Contributors to this elderly thread may like to know that the words of Charles Mayo's 'The Colour Bar Strike' appeared in John Rose 'Solidarity Forever: !00 Years of King's Cross ASLEF' 1986.

Charlie himself has recently published 'Ghosts of Steam: the diary of a young locomotive fireman at King's Cross Depot 1952-1954' - a very limited edition available from Sue Elliott at 47 Brentham Way W5 1BE (bevansue@globalnet.co.uk) at £12 incl p&p.

The diary is reproduced in facsimile, which gives it great immediacy, even if it makes for slightly slower reading. The thoughts and experiences of a young man of the far left in a gruelling job with companions conditioned to tabloid right wing views (leading at one time to the notorious strike) makes a great story. It ends quite suddenly with his winning a life-changing scholarship to Ruskin College. The short (typeset) Introduction by the Charlie Mayo of today, looking back over sixty years, gives all the context you need. At the end he includes two more of his ballad texts.

MacColl's setting of CBS, sung by EM himself, is available on Youtube.

Charlie is still with us, resident in Polperro.