Showing posts with label Radical History. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Radical History. Show all posts

Sunday 1 January 2023

Anarchy.

 

        We at Spirit of Revolt, wish you all the best and an active and revolutionary New Year. For Read of the Month, we at Spirit of Revolt bring you an anarchist journal form Fall-Winter 1997-98, Anarchy, A Journal of Desired Armed. It is from our Collection T SOR 8. Enjoy, and while you are there why not have a browse through our catalogue for more radical history and a variety of information.

READ ON LINE.



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

Wednesday 3 November 2021

Leaflets.

 

         This month for our “Read of the Month”, Spirit of Revolt, instead of a pamphlet booklet or serial, we have chosen a bundle of leaflets, all with interesting information or comments, most still as relevant today as they were the day they were produced. Put together they make for some very interesting reading and some great ideas.


 

Read online HERE:

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

Wednesday 30 June 2021

Sma' Shot Day.

    Sma' Shot Day a traditional workers celebration held annually in Paisley, according to the powers that be, will be a virtual event this year, that's the same as saying it will be cancelled, but you can watch pictures of past events on your screen. But fear not, a small group of die-hard supporters of working class traditions will be holding a small event to mark this memorable day in working class struggle. The Glasgow Keelie will have a stall where you can come and meet the "Cork", he is usually burnt at the annual celebration. Sadly he will not be burnt this year, so come along a tell him what you think of profit grabbing greedy bosses, pick up a free copy of Radical Paisley, Glasgow Keelie and other free literature, chat with the stall members, and keep alive this important day of workers celebration of victory.

Details:
Saturday 3rd. July, 1pm. to 3pm.
Paisley, The Cairn, the Cairn is at the west end of the pedestrianised area near the arcade, M&S etc.

     TRAVEL ON SATURDAY: Cairn is at the west end of the pedestrianised area where the arcade, M&S etc  If not from Paisley, or on the direct train line to Largs, Ayr, Gourock. From Glasgow Central, trains to Paisley Gilmour St. There is another small line which terminates at Canal st, via Dumbreck, a bit further away which used to be ideal for Sma Shot, as in 2019. For 2021 walk up New St. to get to the Cairn. By bus 9 First Bus, 38 McGill, 26 McGill via Govan & Braehead, 17 McGill via Bath St, Kelvin Hall, Tunnel and Cardonald. The Glasgow Times has reported that some localised Orange order parades are scheduled in various parts of Glasgow & could delay some bus travel.

 Timetables via https://www.travelinescotland.com

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

Tuesday 29 June 2021

Authority.

          Well more than a year and we at Spirit of Revolt, thanks to Covid19, are still unable to gain access to our working room at the Mitchell Library. We can and do try to keep things moving as best we can, one of those things we can still do is to keep giving you our "Read of the Month". A little snapshot of what we have in our archive and on our website, https://spiritofrevolt.info
        This month it is a little known publication called Authority, issue No.2 from 1979. Have a read and perhaps it will tempt you to delve ever deeper into what we have in our archive. There is a lot to read, enjoy and learn from our comrades from the past. 

Read Online: 

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

Thursday 11 March 2021

Towards Anarchism.

        With the pandemic tapering off and austerity and unemployment facing the ordinary people, people will no doubt be looking for solutions to this onslaught of poverty. So we at Spirit of Revolt, thought that this month’s “Read of the Month” should perhaps point to one solution that is a possibility of solving our problems. It is another pamphlet from Errico Malatesta, "Towards Anarchism", from our John Cooper Collection, T/SOR-3-52-97.
      Have a read and perhaps delve into the multitude of pamphlets, booklets posters and other anarchist/libertarian socialist material we have on line, look, learn and act.

Read "Towards Anarchism" on line:

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

Tuesday 4 August 2020

Keelie, 1820.

       It's August, and once again the latest edition of that wee radical paper that gives two fingers to authority, The Glasgow Keelie is available online. As usual it is filled with information and criticism of the corrupt system we live under. Sadly because of this covid19 menace it is still only available on line, though we hope soon to be back out and around the clubs, pubs and cafes with hard copies for you to pick up at your leisure.

      And for a wee bit more info on the radical war of 1820, since this is the 200th anniversary, we can still learn from these past events.



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

Sunday 11 August 2019

Another Look At Glasgow's People's History.


        The feed back from our Spirit of Revolt Showcase has been very encouraging, see previous post, History Remembered, A Future Glanced At, so that has prompted us to put up a few more photos from the event.
Enjoy.







         Watch out for Spirit of Revolt's next free event. It is on the subject of Glasgow's Workers' City, with a mouth watering list of participants.



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

History Remembered, A Future Glanced At.

                 Spirit of Revolt's event, on Saturday 10th of August, Spirit of Revolt-Showcase, in conjunction with Govanhill International Festival was a great success, a fair number of folks turned up and those who did were enthusiastic about our project and the material on display, also good to meet old friends. On display was lots of photos, posters, papers and rare pamflets, books CD's, plenty of material relating to the South side of Glasgow and further a field. Material from The Pollok Free State motorway battle, Castlemilk claimants union, poll-tax, Guy Aldred's The Word, and much much more, a grand slice of Glasgow's radical history. All the material is available for viewing at our Archive in The Mitchell Library, also we have put a considerable amount of the archive on line for easy access for the general public, just visit our website https://spiritofrevolt.info and browse your own history, not that of the kings of industry, monarchs, and military darlings of the the system.
                So a big thank you to all those who made it happen and a double thank you to all those who turned up, and a bigger thank you for your enthusiasm, you help us to realise we are doing the right thing in recording this part of history that is all too often lost and forgotten. For those who didn't manage to the event, you can still see lots of Glasgow's radical history by visiting our website, https://spiritofrevolt.info 
           
        Some photos from the event.

 

Great when old friends turn up.










 Two old codgers that just live for this stuff.

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

Saturday 6 July 2019

Sma' Shot Day, Burning The Cork.

 
       Paisley was a famous weavers centre producing intricate patterns that became world famous. Like all workers, the bosses tried to get as much profit out of them as they could, and pay them as little as possible. In Paisley this came to a head with a long and bitter strike in 1856, in which the strikers won their battle. Each year now the strike is celebrated on the first Saturday of July with a march and a celebration of the burning of the "Cork".

 Photo courtesy of Paisley.org.uk
    
 This from Radical Glasgow History Project.


THE PROBLEM.
      In the 19th century the intricate patterns of the Paisley weavers work was held together by an unseen strong thread called the Sma' Shot. This secret stitch held together Paisley's famous shawls and without the stitch the patterns would come apart. The weavers had to pay for the thread but the fact that it was unseen meant that the manufacturers who purchased the patterns would not pay for the cotton in the sma' shot.
CONFRONTATION.
       By the middle of the century the Paisley weavers were fed up with the bosses tight-fistedness and decided to take strike action. In 1856 after a long and bitter dispute the bosses caved in and the weavers won their claim to be paid for the hidden thread.
CHARLESTON DRUM.
    The original Charleston, (a district in Paisley) drum which historically was used to rally weavers in times of disputes, is now in the Paisley Museum, a copy of the original drum is now used to rally the masses on Sma' Shot Day. The climax of the celebrations on Sma' Shot Day is the burning of an effigy, in top hat and tails, representing “the Cork” who was the despised boss in the days of the dispute.
LONGEST RUNNING CLASS WAR CELEBRATION.
      From 1856 the first Saturday in July, a traditional Paisley holiday was named “Sma' Shot Day. This celebration of the weavers victory continued until 1975. For a few years it seems to have been dropped but in 1986 the tradition was revived and continues today.
 The loom that drove the weavers from cottages to factories.


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