anti-war movements are not a choice, but an necessity. 

Alarm over nuclear safety incidents at Clyde bases

 

Visit ann arky's home at http://strugglepedia.com  

Faslane.

           An interesting event. Spirit of Revolt with Glasgow CND will be holding an event to celebrate the 40th. anniversary of the Faslane Peace Camp. It will be in the Blythswood Room at the Mitchell Library, Thursday, 2nd. June, 5:15-7:15pm. FREE.
          On display there will be items from Spirit of Revolt's Faslane Peace Camp Collection, talks, chat and discussions. Come along and have your say on why we need a stronger anti-war movement and anti-nuclear movement, more today than ever. Spread the word.

 

 

Visit ann arky's home at http://strugglepedia.com  

Free Press??

 

          The following article is testament to the British state and its "support" for freedom of the press. The press being handed a script by the state officials of what to write about an incident rather than the reporters reporting what actually happened. To think that this couldn't happen today is rather naive in the extreme, though perhaps the need now is less since all the major media outlets are owned by strong supporters of the state and the established order. So will load their tales in accordance with their views and will not rock the boat too much. 

The Mitchell Library

          Forward was a socialist newspaper published in Scotland from 1906. The founding editor was Tom Johnston, who was one of two main shareholders, alongside Roland Muirhead. It was associated with the Fabian Society, the Independent Labour Party and the temperance movement. It was committed to socialism and reported on these issues.
           In 1915, the paper was closed down for six weeks on the order of Chancellor David Lloyd George, for reporting a meeting where he had met a hostile crowd.
“When Lloyd George got up to talk, according to Forward, he ‘was received with loud and continued booing and hissing ... Two verses of “The Red Flag” were sung before the minister could utter a word.’ The meeting ‘broke up in disorder’ and reporting of it was restricted, with newspapers told to reproduce a press release stating that Lloyd George had been given a sympathetic hearing.
           Forward was shut down for six weeks, under DORA, after publishing its uncensored account of the meeting, though Johnston had been careful, as he thought, not to print anything that contravened it (William Beveridge, assistant secretary at the Ministry of Munitions, found it correspondingly difficult to make a case against him). Johnston wrote in his memoirs that Lloyd George ordered the police to remove copies from every newsagent in Scotland, and ‘had the police search the homes of known purchasers’.”
           Three men were arrested under the Defence of the Realm Act and charged with published material “calculated to cause mutiny, sedition or disaffection among the civilian population and to impede the progress and restrict the production of war material.’ Lloyd George’s actions were debated in the House of Commons on the 4th and 10th January 1916.
           Editorship of the Forward newspaper was passed to Emrys Hughes in 1931, George Thomson in 1948 and Francis Williams in 1957.
It ceased publication in 1959.
         Find out more about our newspaper collections in our "Breaking the News" exhibition in the Mitchell Library on the ground floor.

 Visit ann arky's home at https://spiritofrevolt.info  

Jimmy Josse.

 

      For years I have been haunted by a name, Jimmy Josse. I came across his name frequently when doing a wee bit of research at the Mitchell and was crawling through the Guy Aldred papers. Jimmy's name kept cropping up at meetings of Glasgow anarchists, he would propose this and second that. So I got to wondering who was this guy, Jimmy Josse, but drew a blank in any research that I pursued.

 A young Guy Aldred.

     Some years ago I mentioned it to my mate Joe, who died recently, and to my surprise, he said he knew him. Joe said that he was a self employed painter and decorator, and Joe was his helper for a few years. He said he was an anarchist was involved around the time of Guy Aldred, had a wee van, and was always getting stopped by the police. Joe said that he was quite gallous with the police, when they stopped him, he would throw his arms in the air and come out with some remark or other, such as, "OK you've got me this time, I thought I was getting away with the crown jewels, but you got me." Of course they never found anything except paint brushes, paint, white sheets, rags and ladders. Joe also mentioned that he loved to go for lunch at cafes around Glasgow University so that he could get into arguments with students.

     The only other info I have is that he was married to a woman called Jean, she died and it seems Jimmy was really depressed for quite a while, but later entered another relationship and the lived in West Graham Street. Apparently it didn't work out and he left and went to stay in a flat at St. Georges Cross, and lived there until he died. I believe he had a daughter and one of his mates was a guy called Willie Kenny.

     Why am I writing this. well I believe since he was an anarchist and activist, there is a story in his life and it is one I would love to record with some detail and put it on record in strugglepedia. So if any of you out there, have any snippet of info on this guy, I would be extremely grateful if you could pass it on to me. I have made this appeal before to no avail, but who knows, maybe this time I'll strike it luck and Jimmy's story can be entered into the history of Glasgow Anarchists, where I'm sure it belongs. 

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Off Topic.

      Covid19, coronavirus, pandemic, lockdown, self isolating, social distancing, quarantine, government ineptitude, etc.. Well to get a wee break from that, something completely different.

The Birth of Spirit of Revolt.
       An idea floated around in one persons head, in 2011 he spoke to some comrades, they decided to meet in a cafe and discuss the idea. That was the day that Spirit of Revolt was born. It was the cafe in the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow, five like minded people started to plan and shape the idea, after much discussion they agreed on the name, Spirit of Revolt, today we are very proud of that creation. Of course it is no longer five individuals, it is quite a wide group of people some come and some go, but we always have a core group of dedicated volunteers that work away in the background, building, expanding and publicising what we believe is a unique archive in Scotland. Apart from gathering, recording, digitising and making easily accessible, anarchist and libertarian socialist history, we arrange outreach programs, in an attempt to bring the history of people’s struggles to a wider public.
       In this present situation of a lockdown, we can’t at the moment work in our room at the Mitchell Library, so we do the best we can working from home and arranging virtual meetings via Zoom, to make sure the archive continues to be a source of interest and information. We have thousands of documents, leaflets, pamphlets, serials, books and booklets, letters, personal documents, posters, comics, banners and other memorabilia. Thousands of these documents/articles are already digitised and can be accessed on our website, so please have a we look and let us know what you think, or if you wish to participate as a volunteer, or you may have material that you wish to donate as long as it fits our criteria.
      We consider what we have achieved to be of great value in recording the history of the ordinary people’s struggles, a history that is all too often overlooked and lost, but is part of what we are and what we want from our society. We are also proud to state that we have done this without any funding, support or association from political parties of trade unions, we owe our success to the dedication of our group of gallant volunteers.

       Four of the original five at the Cafe in the Royal Concert Hall in 2011, the fifth member, Stasia, took the photo, as usual she works away diligently in the background.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Glasgow Workers City, 1988-1993.

     Spirit of Revolt Archive hold lots of outreach events, where we try to bring the people to the archive, and bring their history to the people of Glasgow/Clydeside area. Some of these events are held in the Mitchell library, others in various venues across the city. Our most recent event was "Workers City" where we tried to bring to a wider public some of the flourishing activism in Glasgow of the period 1988-1993.

     This video is now available for viewing on our Spirit of Revolt website, in the "Audio-Video" section. 

    you can view it here and perhaps it will encourage you to delve a little deeper into our vast collection historical documents, serials, letters, pamphlets, posters, photos, memorabilia, our audio and video collection and much much more. It is your history, a history you should be very proud of and share.

       A display of material from Spirit of Revolt collections and a discussion, led by Tommy Kayes with James Kelman, Brendan McLaughlin, Billy Clark, Michael Donnelly, Ruth Gillett, Paul Anderson, Euan Sutherland and others on the formation and actions of the Workers City group (1988 - 1993). From the Blythswood Room, 5th Floor, The Mitchell Library, Glasgow.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Glasgow's Workers City.

        A wee reminder, just a couple of days to go before the, not to be missed, Spirit of Revolt's FREE event, Show and Tell, Workers City, at the Mitchell Library. Workers City was a series of events that took place in Glasgow 1989-1991, organised by writers, artists, poets, activists and a melody of other Glaswegian stalwarts. It was a counter to the events being organised by Glasgow City Council during Glasgow's European City of Culture year. Some of those present for this open discussion were involved in organising the Workers City event, and it should prove to be both informative and entertaining.

        On display at the event, for your perusal before the open discussion starts will be a selection of material from he Spirit of Revolt Archive, relating to those events during Workers City. Come along look, listen, contribute, enjoy and learn a little bit more about the grassroots history of your city.

Details:
Free event.
Spirit of Revolt,
Workers City,
12noon-2:00pm.
Blythswood Room
Mitchell Library,
Glasgow.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Glasgow Workers City Free Event.

       It is getting closer, mark your diary, it is only a few weeks away, Spirit of Revolt's Show and Tell. Our regular free event held in the Mitchell Library, where we show case a particular section of the archive, and where the public can have a look at the material ask questions, etc. This is followed by an open discussion, this session will be on the subject of Glasgow's Workers City, a series of events that ran counter to Glasgow's European City of Culture 1990. Some members of the Workers City group will be in the audience, to say their piece and answer questions, the discussion will be opened by Workers City member Tommy Kayes. This should prove to be a very interesting and informative lunch break. Also members of Spirit of Revolt will be on hand to answer any questions you may wish to raise regarding this archive.

Details of Workers City FREE event:

Monday, September 16th.
12 noon-2:00pm.
The Blythswood Room,
Level 5, Mitchell Library,

Glasgow, G3 7DN. 

 

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Spirit of Revolt And Free Events In Glasgow.

        Spirit of Revolt prides itself in being the largest archive in Scotland of anarchist and libertarian-socialist artifacts, memorabilia,documents, etc. We record and preserve the struggles of the ordinary people's battles outside the party political and trade union circle, mainly from the Glasgow/Clydeside area. Though the contents cover a much wider area. Our aim is to make this often hidden history, easily accessible to the public at large. We work hard through a band of dedicated volunteers to get as much of this material up on line for easy access so that you don't have to visit a particular building. What is not yet on line you can access at the Mitchell Library through Spirit of Revolt.

      Two up and coming FREE events from Spirit of Revolt are:

    First: Spirit of Revolt - Show case, in conjunction with Govanhill International Festival and Carnival, Saturday August 10th. 11:00am-15:00pm. 21 Nithsdale Street Glasgow G41 2PZ. 

details: https://www.facebook.com/events/1920330724735435/

     Second: Spirit of Revolt regular Show and Tell, this one will be on that great series of Glasgow events known as "Workers "City", Monday September 16th. 12noon-2:00pm. held in the Blythswood room on the 5th. floor of the Mitchell Library

 

       All this requires money to sustain and grow this important archive. To this end we put on outreach events, exhibitions and pop-up displays when ever possible. This is never quite enough  to guarantee our financial security. We are extremely grateful to the small band of friends and associates who have signed direct debits, this gives us a guaranteed amount to work with each month. I should add that we are not attached to, nor receive any funding from, any political party or trade union.

     We are asking all those who are interested in preserving these struggles of the ordinary people, to look at our website, https://spiritofrevolt.info and who think we are doing a decent job to that end, to see  their way to donating a one of, or monthly direct debit of say the price of a couple of coffees. This would make a tremendous difference to the sustaining and ongoing building of this hidden history.

     To make our appeal a wee bit more alluring we will be offering a free CD and booklet, "Writers for Miners" post free with every direct debit.

      

Details of the CD and booklet:

The “Writers for Miners” Events, 1984

        In 1984-85 events known as “Writers for Miners” took place on consecutive Saturdays in Glasgow’s 3rd Eye Centre to raise funds for striking coal miners at local pits in one of the most significant industrial disputes in world history.

With 140,000 out on strike the Thatcher Government planned to break the power of the NUM union, the most well organised group of workers in the country. With 11,291 arrests and lasting 1 year it unleashed massive state repression, brutality and violence. The other unions largely did not show solidarity and the strike failed, opening the door to the destruction of working class communities, job insecurity and privatisation.

        Performers, poets, visual artists and others decided to support the striking miners in Scotland and formed artists-in-Solidarity which organised fundraising for the miners’ families by holding events. This CD is a recording of those events. James Kelman explains, “Radical history is marginalised by the State and events of this nature should be recorded otherwise they are forgotten. The STUC offered to part-fund the project but on this occasion failed to come up with the money. We still went ahead. It was hoped that a selection of songs, poetry and prose-readings might be produced eventually in the form of a couple of albums (all proceeds to the miners’ strike fund). It didn’t happen, for one reason or another…The original project was launched in support of the miners and their families. Those days may have gone but solidarity and comradeship haven’t. All proceeds from the sale of the Writers for Miners album will go toward the Spirit of Revolt (S.O.R.) Archive, in appreciation of the crucial work carried out by the S.O.R. volunteers in the preservation of radical history”.

      In 1984, those involved were,

Norman McCaig, Freddy Anderson, Hamish Henderson, Duncan Maclean,

Kathleen Jamie and Robert Alan Jamieson, Donald Saunders, Peter Nardini,

Rab Noakes, Nancy Nicolson, Alasdair Gray, Jeff Torrington, Agnes Owens,

Carl MacDougall, James Kelman, Archie Hind, Donald Saunders, Tom

Leonard, Edwin Morgan, Edward Boyd, Danny Kyle, Tom McGrath, Jeff

Torrington, Agnes Owens, Archie Hind.

       There are 20 tracks on the CD, Where will you get such a fabulous collection of performers on one CD?

      You can contact us at our donate page, https://spiritofrevolt.info/donate/ or contact us at   info@spiritofrevolt.info Set up your Direct debit, send us your address and we will forward the CD and booklet. In anticipation we thank you for your support.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Read of the Month, SchNEWS.

 

        The "Read of the Month"  on our Spirit of Revolt website is a little different this time. It consists of some cartoons and drawings taken from the Anarchist paper, SchNEWS. The paper was produce by Brighton anarchist over a number of years, and ceased publication 2014.
     Some interesting and some amusing, but always with a punch. Spirit of Revolt has a number of issues of SchNEWS in their archive and these are available to view in the Archive Department on the 5th. floor of the Mitchell Library. We will of course be putting them on line at some point, but scanning is a slow process, we have thousands of documents, photos, leaflets, booklets papers and serials etc. to scan and we can always use volunteer scanners, so if you are interest in helping in preserving anarchist, libertarian-socialist history get in touch. info@spiritofrevolt.info

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Spirit of Revolt Big Day.

       Friday May 10th. 2019 was an important date for Spirit of Revolt, of course we have lots of important dates at SoR, but this one marked the occasion of our first collection being entered into the Mitchell Library Archive Catalogue and will now be available in the reading room of the archive department on the 5th. floor. Spirit of Revolt has 38 collections listed on its website, and others in the pipeline. Most of them contain thousands of documents and most have a considerable number of those documents scanned and on line to read on the website https://spiritofrevolt.info However the Allan Burnett is the first collection to be completely, scanned and on line. Hence our pride in seeing it now being readily available for the public through both our own website and the Mitchell Library Archive Catalogue.
         The scanning process is slow and time consuming, but the backbone of getting our material on line to make it easily accessible to the public at large. Have a look at our website and see what we stand for, and if you feel you would like to volunteer to be part of that operation then you can contact us at info@spiritofrevolt.info

 

       Our archivist, Paula, in the middle, and wrinkly old me, handing over the completed Allan Burnett Collection to a Mitchell archivists. 

     A proud Paula handing over to wrinkly old me, the SoR catalogue, that will be available in the reading room of the Mitchell Library Archive Department.

      A proud moment when I sit down and peruse the Spirit of Revolt, Allan Burnett Collection catalogue that will be available to the public in the reading room of the Mitchell Library Archive Department.  

       A big thank you to all those who made this possible.

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk 

The Green, Free Speech, May Day.

        If you are in or around Glasgow on Monday April 15th. why not come along to Spirit of Revolt's regular free event? Every three months or so we hold an open free event in the Mitchell Library, where we put on display material from our archive and arrange for some members to give a short introduction to the content of the event, and then it is an open discussion where those attending can contribute their own ideas, experiences, and thoughts on the subject matter. The subject of this particular Show and Tell is The Glasgow Green - May Day and the important part The Green has played in the history of our city.

       The idea behind these events is to bring the archive to the people, and bring the people to their history, and making our history come alive.

Details:

Free Event.

Monday 15th. April.

12:00-2:00pm.

Mitchell Library, 5th. floor,

Blythswood Room. 

Visit ann arky's home at https://radicalglasgow.me.uk

Spirit of Revolt's Conscientious Objectors.

       To all those who were unfortunate enough to miss Spirit of Revolt's Show and Tell event on Conscientious Objectors, held in the Mitchell Library, here is your chance to catch up. The event is now up on film on Spirit of Revolt's NEWS section. Thanks Bob for the film.

      From Spirit of Revolt, enjoy:

Visit ann arky's home at radicalglasgow.me.uk

Spirit of Revolt And Conscientious Objectors.

Remember remember the 5th of November??

    Why remember that date? Well, Monday 5th. of November is the date of Spirit of Revolt's next Show and Tell, outreach event. This one, organised by our archivist Paula, is on Conscientious Objectors and has already raised considerable interest. It is in the form of an open discussion which will be opened by group member, Eric Chester. On display will be various articles from our archive on the subject. We at Spirit of Revolt try to bring the people to the archive, and bring their history to the people.
   This event is a "must not miss", is held in conjunction with the Mitchell Library and is on the 5th. floor of the Library, in the Blythswood Room, 12-2pm. Conscientious Objectors are a group that the establishment never give much, if any, publicity to, they would rather that you forget the heroic stance taken by thousands of individuals against the barbarity of war and the reasons behind every war. This is a FREE event of tremendous relevance in these troubled times.

Details: 

Monday 5th. November, 12.00-2.00pm.

Mitchell Library, 5th. floor, Blythswood Room, 

Free event.

Visit ann arky's home at radicalglasgow.me.uk

Show and Tell; Conscientious Objectors.

 

       Spirit of Revolt in conjunction with The Mitchell Library will be holding another of its Show and Tell outreach events, on Monday, November 5th. 12:00-2:00pm. in the Blythswood room on the 5th. floor of the Mitchell. These events by Spirit of Revolt are to encourage an interest in our local history, and help to bring what the Spirit of Revolt Archive holds, to the wider public, so far they have proved to be very popular, so do come early.

       This particular Show and Tell is on the subject of Conscientious Objectors, the details below:

      Conscientious objectors stood up for their beliefs and refused to be conscripted into wars they considered to be the outcome of pointless imperialist rivalries. We will be discussing the experiences of COs during World War I and World War II, while examining the repressive
measures taken by the government to silence them.
       The session will be lead by Eric Chester and we will look at some of the documents from conscientious objectors found in the Spirit of Revolt archives including those of Allan Burnett, Glasgow born CO in WWII.
      The event takes place on Monday 5th. November, 12:00-2:00pm. in the Blythswood Room on the 5th Floor of the Mitchell Library

Feel free to bring your lunch.
Excerpt leaflet:

ANOTHER GLASGOW COMRADE GAOLED
      Our young comrade Allan Burnett, who is just eighteen years of age, appeared in Glasgow Sheriff court, in answer to a charge of not submitting himself to medical examination. On being asked if he had anything to say before sentence was passed, Burnett said, "By allmeans," and proceeded as follows:
     'To-day I stand here as an Anarchist in the conscious realisation of the worth of my individuality, I stand as one devoid of care or fear of gods, kings or masters-"

Sheriff: "What, no fear of God?"

Burnett: "None whatever. I refuse to be pitchforked or led into slaughter, like so much human manure, or to be duped into the lunatic butchery of my comrades and fellow workers of other geographical spheres who are like-wise enslaved in a system of organised misery imposed upon them by their respective ruling classes. My enemy is therefore government of-"

Sheriff: "I suppose God will also be your enemy?"

Burnett: "I will mention my enemy. My enemy is government of any shape or form since it functions solely as an instrument of the ruling-classes' oppression. This then is my attitude, and my contribution to workers' international solidarity, In conclusion, in all sobriety I say only this — to hell with governments."
     With his going we shall miss for the time being an active comrade, and with Frank Leech going inside soon too, and Eddie Shaw's case coming up this month, the movement will be needing all the support it can get in Glasgow. Who will come forward to take their places?

WAR COMMENTARY

https://spiritofrevolt.info/essays-and-reflections/img002/

https://www.facebook.com/Spirit-of-Revolt-archive-1884525175113848/?tn-str=k*F

Visit ann arky's home at radicalglasgow.me.uk