I must admit, the end of the Basildon lockout was a bit of an anti-climax. I had discovered more about the camaraderie of socialism and the true meaning of the brotherhood of the union (be fair, there were not many women in the trade union at that time) in those couple of weeks with theContinue reading “Union bonds do not last forever, but I still had all the world as my stage”
Tag Archives: socialism
Normal services interrupted as chapel members take a walk
Despite my search for real socialism and my fascination with the story of the labour movement, as opposed to the Labour Party, I did not find myself involved in any serious union activity until I moved down South. As I have said I joined the National Union of Journalists while working in North Wales. OtherContinue reading “Normal services interrupted as chapel members take a walk”
A neverending journey in search of socialism
The search for socialism has no real beginning and no real end. Even if you concentrate on socialism in the UK you have to figure out where it has come from, including when did it begin, and is it still evolving. More than anything a socialist needs to find a home. There are many choicesContinue reading “A neverending journey in search of socialism”
Seaside resort – not the best place when you seek political answers
Growing up in a middle class household during the 1950s and 60s in a seaside resort in NE Wales is not totally conducive to getting an insight into national politics in general and local politics in particular. For a start nobody really talked about politics to children and when I first started to take aContinue reading “Seaside resort – not the best place when you seek political answers”
Red ’til I’m dead and I’ll keep that banner flying all my life
That great creator of quotable quotes, A Non, is once alleged to have said “if you’re not a socialist at 20 you’ve got no heart, if you’re still one at 40 you’ve got no head.” I definitely have a heart (it belongs to my Muse but she lets me have a free rein with itContinue reading “Red ’til I’m dead and I’ll keep that banner flying all my life”
Dipping my toes in the murky waters of politics
When I returned to my desk on that mid-November Monday, following the funeral of my last grandparent, I was determined to throw myself into my work and become part of the Basildon community (although to do that fully I would need to wait until I was allocated a flat). Basildon was born out of theContinue reading “Dipping my toes in the murky waters of politics”
Not innocent but certainly naive
Looking back on my life I realise how naive I really was aged 22. I do mean naive because I certainly was not an innocent. My naivety was more a lack of information on issues that maybe I should have been more aware of. I had a lucky escape over South Africa because if IContinue reading “Not innocent but certainly naive”
Newspaper bosses kept it in the family
After my first trip to the print works Peter began to take me there on a regular basis and I got to know not just the printers and journalists but also the directors. What had begun in the 19th century, as a publishing company, Woodall, Minshall and Thomas, at Caxton Press in Oswestry, and laterContinue reading “Newspaper bosses kept it in the family”
Setting standards
How and when do we make a decision to follow a particular political ideology? Is it actually a political decision or is it something we grow into? Some might think I was born in a privileged position. My father, as a pharmacist, was considered to be professional rather than trade and although he managed shopsContinue reading “Setting standards”
Robin's Nest 