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Preserving the past for the future

Talk: the General Strike in the North East

Talk on the General Strike

Historic Event

This is a historic event or exhibition. It is no longer available to visit and this page is only retained as a record of its details.

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photo,1926 men and boys outside Boldon Colliery lodge during General Strike

Dates

13 May 2026 (historic event)

About

This lecture will uncover the history of the British General Strike between 4 - 12 May 1926. Around 1.5 to 2 million workers went on strike in support of ‘locked-out’ miners, King George V proclaimed a State of Emergency and the special constabulary were mobilised. 

The talk will focus on the emergence of the Durham and Northumberland Joint Strike Committee. The North East proved to be one of the most disturbed areas outside London. 

Using archive material and photographs Dr Joe Redmayne will shed light on the activities of those involved in organising tasks of picketing, publicity, organising soup kitchens, and much more. 

[Image: at Boldon Colliery Lodge, 1926, during the General Strike.]