“Fascinating” General Strike Centenary Exhibition Reveals Bath’s Militant History

Wera Hobhouse, MP for Bath, launched a brand new exhibition at the Museum of Bath at Work this week (May 1st), to mark the centenary of the 1926 General Strike. 

The brainchild of Dr Trevor Turpin, Chairman of the Bath Industrial Heritage Trust, the exhibition charts the considerable effects on Bath and the surrounding area of the General Strike, which saw around 1.7m workers across the country down tools in solidarity with the miners.

Said Dr Turpin: “When I first had the idea to highlight this anniversary in an exhibition, I didn’t think there would be much material. Did anything happen in Bath? Was there a history in Bath of trade unions and strikes? Clearly the North Somerset coalfield was nearby, so maybe…”

He then described how he got in touch with a number of potential fellow contributors, including: 

• Professor June Hannam for her knowledge of the role of women supporting the coal miners’ families during the General Strike and the lockout of the miners.
• Dr Linda Watts for her expertise around the health of the miners in the 1920s.
• Dr Michael Carley, President of the Bath Trades Council, for his research into the role of the Bath Trades & Labour Council.
• Nick Turner, Manager of the Radstock Museum, and Rob Whitfield, from the Bristol Radical History Group, for their insights into local miners and mining conditions in the 1920s.

David Williamson’s book “Bath Between The Wars” proved the final key to unlocking the untold story of Bath during the General Strike. 

Dr Turpin continues:

“It turns out there was a very active Trades Council in Bath at that time that  campaigned for workers’ rights. The government of Stanley Baldwin was preparing for a strike in 1925, with the fear of a revolution matching that of the Soviet Union ever present.

“The Liberal Mayor of Bath, Cedric Chivers, led the preparations for the strike under government instructions, and spoke at meetings held in Sawclose, by the Theatre Royal. These meetings were sometimes 3000 strong.

“The Strike began on  May 3rd and lasted just 9 days, when it was called off once the TUC realised they could not resist the mine owners’ determination to cut the miners’ pay. 

“However, the miners continued to be locked out by the owners until November, during which time the women of Bath raised funds for the miners’ families, and importantly, visited them to check on health and conditions, providing practical support.”

After declaring the exhibition officially open, Wera Hobhouse, Liberal Democrat MP for Bath said:

“It is good to be reminded of these events 100 years ago and see how the people of Bath showed solidarity and support to the miners and their families as they suffered severe hardship.

“These qualities of solidarity, compassion, resilience and strength are all qualities that I believe Bathonians possess to this day.

“This fascinating exhibition was just the kind of celebration of local community that I had in mind when I spoke in Parliament recently about our wonderful local museums, and I hope as many people as possible come along to learn about the untold story of Bath and industrial unrest through these compelling displays, talks, and films.”

The exhibition, “The 1926 General Strike in and around Bath – the untold story”, in collaboration with Somerset Coalfield Life at Radstock, and Bath Trades Council,  runs until  June 25th. You  can find more details about opening times, and the series of connected talks at the museum, here.