Kmflett's Blog

Cable St 4th October 1936. They did not pass, they shall not pass

The Battle of Cable St when Mosley’s fascists were stopped from marching in the East End by a demonstration of the local community, trade unionists, socialists and anti-fascists took place 88 years ago on 4^th October 1936.

As Michael Rosen has noted of his parents Connie and Harold who were present on that day, they had seen Hitler and Franco and now Mosley was trying to do the same in Britain.

The fascists did not go away of course. After the war the British Union of Fascists were backing trying to intimidate Jews. The 43 Group was formed to stop them and the late Morris Beckman wrote a history of it:

The 43 Group was disbanded in 1950 but the fascists remained in active and in 1962 the 62 Group was formed to stop the successors to the BUF, the National Socialist Movement and others from attacking Jews and others.

An excellent series on this was broadcast by the BBC in 2021. Ridley Rd was written by Sarah Solemani who was born in Stamford Hill and whose father was active in the Anti-Nazi League

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/oct/03/sarah-solemani-fascists-arent-just-monstrous-robots-understanding-this-might-help-us

Even after the 62 Group’s work the fascists didn’t go away. By the mid-1970s they were back as the National Front still marching to intimidate minorities. The Battles of Wood Green and Lewisham saw them stopped on the street and the Anti-Nazi League was formed.

Like other fascist groups before them, the NF declined but as before in due course they were back as the BNP. They too were confronted, for example at Welling in 1993 where they had established a ‘bookshop’.

Unite Against Fascism was launched in 2003 and successfully opposed the BNP, which like other fascist groups before them declined.

More recently the EDL guided by Stephen Yaxley Lennon and others became the main fascist group on the streets. It too was confronted by anti-fascists and appears to have declined.

The wider point is that fascist politics are endemic to a market capitalist society, sometimes finding support, sometimes not, depending on context and times. As at Cable St 88 years ago however if they are not opposed they can become a serious problem.

Looking around Europe or the US it can be seen that fascist and far right politics continues to thrive in many places. Opposing it is essential but the task of doing it requires organisation, strategy and tactics and not everyone always agrees. It still needs to be done though.

The fascists are attempting to gather again in central London on 26th October. Cable St stands as a reminder of what is to  be done

On 11th 1878 September Engels second wife Lizzie Burns died. He took himself and others off to the South Coast for a period of reflection.

Engels favourite seaside town was Eastbourne- his ashes were buried off Beachy Head. However he also frequented Brighton, and on occasion ‘the wilds’ of Worthing where to his concern he could find no Pilsner Lager.

However in September 1878 he went to Littlehampton. The Collected Works contain several letters he wrote from the Sussex town.

He noted

Here it has been incessantly raining since yesterday evening. This little place consists of two parts- the village and harbour on the River Arne and the beach 500 paces to the south-east, some 150 houses on a dune, where one might well imagine oneself in Holland. Sands as lovely and firm as at Ostend (Selborne Cottage, Littlehampton 18th September 1878)

On 24th September he wrote ‘we’re just off to spend a couple of hours in Brighton’ (where he knew Lager Beer was available..)

Measuring the size of demonstrations. The Met changes tactics again

Ahead of Saturday’s London demonstration which called for a genuine ceasefire in Gaza and support for Palestinians the Met Police issued some thoughts. Some were about what, in their view, might be unlawful chants or placards. With over 1,000 Met officers suspended for a range of disciplinary reasons it’s difficult to think of an organisation less well qualified to pronounce on this. It is in fact the job of the CPS and the Courts not the Met.

They also said they expect 100,000 to attend. After the march the police declined to estimate the number who had attended, but the organisers estimate of 300,000 was quoted by the BBC and the Observer. Instead the police reported 18 arrests for alleged offences against their earlier diktat. We shall see in due course how many end in prosecution. However the police did say 1,500 officers were mobilised and also stated that the ‘overwhelming number’ of protesters were peaceful. 1500 officers to arrest 18 people out of a crowd of 300,000 seems like political policing as well as being a waste of public money. Exactly the same happened with the 27^th October 1968 protest on Vietnam(see below).

The previous London demonstration for a ceasefire in Gaza on 11th November was according to a police estimate, 300,000 strong. It was of course much larger. Some of those involved were also organisers for Stop the War demonstrations twenty years ago on Iraq. That included the largest ever in UK history when well over a million marched to Hyde Park. A figure of 800,000 has been mentioned and certainly it took hours for marchers to make their way down Park Lane to Victoria and Vauxhall Bridge Rd and eventually Nine Elms. Given the length of time it took for marchers to move from Hyde Park to Nine Elms- four to five hours in many cases-it may well have been larger.

It was and is difficult to argue about the size of the 2003 march as there are pictures of a huge crowd in the Park. When protests end elsewhere in central London it’s much more difficult to assess numbers.

The State has had varying perspectives on assessing numbers on protests. Historians are still debating how many were at Peterloo in 1819 but the authorities were not counting. Their view was simply that it was too many.

The Chartist protest on Kennington Common on Monday 10th April 1848,the first to be photographed, saw a new and now familiar strategy deployed. Again historical debate about numbers continues. The papers suggested tens of thousands- the official view- while many Chartists reckoned around 100,000. The Chartist leader O’Connor suggested far larger numbers, an unhelpful perspective which still sometimes happens.

The Anti-Vietnam War protest in central London on 27th October 1968 had around 100,000 on it. The BBC reported 25,000 which was possibly a police figure. If it was the question was raised why 6,000 police officers were needed. 2,000 were deployed this Saturday.

In recent decades the Met Police have generally stopped estimating protest numbers. It’s not their job- knowing a rough size of course is, for crowd safety purposes only. On very large protests it’s hard to be sure of precise numbers. People leave and join on route and at the end before a rally starts.

Recently the police seem to have started estimating numbers again. There method of counting historically has been to assess how many marchers pass a particular point over a set period of time and then extrapolate. It is one way of doing it but as above it ignore the complexity of huge marches. Some sections are tightly packed, some not and so on

The purpose of reporting on numbers again is political of course and was a subset of the Suella Braverman Culture War department. She has gone and the police have reverted to not estimating numbers. To understand changes of tactics in an organisation as fundamentally unaccountable for its actions as the Met is a stretch. One possibility is that Lord Dodgy Dave Cameron has tweaked the Government’s line on Gaza, fearing reputational damage in respect of trade with the many Governments appalled at what is happening, it becomes politic not to go on about banning marches. Perhaps. It’s for future historians to try and work that out and for those in the present to keep protesting.

The outrage that is Gaza will provoke further and possibly even bigger yet protests.

Terry Venables who has sadly died at 80 had an interesting and varied life as a football player, manager and businessman. He both played for and later managed Spurs amongst numbers of other clubs.

One thing which may well be less remarked upon but deserves to be remembered is that Venables was one of the founding signatories to the Anti-Nazi League launch statement in 1978

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Venables

Lord Salisbury

Beard Liberation Front

9th December

Contact BLF Organiser Keith Flett 07803 167266

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has announced its annual shortlist for the Parliamentary Beard of the Year

Politics is a disputatious activity and the shortlist invariably draws comment from partisans.

As usual the shortlist is NOT about the politics of the MPs on the list. Its about whether their activities during the year have provided a positive image of the hirsute during the year. Obviously this can be disputed- how positive or otherwise- so the shortlist will go to a vote with the winner announced in mid-December.

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, we have had to take extra care with the shortlist this year to avoid MPs who have been arrested, suspended or appeared in an unfortunate light in the media. We are confident that all those on the list represent a positive image of the hirsute. The issue as ever is, how positive?

Parliamentary Beard of the Year Shortlist

Jon Trickett (Labour)

Sajid Javid (Conservative)

Jeremy Corbyn (Independent)

Colum Eastwood (SDLP)

Alex Cunningham(Labour)

Fabian Hamilton (Labour)

Andy McDonald (Independent)

Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Labour)

Sunday 26th November, the last before Advent, is Stir Up Sunday. While there is a Biblical reference its not to the making of Christmas puddings. Its a tradition that has evolved and is still marked. The Archers sometimes mentions it (not this year!), and expect to see a picture of the Royal Family stirring their Xmas pudding mix(again no evidence as yet).

Its not something however that those who go on about our island story and British traditions bother with. Indeed the Telegraph citing a YouGov poll has suggested that Stir Up Sunday is one tradition that isnt celebrated anymore as people don’t like Christmas puddings

The point is that the traditional Christmas pudding needs to be mixed and left to age and mature well before 25th December. These days of course many people buy one instead.

One person who did observe the tradition (sort of)was Jenny Marx. She only made Christmas Pudding on 23rd December. However the tradition had only been invented by Prince Albert in the 1840s so in 1867 it was work in progress

Below is Jenny Marx’s recipe for Plum Pudding- which is called Christmas Pudding in 2023 and is in shops now

Yesterday evening we were all at home together sitting downstairs, which in English houses is the kitchen area from which all ‘CREATURE COMFORTS’ make their way up to the higher regions, and were busy preparing the CHRISTMAS PUDDING with all due thoroughness. We were seeding raisins (a most disagreeable and sticky task), chopping up almonds and orange and lemon peel, minutely shredding suet, and with eggs and flour kneading together the oddest potpourri from the whole mishmash;

Jenny Marx to Kugelmann 24th Dec 1867

It’s not recorded what Karl Marx thought of it, or if he preferred stollen…

I watch Dr Who only sporadically- but certainly did so in the early years in the 1960s.

On the 60th anniversary it seems appropriate to recall a link that may not perhaps receive the attention it deserves between Dr Who and the Communist Party of Great Britain. Casual observers from the Mail and Telegraph will be relieved to learn that the Doctor is now not and nor has he ever been.

However the historian Michael Herbert discovered that some episodes of Dr Who were written by someone who had been a member of the CP.

Malcolm Hulke joined the CPGB in 1945 and probably left in the late 1960s. He wrote several episodes of Dr Who between 1968 and 1974

Michael Herbert wrote about Malcolm Hulke and Dr Who in the Morning Star in 2020

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/f/doctor-who-and-communist-work-and-politics-malcolm-hulke

Malcolm Hulke’s Wiki entry is here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_Hulke

CAMPAIGN FOR REAL SANTAS

Organised by the Beard Liberation Front

26th November

Contact Keith Flett @keithbeard.bksy.social

Ho Ho Ho: Campaign For REAL SANTAS 2024 Launches

The Campaign for Real Santas, which promotes Santas with genuine organic beards, has launched its 2024 initiative to promote real Santas with genuine beards by warning people to be aware of absurd false bearded Santas as the busiest pre-Christmas shopping weekends get underway.

The Campaigners say that with unemployment and under-employment amongst mature men over 50, there is absolutely no reason for anyone to use an assistant Santa who does not have a real beard.

At the same time the Campaign is also keen to encourage more female Santas with organic knitted beards.

Campaigners are urging parents and children to demand that Santas vigorously tug their beards as a definitive test as to whether they are in the presence of a real Santa or not.

CFRS organiser Keith Flett said, we are launching the campaign early again this year but the reason is hopefully obvious to most. Christmas decorations and lights are up in main High Streets and Christmas tat is everywhere. Our task of exposing false bearded Santas is more important than ever.

THREE STEPS TO SPOT A GENUINE SANTA

1 Ask the Santa to tug their beard. If it comes away, then the Santa is FAKE

2 If the beard remains intact ask the Santa to tug their beard again. If the Santa swears then they are genuine. If they simply repeat a ‘ho ho ho’ mantra they are FAKE

3 The Campaign for Real Santas says that genuine Santas must have just the right mix of bonhomie and grumpiness and a real organic beard.

Notes

The Organic Santa of 2024 will be named on December 18th. In the last 5 years Michael Rosen and Brian Blessed have been key contenders for the annual honour

The Campaign for Real Santas is organised by the Beard Liberation Front

The Ambridge Socialist

November 26^th

So, Farewell then Rob Titchener

Rob Titchener died this week, no doubt to the relief of Ambridge Socialist readers, but also to the Daily Telegraph and Queen Camilla who had demanded his departure.

It’s been 10 years of Titchener. He arrived in Ambridge in 2013, allegedly a dairy farmer and married Helen in 2014. He was a controlling presence in the marriage but was also generally obnoxious. Incidents included a clash with hunt protesters and cheating at cricket. He also had a less than glorious part in the Great Flood of Ambridge involving the blocking of culverts.

Brian Aldridge is 80 (possibly)

Brian had his 80^th birthday this week which according to the BBC report went on into the early hours

Grey Gables & ruling class Ambridge

The really rather far fetched goings on at Grey Gables (perhaps not quite as bad as the Napoleon film) do have one significant issue for ruling class Ambridge, which is Oliver’s decision to sell a part of Grange Farm. Brian wanted a private deal, which might well be how the ruling class normally settles such matters, but Oliver is determined to go to auction. That leaves the possibility that Martyn Gibson and Borchester Land might move in. Meanwhile to underline that this is all about ruling class Ambridge, Ed has been turned down on his suggestion of grazing his sheep at Home Farm, following the land sale at Grange Farm. Its class war as usual in Ambridge

The Ambridge tradition of Stir Up Sunday

Stir Up Sunday is the last Sunday before Advent in the Anglican & Catholic churches. Like many traditions it is one little mentioned by traditionalists

The key modern feature of the day has been to mix the Christmas pudding ready to mature for 25th December a month off.

One place where Stir Up Sunday is sometimes marked is Ambridge. In 2022 Jill Archer was certainly stirring it up at the Bull (where she was in exile). News of 2023 is awaited

Meanwhile it’s just as well they’ve never heard of Lidl in Ambridge

Campaigners provide seasonal guidelines on porridge eating

Beard Liberation Front

9th January

Contact Keith Flett 07803 167266

Campaigners provide seasonal guidelines on porridge eating

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers has said that it backs porridge as a beard nutrient.

The central component of porridge- oats- is important for a healthy beard although porridge is by far the only way to consume them. Cereal bars are a more beard friendly alternative while oat-based beers, often characterised by a hazy appearance are also popular with many beard wearers.

While porridge is eaten year-round it is more commonly seen in winter months

The campaigners say that there is no doubt that porridge is healthy, nutritious and tasty. However while it is a beard nutrient getting porridge in the follicles can have serious consequences

Guidelines

Eating porridge with a beard must be done with care. Getting porridge in the beard can lead to serious follicle damage.

A simple answer is to wear a beard snood- a form of beard scarf- while eating the porridge to make sure none goes in the beard and damages it.

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, the BLF recommends porridge for the hirsute but care must be taken in eating it.