Glasgow??

So you know Glasgow? Well, do you!!

Glasgow, the name.

        Glasgow can trace it history back to at least the 4th century, it was at that time a certain St. Ninian stopped by the Molendinar Burn, where the Cathedral is today, and consecrated a piece of land there as a Christian burial ground. Some hundred years or so later a St. Kentigern brought the body of a holy man Fergus to be buried at the St Ninian spot. St Kentigern stayed and set up a Christian community in the area. He later became known as St Mungo patron saint of Glasgow.

        The name 'Glasgow' has gone through considerable changes over the centuries. The earliest Charters refer to the city as 'Glaschu', while the earliest seals give several different spellings. In the seal of 1180 the spelling is 'Glesgu', and the seal of 1325 it is 'Glagu'. In 1297 the Earl of Warrenne and Surry to the English King refers to 'Glasgeu' in another letter from the same Earl it becomes 'Glascu'. In a letter from Hugh de Cressingham in 1297 to the King of England it has the spelling 'Glasgu'. In the Charter of 1324 by Robert the 3rd it is written as 'Glasgw'. Another Charter of 1419 by John Stewart, Lord Darnley has it as 'Glaschow'. Yet again the spelling changes in the will of Archbishop Betoun where he refers to himself as Archeuesque de Glasco.
 

Origins of the name

           It is generally accepted the name is not from Gaelic, as at the time of its formation this area was a Welsh settlement. It is probably from the Welsh 'Glas', and 'cu' or 'gu'; translates as 'Beloved Green Place' and is referring to the spot where Kentigern met Columba thus Kentigern becoming the Patron Saint of Glasgow. 

Radical Glasgow.

Mention Glasgow and various stereotypes jump to mind, dreadful slums, hard drinking, random violence, razor gangs, shipbuilding, locomotive makers and other heavy industries. What else is written about the city usually refers to captains of industry, architects, inventors, and medical men of note. Scratch the surface however, and you find another Glasgow with a long tradition, the real Glasgow, 'Radical Glasgow'.

          Glasgow can boast of a long tradition of radical movements growing from the ranks of ordinary people. People struggling not only to improve their own conditions but that of all working class people.

          Glasgow can lay claim to a series of firsts. Besides being the birthplace of the 'European Temperance Movement', the following are just some other firsts that can be added to its roll of honour: Birth of the Scottish Labour Movement.
First effective trade unions formed.
First trade union papers printed.
Scottish Co-op movement first established.
Scottish Labour Party founded.
First Trades Council in Scotland.
History of Glasgow Green

         The Glasgow Green has always been a focal point for the people of Glasgow and a cradle of social movements throughout its history. The following list is but a hint at the history of the Green: Through the 1700 and 1800s, the various reform movements.
Pre-1914, the woman’s suffrage movements.
1916, rent strikes.
1938 anti-fascist movements.
1971 U.C.S. crisis.
1984 miner’s strike.
 

Conclusion

        Both the above lists could be expanded depending where you place your focus, and no doubt will continue to expand as the people of Glasgow go on to face new challenges.
        I hope the following articles give at least some insight into that other Glasgow, the Glasgow that does not always find its story in the mainstream literature about the city, but is the true heart of the City of Glasgow, the city of compassion and vision. 

This article was lifted from Strugglepedia at https://spiritofrevolt.info 

 

Visit ann arky at https://spiritofrevolt.info

Ref & Black.

            Glasgow's Red and Black Bookfair on Saturday May 7th. was a great success. A good variety of interesting and colourful stalls and was well attended with lots of young folk, which is also very encouraging. So a bit of a pat on the back for those who organised and took party. Let's hope it can become a welcome annual affair in the city. So if you attended, or missed it, and would like to see it a repeat annual get together, get in touch with any of the groups involved and make your voice heard. It's up to you. 

Some photos from the event.

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

Glasgow.

           Come May 7th, Glasgow's Centre for Contemporary Arts, will be the venue for Glasgow's first Anarchist Bookfair for quite a while. This is great news as Glasgow has a long and rich history of radical individuals and movements, so it's about time we tried to show case this fascinating history and bring together all the left radical individuals and groups in Glasgow and surrounding area.
           You still have time to book your stall space, put forward your speaker, make suggestions to make this a fantastic event, but whatever, put it in your diary May 7th. 3pm-9pm, Red and Black Clydeside Bookfair, Centre for Contemporary Arts, 350 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow G2 3JD

       You can take a wee wander through some of Glasgow's rich radical past by clicking on a star, or go for a fuller write up and details on Strugglepedia. For more on Glasgow Clydeside anarchist/libertarian socialist history visit Spirit of Revolt Archive.

Enjoy, see you at the Bookfair, May 7th.

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

Glasgow.

       A new addition to  Spirit of Revolt website, a radical map of Glasgow, if you are interested in Glasgow's working class history, the history from below, then visit the "Education" box on Spirit of Revolt website, and find out about some of the people and events that helped shape our City. Just visit the page and click on a star and learn from history.

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

Next Step.

 

    We appear to be slowly moving out of this pandemic, though far from there yet. Let's hope that we continue that path and our bumbling inept crew that are steering the ship, in their haste to get us back to creating wealth for them, don't screw it all up again. Though we can help there, by simply refusing to go back into any situation we deem to be unsafe. Our lives and those of our families and friends are worth away lot more than the value of parasite's shares.

      As we are slowing coming out of this disastrously handled crisis, we should be thinking of where we go from here, certainly not back to the exploitation, greed and inequality that we have experienced for generations. So to perhaps tempt you to think of an alternative that will work, I have lifted this article from one of my other blogs. Think about it, and you'll see it makes sense.

Freedom and Equality
       Fundamentally, anarchism is the struggle for freedom. Freedom from rulers and corporations who dominate our lives and are destroying our earth. Freedom for workers, women, and all oppressed people in all parts of the world. We believe that this sort of freedom can only be achieved together with equality and a fair distribution of resources.
Individual and Collective
        Anarchists believe in the inherent dignity and humanity of the individual. But this dignity and humanity can only be fully realised in a co-operative, egalitarian society. This is why we are in favour of working together collectively and being organised. It is incorrect to equate anarchism with individualism or chaos.
Revolution
       Anarchists understand that this truly free and equal society can only be achieved through revolution – meaning a complete transformation of society. This society cannot be ‘given’ to the people by politicians or bureaucrats. It must be built by people from below.
Change by Direct Action
        Anarchism opposes the violence which is an integral part of capitalism and the state (this violence comes in many forms: war, patriarchy etc.). We believe that means shape ends – in other words, the way we struggle will shape the outcome of the struggle. This is also why we do not support the seizure of State power by authoritarian political parties. However, anarchists do believe in direct action – action taken by everyday people to address the power imbalance in present day society. This includes strikes, boycott’s, work-to-rule’s and occupations.
The Past
       Both authoritarian communism (as in Russia, China etc.) and ‘labourism’ (ie. The labour parties of the world), have failed to solve our global crisis. We need a different path to a better world. Anarchism offers itself as a guide on that path.

It's there, waiting for us to take those steps that are necessary to get us there.

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

Map and Pack.

      Two of my recent posts got quite a bit of attention, one was our offer of a free anarchist pack, containing several Radical Glasgow History Project, leaflets, copy of the reborn Glasgow Keelie, a piece on May Day, a leaflet on Spirit of Revolt Archive and more. The other post that got quite a lot of interest was my Radical Glasgow interactive map. 

     We have still got a few of our free packs left so here is a repeat of both these posts.

   Some comrades and my self in conjunction with Spirit of Revolt have put together a handy pack for those interested in anarchism/libertarian socialism. This is a real education, it contains events from Glasgow's radical past, including a short explanation of May Day and what it stands for, issues of the reborn Glasgow Keelie free newspaper, lots of links to further information and much more info. These packs are a wealth of interesting information and free to those interested, but confined to UK only, and will be posted out post free, but they are limited in number.
     If you are interested, please drop your details in an email to annarky at annarky(at)radicalglasgow(dot)me(dot)uk and we will get your pack to you as soon as possible. Also information on Class War Facebook page.

 The Interactive Radical Map:

      As there was quite a fair bit of interests on my recent post on Glasgow's radical history pack, I thought I would put up this little piece of my work on Glasgow's radical history. Hoping that it might help feed your appetite in that subject matter. Enjoy.

      Just click on the link below and learn and enjoy. 

 

https://radicalglasgow.me.uk/?page_id=33

 

      To further enhance your knowledge of Glasgow's radical history you could visit my Strugglepedia, where I have amassed an array of radical characters and events that helped shape our city of Glasgow. Again, click, learn and enjoy.

http://strugglepedia.co.uk/index.php?title=Main_Page

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

Why Anarchism?

 

    

       From the home page of Radical Glasgow's Anarchist Critic:

WHY ANARCHISM?

Freedom and Equality

     Fundamentally, anarchism is the struggle for freedom. Freedom from rulers and corporations who dominate our lives and are destroying our earth. Freedom for workers, women, and all oppressed people in all parts of the world. We believe that this sort of freedom can only be achieved together with equality and a fair distribution of resources.

Individual and Collective

     Anarchists believe in the inherent dignity and humanity of the individual. But this dignity and humanity can only be fully realised in a co-operative, egalitarian society. This is why we are in favour of working together collectively and being organised. It is incorrect to equate anarchism with individualism or chaos.

Revolution

     Anarchists understand that this truly free and equal society can only be achieved through revolution – meaning a complete transformation of society. This society cannot be ‘given’ to the people by politicians or bureaucrats. It must be built by people from below.

Change by Direct Action

     Anarchism opposes the violence which is an integral part of capitalism and the state (this violence comes in many forms: war, patriarchy etc.). We believe that means shape ends – in other words, the way we struggle will shape the outcome of the struggle. This is also why we do not support the seizure of State power by authoritarian political parties. However, anarchists do believe in direct action – action taken by everyday people to address the power imbalance in present day society. This includes strikes, boycott’s, work-to-rule’s and occupations.

The Past

     Both authoritarian communism (as in Russia, China etc.) and ‘labourism’ (ie. The labour parties of the world), have failed to solve our global crisis. We need a different path to a better world. Anarchism offers itself as a guide on that path.

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

Glasgow's Very Successful Bookfair.

      Glasgow's Autonomous Bookfair yesterday, Saturday 2nd. March was a resounding success. Literally hundreds poured through the door on a continuous stream, the stalls were plentiful, varied and colourful, the crowds friendly and showed considerable interest in the stalls and workshops. It was like a breath of fresh air to Glasgow's radical scene. As I said before, it has been a while since Glasgow held a bookfair, and the success of this one proves that there is a desire to support such events. Everybody gains, those involved and those who turned up. Leaflets, books and pamphlets etc., circulate to a wider audience, new contacts are made, old ones renewed, ideas cross between individuals and groups, all positive.

     All that remains to be said is a big thank-you to Mark and all those who helped make it possible, and for others to come forward and help organise the next one, and hopefully it will be an even a bigger event, and an annual one. 

Spirit of Revolt stall at Glasgow's Autonomous Bookfair 2019.

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

The Future---Anarchism.

 Taken from Radical Glasgow's Anarchist Critic.

 Why Anarchism?

Freedom and Equality

       Fundamentally, anarchism is the struggle for freedom. Freedom from rulers and corporations who dominate our lives and are destroying our earth. Freedom for workers, women, and all oppressed people in all parts of the world. We believe that this sort of freedom can only be achieved together with equality and a fair distribution of resources.

Individual and Collective

        Anarchists believe in the inherent dignity and humanity of the individual. But this dignity and humanity can only be fully realised in a co-operative, egalitarian society. This is why we are in favour of working together collectively and being organised. It is incorrect to equate anarchism with individualism or chaos.

Revolution

       Anarchists understand that this truly free and equal society can only be achieved through revolution – meaning a complete transformation of society. This society cannot be ‘given’ to the people by politicians or bureaucrats. It must be built by people from below.

Change by Direct Action

          Anarchism opposes the violence which is an integral part of capitalism and the state (this violence comes in many forms: war, patriarchy etc.). We believe that means shape ends – in other words, the way we struggle will shape the outcome of the struggle. This is also why we do not support the seizure of State power by authoritarian political parties. However, anarchists do believe in direct action – action taken by everyday people to address the power imbalance in present day society. This includes strikes, boycott’s, work-to-rule’s and occupations.

The Past

         Both authoritarian communism (as in Russia, China etc.) and ‘labourism’ (ie. The labour parties of the world), have failed to solve our global crisis. We need a different path to a better world. Anarchism offers itself as a guide on that path.

What Might an Anarchist Society Look Like?

1.

       The world’s resources would be held in common and shared with all the diverse life on Earth.

2.

       People would manage their own lives, work and communities, and everyone would have a say in decision making through decentralised forms of organisation.

3.

      Relationships in all areas of life would be based on mutual respect and equality regardless of gender, skin colour, sexual orientation, disability, age, culture etc.

4.

      Work wouldn’t be boring and repetitive, but instead would be a means of voluntary self expression and fulfilment; unpopular or difficult jobs would be shared.

5.

        Education would be integrated into daily life to produce free individuals who think for ourselves.

6.

          Goods and services would be produced ecologically for human needs based on the principle “from each according to ability, to each according to need”.

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

A Big Thank You.

          As those who attended the Spirit of Revolt fund-raiser, Revolt in Songs, will know the event was a great success with positive responses from audience and performers, a big thank you to all involved. Also sales of Trump toilet rolls, Radical Glasgow book and Spirit of Revolt calendar went very well. For those who didn't get an opportunity to purchase any of these items, there are still a few left. If you are after any of them just get in touch with myself. Our annual raffle which should have been drawn on the 29th of December, was delayed because of the weather. The draw took place on 3rd. of January. I, on behalf of the Spirit of Revolt group, would like to thank all those generous people who handed in goodies to be raffled, the food hamper was so generously donated to that we decided to make it two hampers, giving another lucky person some goodies for the larder.

A very poor scan of the calendar, the actual one is much better picture.

  

      The winning raffle ticket numbers are:

0235, bottle of mulled wine.

0385, Zapata bag.

0458, bottle of red wine.

0114, bottle of Whisky.

0188, Morphy Richards slow cooker.

0028, framed Ann Vance print.

0170, framed Stasia Rice print.

0241, first food hamper.

0141, Pete Seeger CD.

0175, bottle of wine.

0147, second food hamper.

       Some of the prizes have already been delivered, the others will be, in the next few days.

        So once again, I can't say too often, a great big thank you to all involved in these very successful events. 

        If you think Spirit of Revolt is a worthwhile project and worth supporting, why not help to sustain the archive and help it grow by visiting our "DONATE" page, and make a one of, or a monthly direct debit payment, no amount is too small, all is very much appreciated. For Spirit of Revolt, John.

Old Age Never Comes Alone.

 

       At the age of 83, I have to admit that it is a true saying, old age never comes alone, one thing it does come with is a set of automatic brakes. It slows you down, it stops you from time to time, and it sets the pace. Over the years I have always been a very active person, never seeming to tire, always juggling several things at the one time. Now it is very difficult to keep doing the things I want to do. In recent years I have researched and compiled a list of working class people and events that have helped to shape the conditions in our city and further afield, strugglepedia, from that was born  the book Radical Glasgow, now in its third edition. For a number of years I produced and distributed on the streets of Glasgow, a small free paper, The Anarchists Critic, which was monthly, then bi-monthly and latterly quarterly, the last issue, No.113  was a special 2017 General Election/May Day issue. Some are listed HERE, though no longer up to date. However one of the things that I am exceedingly proud, is the fact that I was one of the founder members of Spirit of Revolt, an archive of the struggles of the ordinary people of Clydeside and Glasgow. I consider it a extremely valuable resource for younger people, and others not so young, to learn of, and from, the on-going struggles of others. It also records a history that would otherwise be lost, helping to complete a more accurate picture of the mosaic of OUR history. The history of those grass-roots movements and individuals, non-aligned with the party political machines and unions, people struggling for that better world for all. 

      Then there is this blog, in which, over the years, I have spouted my mouth off on matters that hit my passion spot. However, because I can no longer get out and about, no demos, protests, marches, meetings, talks, discussions, pickets, etc. I am starting to feel out of touch. Therefore feel less able to speak as someone involved, and have no desire to become "an armchair anarchist". So the blog will fall silent, there might be the odd sporadic outburst when something slams into my passion spot, and that passion prevents me from keeping my mouth shut. Other than that, I will concentrate my time to Spirit of Revolt, attempting to get out on the bike, playing chess against the computer, and read more poetry, and perhaps, attempt to add to those I have already written.

      So I would like to say a big thank you to all those who took the trouble to read my outpourings, made a comment, or followed the blog. I have enjoyed doing it, and I hope it added something positive to your thinking. 

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

WORKERS KNOW YOUR HISTORY -GLASGOW'S BLOODY FRIDAY.

THE RENT STRIKE TO BLOODY FRIDAY, 1919.

GLASGOW’S BLOODY FRIDAY 1919.

       Like all the events in political struggle it is difficult to trace the thread back to what brought it to this stage, Bloody Friday 1919 is no different. This was not just an attack on a large demonstration in Glasgow, it was the culmination of a series of radical events in Glasgow and the Clydeside area where the state showed its brutality. Perhaps we could even take it back to the 18th century and the radicals like Thomas Muir and others. However we can certainly take it back to the rent strikes of the first world war, the forming of the Labour Withholding Committee, (LWC) The Clyde Workers Committee (CWC) and the political climate of that period.

THE RENT STRIKE.

       In pre First World War Glasgow there were a large number of empty houses, by the year 1915 all were occupied by incoming workers to the munitions and allied war industry trades. A shortage of workers and materials saw a lack of maintenance and the housing stock deteriorate rapidly. At the beginning of the war the landlords tried to implement large rent increases, at the receiving end of this were 7,000 pensioners and families whose men were fighting in France. This brought about the formation of the "Glasgow Women's Housing Association" and many other local "Women's Housing Associations" to resist the increases. A variety of peaceful activities were used to prevent evictions and drive out the Sheriff's officers. There were constant meetings in an attempt to be one step ahead of the Sheriff's officers. All manner of communication was used to summon help, everything from drums, bells, trumpets and anything that could be used to create a warning sound to rally supporters, who were mainly women as the men were at work in the yards and factories at these times. They would then indulge in cramming into closes and stairs to prevent the entry of the Sheriff's officers and so prevent them from carrying out their evictions. They also used little paper bags of flour, peasmeal and whiting as missiles directed at the bowler hatted officers. These activities culminated on the 17th of November 1915 with the massive demonstration and march of thousands through the city streets and on to the Glasgow Sheriff's Court. The size of the demonstration caused the Sheriff at the court to phone the Prime Minister of the day, this resulted in the immediate implementation of the "1915 Rent Restriction Act" which benefited tenants across the country.

THE LABOUR WITHHOLDING COMMITTEE.

        This happened in a time of war, so it was obvious that by 1915 Glasgow and Clydeside had a very large class oriented militant grassroots movement and had forced the Government on this occasion to act in their favour. The rent strike was mainly a women’s organisation but the men were proving to be just as militant in the workplaces. Around the same time in 1915 during a prolonged period of considerable economic hardship for most industrial workers, Clydeside engineering employers refused workers demands for a wage increase. The insatiable demand for war munitions had lead to a rapid rise in inflation and a savage attack on the living standards of the working class. Workers were demanding wage increases to offset these repressive conditions. At this time Weir’s of Cathcart was paying workers brought over from their American plant, 6/- shillings a week more than workers in their Glasgow plant.

      The dispute between workers and management at Weir’s rapidly escalated into strike action. The strike was organised by a strike committee named the Labour Withholding Committee (LWC). This committee comprised of rank and file trade union members and shop stewards. It was they who remained in control of the strike rather than the officials from the Amalgamated Society of Engineers (ASE).

      The strike started in February 1915 and lasted almost 3 weeks. At its peak 10,000 members of the ASE from 8 separate engineering works were on strike throughout Clydeside. The officials from the ASE denounced the strike and backed the government’s demands to resume work. It was this double pressure from the government and their own trade union that drove the workers from the various engineering works in Glasgow to form the LWC to give the workers a voice and to organise the strike to their wishes.

      Although the strikers demands were not met, its importance is in the fact of it forming the LWC. A committee formed from rank and file union members that determined policy in the work place and refused to follow the directives from union officials when those directives conflicted with the demands of that rank and file.

THE MUNITIONS ACT.

      The government alarmed by the February 1915 strike, summoned trade union leaders to a special conference. The result of this conference being the now notorious Treasury Agreement. The outcome of which was that all independent union rights and conditions including the right to strike, were abandoned for the duration of the war. It also allowed the employers to “dilute” labour. Meaning they could employ unskilled labour in skilled jobs to compensate for the growing labour shortage, due to the every increasing demand for munitions and the endless slaughter of young men at the front. The Munitions Act also made strikes illegal and restrictions of output a criminal offence. The Munitions Act also allowed for the setting up of Munitions Tribunals to deal with any transgressions of the act. 

Continue READING:

More on Glasgow's working class history:

 ann arky's home.

GLASGOW EARTH FIRST, AUDIO.

          The audio file of the Earth First talk/discussion held in Glasgow on May 20 It is now on-line and can be listened to at Radical Glasgow, Just follow the link HERE and then click on Earth First Glasgow, enjoy. Comments and feed back would be welcomed.

ann arky's home.

HORIZONTALISM IN THE WORKPLACE.

Horizontal Organisation In The Workplace.  

A Talk by A.Rice

A Public Event for Radical Glasgow by Martin O'Neil

Tuesday 6th March 7pm-9pm

The Electron Club
CCA
350 Sauchiehall Street
Glasgow G2 3JD

        As managerialism kicks in and workplace pressures increase, creating a strong united voice is vital to protecting ourselves as workers. Our Union branch divided the single Rep’s role into 7 jobs,so sharing the power. We found that evolving union structures from a hierarchy to a shared power model was crucial to maintaining a presence in these brutal times. 

Facebook Event Page:
http://www.facebook.com/events/326646870716144/?context=create#!/events/326646870716144/

ann arky's home.

THE ANARCHIST CRITIC.

The latest issue of Radical Glasgow's Anarchist Critic free paper The Anarchist Critic, is now available as download PDF  HERE.

ann arky's home.