There is a good post at Hayes Peoples History called The Lansbury Estate 1951 though the best bit for me is the CWS Furniture for your new flat - cheerful optimism in an age of austerity.
Whilst in Manchester Robert Owen stayed in a boarding house at 8 Brazennose Street where he met fellow lodger Robert Fulton - later known for his submarine and steamboat inventions. That was back in 1794, and he'd be 23 and Robert Fulton would be 29. Both Roberts struck a business deal to develop cutting machinery for the new canal constructions in Britain - the venture capitalism of the 18th Century. You can read about it in - Projects For Marine Propulsion Chapter III
Britain's most influential working class novel: "The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists" was written by Robert Tressell in Hastings and St.Leonards 100 years ago (c.1906 - 1908) though not published in an abridged form until 1914.
The Robert Owen statue is now a photo opportunity. I almost expect the Prime Minister to a get a snapshot taken next time he's in Manchester. Why not take your own photo and send it here.
There are still some old cotton mills in the centre of Manchester. They haven't done any spinning for years and have been transformed into appartments. Robert Owen was in business in one of them around the Chorlton-on-Medlock district. Don't know which one, or even if it's still standing. Always like to think that it's this one on the corner of Cambridge Street and Hulme Street - map. One day I'll find the definitive answer. Though the area has refurbed from dereliction to prime reality in the last ten years it has buckets of industrial revolution history. The first industrial slum "Little Ireland" that Engels wrote about is around the corner from this mill, and the first raincoat factory is at the end of the street.
Spotted this in Raw Vision - the magazine of Outsider Art and Art Brut, always a good read even if you just look at the fantastic pictures inside. It's a review about A.G.Rizzoli : Architect of Magnificent Visions, who drew imaginary buildings in his lifetime and never published them.
When news is a bit short, we've plenty of history to fall back on...Poster is from the 1950 General Election, that's the disappointing one when Labour was returned with only a small majority despite getting the most votes. It was held on the 23rd February. Boundary changes which brought in the leafy districts of Whalley Range and Chorlton meant that the seat went back to the Conservatives after the 1945 landslide. It was won by Florence Horsburgh, later the first ever woman Tory cabinet minister in 1951.
Withington Constituency Labour Party issued a ‘Year Book’ in March 1968. Year book is a bit of an over statement for it’s a mere sixteen pages slightly bigger than A5 printed by a duplicating machine (these machines still exist in museums). A copy survives in the archives of Manchester Central Reference Library - the sort of political ephemera you throw away every month.
Do they make election material like this anymore? You tell me. "A family man for family people". That's the three girls and the missus with the candidate in an informal studio setting. Taken from W.H.Brown's election material for Mossley in the General Election of 1918. He was the Co-operative candidate, no mention of the Labour Party, but references to a People's Party. Not successful the seat was won by Arthur Hopkinson, an Independent. Mossley Constituency, near Manchester no longer exists but when it did it was contested by Labour / Co-operative candidates - T.W. Mercer, H. Gibson, and G.S. Woods (the later two actually won there).
The inaugural meeting of the Co-operative History Group took place last night. A good muster of about 90 people in the Pump House Museum, Manchester. Heard a few short speeches about the resources available, and an amusing account of activities in Hull. A few amateur historians like myself in the audience but in the main most people wanted to be entertained and informed. More meetings planned by Members Relations, Co-op Group - United Region...in November with films, and January 2008. Hoping it turns into a viable network.
The chap with the fine moustache is Edgar Whiteley the agent for the first ever Co-operative Party candidate in 1918. In those days they usually had a committee running the election but he was the most experienced in election work. His previous success was in getting Victor Grayson elected for Colne Valley as a Socialist (not Labour Party approved) in 1907. Edgar Whiteley was active in the early days of the Co-operative Party in Manchester. Amongst other activities he was President of Manchester & Salford Co-op Society, ran the the National Labour Press, was a City Councillor, and in 1924 stood for Labour in Withington Constituency but lost the £500 deposit.
For those of us interested in Co-operative / Labour history there's a good story at Hayes People History. The ILP (Independent Labour Party) ran a number of business undertakings over the years to keep members employed and to raise money. Notable was the Planet Insurance Company based in Birmingham. It eventually got into difficulties and was taken over by the CIS (Co-operative Insurance).
Excellent six pages about the Co-operative Party in "Co-operative News" (sept 4th - 18th 2007). Plenty of archive photos and a succinct article by Greg Rosen, author of the book "Ninety Years of Serving The People" which is being published by Mutuo this week. For anyone with an interest in Labour and Co-operative history it's a must buy, "only one proper history of the Co-operative Party has previously been written - and that was in the late 1960's." This brings the story up to date in the 90th Anniversary year with a Co-op Party member as Prime Minister.
"Serving The People : The Co-operative Party History from Sam Perry to Gordon Brown" by Greg Rosen, the noted historian of Labour history has been published and is avaiable at the Co-operative Party Conference, price 7.99.