The Hall of Science

Opened in 1840 by the Owenite Co-operative Movement, the Hall of Science was a centre for working class education and social activity for a decade. Salford was an important centre for those inspired by the writings and ideas of Robert Owen to set up Co-operative enterprises. In 1831 a small group of Co-operators opened up [...]

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The Irish in Manchester and the Civil Rights Movement in the North of Ireland, 1963-1974

The emergence of the Civil Rights movement in the North of Ireland led to solidarity organisations being established in Britain, seeking through meetings, marches and strikes to highlight what was happening. The government used the prevention of Terrorism Act, passed in November 1974, to clamp down hard on campaigners. The Emergence of the Civil Rights [...]

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Irish Republican Operations in Manchester 1920-1922

During the Irish War of Independence, Irish Republicans mounted a number of armed operations in British cities, including Manchester, which were intended to cause economic damage and put pressure on the British government to cede independence to Ireland The Campaign in Manchester 1920-22 In the autumn of 1920 the IRA launched a series of attacks [...]

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Challenge Anarchy

Challenge Anarchy was a day of protests in Manchester city centre on Mayday 2000. Organised by activists from environmentalist, anarchist and other direct action-orientated communities, it was intended to be both fun and political, and to address some of the problems for protesters that had arisen in the policing of large Reclaim the Streets and [...]

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The General Strike in Manchester, May 1926

The General Strike was the most significant British labour dispute of the twentieth century. It was a massive solidarity action called by the Trades Union Congress in support of the miners, who were striking against cuts in pay and longer hours. It began on 3 May 1926 and was called off on 12 May by [...]

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The Siege of Manchester, 1642

The English Civil War (actually three separate rounds of conflict) lasted from 1641 to 1651. The basis of the conflict was a struggle for power and authority between the King Charles I and Parliament but added to the mix were religious conflicts and wars in Scotland and Ireland. There was also a radical democratic upsurge [...]

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Bill Watson and Eccles Communist Party

Bill Watson joined the Communist Party in 1965, after a chance encounter with a Communist at a construction site in Wolverhampton. He had been working as a bricklayer for six years and after witnessing the exploitation on building sites and how his parents had suffered at work, Bill immediately joined the party. He went on [...]

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