The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #147931   Message #3431201
Posted By: Owen Woodson
05-Nov-12 - 06:17 AM
Thread Name: The Jarrow March
Subject: RE: Folklore: I have to ask the Brits-The Jarrow March
Ok. I've calmed down. My apologies to everybody on this list - everbody that is except Michael Grosvenor Myer - for using the f word.

However, for anyone like me who was brought up in poor and difficult circumstances, the Jarrow march remains an important source of inspiration, and a very noble one at that.

In case MGM has forgotten those people, 207 of them, marched the 300 miles from Jarrow to London, in all kinds of atrocious weather, living off whatever local soup kitchens could muster, and sleeping more often than not in workhouse casual wards, to deliver a petition to the government. They weren't a bunch of upper class ill-bred parasites, and they weren't looking for handouts. They were looking for work. They were looking for paid employment. They were looking to the government to do something about the 70% unemployment which was then plaguing the town of Jarrow.

To GUEST,The Jarrow March. There is quite a lot on the Internet about the Jarrow march. See especially http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/british/britain_wwone/jarrow_01.shtml , which also includes some hard copy references.

To Michael Grosvenor Myer, and all who think like him. Go hang your heads in shame.