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.
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.
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.
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
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 "Towards Anarchism" on line:
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.
