Dire straits
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It seems like we’ve all been thinking along similar ideas.
The remains of North East Branch of the SPGB are in the process of organising a weekend for the Durham Miners’ Gala for 2025. If anyone hasn’t been to the Gala before it is a remarkable day. There were more than 200,000 people there this year, and it was absolutely pissing down. Given a better day it might have been 1/4 of a million. It has been said to be the biggest trades union gathering in Western Europe.
In my view growing interest in our point of view is not going to take place through having one particular way of spreading ideas, but by having lots of different ways of making contact with the Working Class. With some socialist using the internet may be the best way for them, for others giving out leaflets. So for example having set, face to face meetings does not mean we can’t also use on line propaganda meetings.
The plan for Durham (as it stands) is to hire a couple of AirBn houses in the Durham City area (rail and road connections for Durham City are very good). Gather for the Friday night before the Gala with a bit of a social night for comrades and sympathisers and get to the racecourse field for a bout 9.30am. We will book a pitch (which are very busy and very political) whilst also publicising a Saturday evening debate in Durham City Centre. It is a very busy day, believe me.
We can put out thousands of leaflets for the debate, (I have made contact with a local Tory who might be brave enough to put his head above the parapets), if we get 10 or so non socialists to turn out, it will be a success.
If there are enough people interested I would also organise a walking (and stopping in pubs and drinking) tour of the fair city of Newcastle upon Tyne on the Sunday dinner time.
Does that appeal to you Actual Socialist, we’d be happy to sort you out with a bunk?
It might not be summer sunshine in Malaga, but the crack should be canny. (there are cheap flights to Newcastle to and from Malaga Robbo, if you are prepared to cope with the cold, a warm welcome and transport from the airport is available and ham and pease puddin’ stotty may not be on the Michelin to do list, but they’re bloody lovely)
If anyone is interested crack was a Geordie word long before it became a loan word and tourist slogan in Ireland.
As proof the song “Dance to th’ Daddy” Starts with the line
“Cum hear me little Jacky, Noo I’ve smoked me Baccy
we’ll have a little cracky, til the Boat comes in”And, given enough ale, I’ll even sing the whole song as an encouragement for people to attend!
How’s that for marketing
“Message to Robbo – please organise a week in Andalucia!”
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Hi Paula,
That is doable but I would need somebody, or some committee, to liaise with to begin with – the central organiser perhaps. The concept would need to be advertised within the Party. Dates have to be sorted out (time of the year can be a factor as it can get very hot here in late summer), location (rural or urban?), transportation, money arrangements etc etc. It would be nice to imagine a group size of between a dozen or two dozen to hopefully include sympathisers as well…
Just out of curiosity what do people think of the place I linked to? Believe me, it’s very remote – but there is a tiny village with a bar that is within walking distance. The Alpujarras is a beautiful part of the world, mountainous and rugged, with lots of trails to explore and not too far from the great city of Granada
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“It might not be summer sunshine in Malaga, but the crack should be canny. (there are cheap flights to Newcastle to and from Malaga Robbo, if you are prepared to cope with the cold, a warm welcome and transport from the airport is available and ham and pease puddin’ stotty may not be on the Michelin to do list, but they’re bloody lovely)”
………………………………………….Bijou,
Thanks for the offer – I might well take you up on it. It sounds a fantastic event you’ve got planned there. I’ve only been once to your neck of the woods and it would be great to revisit. Dont think I’ve ever had “ham and pease puddin’ stotty”. What is that? A sort of pie?
Re the Durham Miners Gala, wouldn’t it be better to organise the debate against a Labourite rather than a Tory? Otherwise we would just be providing entertainment for the anti-Tory participants. It’s the Labour Party we need to hit and hard.
Thanks ALB, good point, well made, however all of the Labourites I know have gone well and truly to ground! I will continue to try and get one to break cover as a preference to a Tory, but I am not optimistic.
Robbo, it’s a kind of sandwich see the link below:
We had a comrade who would walk along a ‘bus queue of proletarians and proffer the Standard. When the ‘bus arrived he would get on, even if it wasn’t his, and continue proffering until thrown off by the conductor (yes, it was that long ago). He went on to join the Libertarian Alliance ( the comrade, not the conductor). Perhaps FactualSocialist might give it a go. Have to admit even we saw it as a wee bit eccentric.
Like many new members s/he is frustrated by the Party’s dire lack of progress. But given time will see that it isn’t the Party which is the problem, it’s the working class.
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