I have just finished a book that concerned The Jarrow Crusade. It is an account of the author's attempt to follow in the footsteps of the marchers - eighty years after the original march happened. The writer was Stuart Maconie. As well as looking back in history, he also reflected upon modern day England and what he observed along the way. "Long Road from Jarrow" is eminently readable and at times thought-provoking.
For those of you who do not know, The Jarrow Crusade was a 250 mile protest march. On October 5th 1936, two hundred unemployed men from the town of Jarrow in the north east of England set off for London. It would take them twenty six days to get there, They intended to present a petition to the government.
A once proud steel and ship-building town, by 1936 Jarrow was on its knees. 70% of Jarrow men were unemployed and poverty was rife. In desperation, it was decided that the march would happen. It would be a plea for work, for compassion and for government support.
The men made their way steadily down the spine of the country towards England's soft underbelly and the wealth and power that gather round London. It was like descending upon a different planet. On Friday October 16th, 1936 the marchers reached this city - Sheffield.
Of course, the England of 2016 that Maconie encountered was different in many ways. More traffic on the roads, better welfare protection for the unemployed, less heavy industry, television sets in every home, more comfortable walking boots. Nonetheless, some things never change. London remains a magnet for wealth and privilege and places like Jarrow still feel marginalised, forgotten.
Some of Maconie's political and cultural opinions did not chime with my own views and at times I bristled but he is an engaging writer. Sometimes very funny. It was an excellent project and a fine way to pay homage to the Jarrow men of 1936. However, it should be noted that while the marchers tramped every inch of the route, Maconie occasionally used buses and taxis to cover some of the miles between.
Did your book tell you what the Jarrow marchers did for food, and at night? They don't seem to have any tents or bags with them ! Perhaps they were followed by lorries with a lot of " stuff" in them? They must have slept, but can't image they stayed in hotels! No Trivago then.
ReplyDeleteYes. The book does deal with those practical matters. Simple hospitality had been pre-arranged in all the various stopping points which included Luton and St Albans.
DeleteAha......I have just looked it up. They had a field kitchen and a lorry with all their kit. ( Also a " motor ambulance" . The field kitchen went on ahead to enable a meal to be ready for the men when they arrived at scheduled stopping places. . Some towns provided sleeping accommodation and there is mention of " casual wards" for sleeping.....whatever that means!
ReplyDeleteNo - I don't know what that term means either. The men were very orderly and walked with dignity. Most had never been out of the north east before.
DeleteThe story is always the same, just the background becomes different. The Jarrow March was and is a challenge to the rich from the poor but sadly we are still in the same place as then.
ReplyDeleteSounds like you might enjoy this book Thelma.
DeleteMy in-laws all come from Newcastle and the area surrounding it. My husband's grandfather, a carpenter, came down to London in the 1930s in search of work and stayed down here. I am not sure if he marched with the Jarrow men, but the timing certainly fits. They were certainly much harder times and with no benefits either.
ReplyDeleteStuart Maconie links the neglect of places like Jarrow with the situation we are in today with regard to Brexit. If your husband's grandfather was from Newcastle and not Jarrow then he would not have been on the march. More than a thousand Jarrow men applied to join the march.
DeleteI wouldn't have known about Jarrow without your blog, so thank you for once more giving me the opportunity to learn something new. You know I enjoyed "The Valley" by Richard Benson (although you didn't); do you think I'd like this book?
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to read. I think Maconie is a good writer. As he moves between 1936 and 2016 he presumes that the reader possesses an intimate awareness of British culture and politics. I suspect you would find it quite enlightening.
DeletePeople have suffered many times as the economy has gone from boom to bust. The fat cats are well protected against any harm from changes.
ReplyDeleteThat is very true Red. Whenever there is an economic crisis, it is ordinary working people who pay the biggest price.
DeleteInteresting! I haven't heard of this march beyond what you've described here. Of course 1936 was the midst of the Depression so it was pretty much hard going everywhere. What was the effect of the march? Is there a link to any relief passed by government or subsequent employment reforms? And just out of curiosity, what did Maconie write that made you bristle?
ReplyDeleteOf all the poor marches and unemployed marches upon London, this was the one that really stuck in the nation's consciousness. Did any change come of it? Not immediately but just ten years later The Welfare State and the National Health Service were conceived. I would like to think that that was partly The Jarrow Crusade's legacy. What made me bristle? Maconie's occasional political mud-slinging. Anybody can stand on a pedestal and do that. It's harder to be active - actually doing something to progress society.
DeleteIs this part of the planning for your next walk?
ReplyDeleteI'm planning The Marrow Crusade which involves dressing up in a marrow costume.
DeleteI was not aware of this march; thank you for broadening my knowledge, YP.
ReplyDeleteI am glad to have been the messenger but Wikipedia can tell you a whole lot more about The Jarrow Crusade.
DeleteThe Jarrow March was part of the history of my upbringing. I wonder how much about it is taught today.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely should be taught along with the true story of the 1984/85 miners' strike. The Peterloo Massacre and The Chartists. Arguably the establishment has sought to airbrush out these important subjects.
DeleteWalking would now speak louder than riots on Wall Street, or at least should. Walking is a commitment to a cause, visible. Knew nothing about Yarrow, now must.
ReplyDeleteOver from Graham who came over from Cro Magnon.
Thanks for calling by Susan. The Jarrow marchers received very little support from elected politicians with one notable exception - Ellen Wilkinson who championed their cause and walked several miles with the men.
DeleteEvery generation...every decade...every century...challenges are faced, and tackled. Some are conquered; some are not. The pattern shall continue ad infinitum.
ReplyDeleteI'd not heard or read about Jarrow until now, either.
I am so glad that I have helped to tell their story to the world.
DeleteWonder of wonders, my friend, I had never heard of the Jarrow Walk until today. And, whilst reading your prose about this time in your history, I couldn't help but be reminded of our own Bonus March of 1932 in Washington, D.C. Well, it was part march, part sit-in, part homeless shelter and part a demonstration of WW1 vets to get their bonus pay that was due to them. The start of our military men and women being forgotten once they return home.
ReplyDeleteThere are many parallels between our two countries. The poor tend to be overlooked and even their brave marches only merit footnotes in the pages of history.
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