The General Strike in the North East
Bewick Hall, Newcastle City Library, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8AX
Wednesday 13th May 2026
Thursday 13 May 2.30 - 3.30pm. Free, booking advised
Talk by Dr Joe Redmayne
Location: Newcastle City Central Library
In association with North East Museums
This lecture uncovers the history of the British General Strike of 1926. Between 4 - 12 May 1926, roughly 1.5 to 2 million workers went on strike in support of ‘locked-out’ miners. Following the breakdown of negotiations, King George V proclaimed a State of Emergency and the special constabulary were mobilised. Emergency powers turned London’s Hyde Park into a military camp, troops in full war kit paraded the streets and tanks and armoured cars rolled into all the industrial cities. The Admiralty sent warships and submarines to the Thames, the Tyne, the Humber and the Clyde.
The talk will focus on the emergence of the ‘Durham and Northumberland Joint Strike Committee’, the governing body that coordinated trade unionists and strike activities in the North East region. The North East proved to be one of the most disturbed areas outside London, with one-third of the cases of violence in English counties taking place in Durham (183 out of 583) and 103 proceedings being brought under the Emergency Regulations in Northumberland.
Using archive material and photographs Dr Joe Redmayne will shed light on the activities of those involved in organising tasks of picketing, publicity, issuing trade permits, selling foodstuffs, dispatch riding, soup kitchens, and much more, reassessing its place in UK history, as well as appreciating the aspirations and attitudes of those who participated.
About: Dr. Joe Redmayne is an Early Career Researcher in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology at Newcastle University. His research deals with British social and political history of the twentieth century, focusing on transnationalism, labour movements, and the contentious politics of class. He is currently a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow working on his new research project: “Out of the Blue: The Maritime Strike Wave to the British General Strike, 1925-26”.
Image credit
TWCMS: Boldon Colliery Lodge during 1926 General Strike
Talk by Dr Joe Redmayne
Location: Newcastle City Central Library
In association with North East Museums
This lecture uncovers the history of the British General Strike of 1926. Between 4 - 12 May 1926, roughly 1.5 to 2 million workers went on strike in support of ‘locked-out’ miners. Following the breakdown of negotiations, King George V proclaimed a State of Emergency and the special constabulary were mobilised. Emergency powers turned London’s Hyde Park into a military camp, troops in full war kit paraded the streets and tanks and armoured cars rolled into all the industrial cities. The Admiralty sent warships and submarines to the Thames, the Tyne, the Humber and the Clyde.
The talk will focus on the emergence of the ‘Durham and Northumberland Joint Strike Committee’, the governing body that coordinated trade unionists and strike activities in the North East region. The North East proved to be one of the most disturbed areas outside London, with one-third of the cases of violence in English counties taking place in Durham (183 out of 583) and 103 proceedings being brought under the Emergency Regulations in Northumberland.
Using archive material and photographs Dr Joe Redmayne will shed light on the activities of those involved in organising tasks of picketing, publicity, issuing trade permits, selling foodstuffs, dispatch riding, soup kitchens, and much more, reassessing its place in UK history, as well as appreciating the aspirations and attitudes of those who participated.
About: Dr. Joe Redmayne is an Early Career Researcher in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology at Newcastle University. His research deals with British social and political history of the twentieth century, focusing on transnationalism, labour movements, and the contentious politics of class. He is currently a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow working on his new research project: “Out of the Blue: The Maritime Strike Wave to the British General Strike, 1925-26”.
Image credit
