When miners took to the fell

From this newspaper 150 years ago:

On Saturday last, a meeting of miners took place on Cockfield Fell, a large tract of uncultivated land in the Auckland district. Shortly after two o’clock (about an hour after the appointed time of meeting) the miners, who had previously been parading the neighbourhood in a body, marched to the ground, preceded by a brass band.

It is July 1970 and “mini-skirted Anne Gill” has caught our photographer’s attention because she was thought to be, at the aged of 20, the youngest subpostmistress in the region and possibly the country. She had taken over the village sub-office at Low Row in Swaledale a year previously, on the death of her great-aunt who had run it for 34 years. Her grandfather had been in charge for 40 years before that.

The handbill convening the meeting intimated that the subject to be discussed was, “Miner’s Unions: their necessity, and how to conduct them.” The speakers having taken their seats on a cart, which served as a rostrum. Mr J Howie was voted to preside. He said he was not only willing, but was glad to have an opportunity to meet men whom he was still proud to call his fellow workmen.

That assemblage showed to him that the feeling of union was not altogether dead in that district yet. Still, there was great danger of union becoming defunct, and if something was not done to resuscitate the dead, it would not be long in existence. The question which rested upon his mind, and which ought to present itself to those present was, was there any benefit in union? and if there was not, let them not trouble themselves about it.

His opinion was, that if the miners did not unite and act in a collective capacity, they would sink lower and lower; by union he thought they would be able to cope with their employers. Although he was no friend to strikes, and would repudiate them if any other steps could be taken to avoid them, yet there were circumstances under which it was not only right, but it was the duty of the men to resist tyrannical measures.

The employers had a union of their own, and in the case of South Yorkshire “lock-out” were doing their best to crush the working men. Having details the circumstances of the “lock-out”

in this case, the speaker said unless exertions were made by every district in this country, the men would be obliged to succumb.

From this newspaper 100 years ago:

Cathedral services interrupted. - Newcastle-on-Tyne Cathedral was on Sunday the scene of an outrage of militant Suffragettes, five of whom rose at the end of the Litany and commenced to chant “God save Emmeline Pankhurt.” They were in two groups in different parts of the church, and were at one approached by vergers, but they declined to leave, and were carried out.

The women resisted violently, screaming and kicking, but were quickly ejected, one being given into custody, but subsequently released, as the church authorities declined to prosecute. The Suffragettes were hustled by the crown which quickly gathered, and one was indebted to the police for her safety. Suffragettes caused a disgraceful scene at Sunday morning’s service in Westminster Abbey, when the Bishop of Down was the preacher. They changed “Pray for Mrs Pankurst,” raised cries of protect against the apathy of the Church, and two or three women addressed the Bishop. In several instances the interrupters had to be removed by force.

From this newspaper 50 years ago:

Ripon’s claim as the site for the new university of the North, and its fight to save its hospital, threatened with closure, were matters referred to by the Mayor, Alderman W H Parnaby, and the Dean, the Very Rev F Llewelyn Hughes, in civic dinner speeches at Ripon on Tuesday evening.

Proposing the toast to the City, the Dean said Ripon had to be continually on the lookout to preserve the gifts of the past and to take the changes for the future. There were two things it needed to do at the moment: one was to “truss the clawing bear” and the other to “woo the frigid maid.” The “clawing bear” was the Government administration which had designs on the city’s hospital. That hold had to be broken. Ripon must retain its hospital. “If we want to suffer we don’t want to have to travel miles and miles to do it,” said the Dean.

The crowd of people for outpatients’ treatment should not have the burden laid on them for three hours travelling a day.

Ripon today needed its hospital more than ever. The “frigid bride” to be woo-ed was the “cold authority” who decided where the new university of the north was to be sited. Every effort of which the City Council was capable should be brought into action to try and influence the choice of Ripon. Ripon was an admirable place for a university.

It was just right. If it was any bigger there would be too many distractions. If it were smaller there would be too few amenities.