pasttensehistories.bsky.social

Today in London’s radical history: jingoistic mob break up anti-war meeting, Islington, 1917. Although in the run-up to the outbreak of World War 1, trade unions and Labour movement figures had produced a lot of hot air about resisting the war, but when the conflict began, the Labour Party,…

#OnThisDay in London's radical history: jingoistic mob break up anti-war meeting, Islington, 1917.
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Today in statistical history: Britain’s first census taken, 1801 During the 18th century, more and more families in Britain came to earn a living from industrial work rather than from agricultural work. And this trend continued in the 19th century, although work…

#OnThisDay in statistical history: Britain's first census taken, 1801
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Today in London open space history, 1801, an attempt to enclose Bedfont Common fails 1801, Bedfont – a failed attempt to enclose the Common. While there are many accounts that we have posted up this blog of collective resistance to enclosures and the loss of access to open sp…

#OnThisDay in London open space history, 1801, an attempt to enclose Bedfont Common , West London, fails
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Echoes of which: not that far from Warren Farm - now a Nature Reserve due to local campaigning against development.
Fighting for green space can win!

#OnThisDay in London radical history, 2007: the empty Good Food Cafe is occupied (we climbed up a ladder & through a window!) and soon opens as Black Frog /Camberwell Squatted Centre
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Rare Doings at Camberwell A radical history walk around London SE5 By Alex Hodson An 84 page A4 Pamphlet/Walk Guide, wrapped in an A3 map of the area. A wild ramble through...

#OnThisDay in London educational history, 1999: students occupy Camberwell Art College protesting lack of tutors, equipment, grants & hours of access.

More in our map/pamphlet
‘Rare Doings at Camberwell’
A radical history walk around London SE5:
pasttensehistories.bigcartel.com/product/rare...

Our post needs updating! Hurray for all those who campaigned to Save Warren Farm!
🍾❤️💪🏼🥳🦋🌳

A Light Shining in Hanwell: battles for open green space in West London January 2023 Update: Ealing Council are again seeking to press ahead with a plan to develop a sports facility covering more than half of Warren Farm. Local opposition is strong and environmental gr…

Great to see Warren Farm win Nature Reserve status, covered on BBCLondonNews tonight!
Years of great work by lovely locals. Often despite EalingCouncil policy.

Now extend the Nature Reserve over the canal; include St Margaret’s Open Space!

Some history
pasttense.co.uk/2021/12/04/a...

Available from Past Tense:
“Unruly & Predatory Cattle”
The Cows of Wanstead Flats

Grazing, droving, common rights, menaces of wandering cows: a 1000 year bovine history on an East London open space.
Published by Leyton & Leytonstone History Society

pasttensehistories.bigcartel.com/product/unru...

Yesterday in publishing history: scandalous and seditious pamphlets banned, 1643. “Oh printing! How has thou disturb’d the Peace of Mankind!” (Andrew Marvell) The spread of printing, the beginnings of regular challenge to the social, religious, political status quo, is intimatel…

#OnThisDay in publishing history: ‘scandalous and seditious’ pamphlets banned by order of Parliament, 1643.
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Today in London’s shameful history: ‘Go Down, You murderer, Go Down’. Tim Evans hangs, 1950 The case of Timothy Evans was the first major post-war miscarriage of justice to capture public attention. Of low intelligence, Evans was damned by his own, false “confession” that he h…

#OnThisDay in London's shameful legal history: 'Go Down, You murderer, Go Down'. Framed for murder, Tim Evans is hanged, 1950.
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#OnThisDay in London's rebellious history, 2015: inmates at Harmondsworth immigration detention centre, protest over fast track deportations.

#OnThisDay in London radical herstory, 2008: International Womens Day gathering at Hackney Social Centre squat, Clapton.
hackneysocialcentre.blogspot.com/2008/03/marc...

Today in London riotous history, 1990: local anti-poll tax demo erupts, Brixton Everyone knew it was going to go off… As previously related, the introduction of the Poll Tax (officially disguised as the Community Charge.) in 1989-1990 enraged millions of people across the UK, …

Continuing our short series of anti poll tax actions this week in London radical history, as councils meet to set local rate of poll tax & face mass community resistance:

#OnThisDay in London riotous history, 1990: local anti-poll tax demo erupts, Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton
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Today in London radical history, 1990: Hackney anti-poll tax demonstration erupts into rioting As previously related, the introduction of the Poll Tax (officially called the Community Charge) across the UK in 1989-1990 enraged millions of people and sparked a mass community-based rebellion. …

#OnThisDay, March 1990: Hackney anti-poll tax demonstration erupts into rioting
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#OnThisDay, March 1990: Brent Town hall besieged by an anti-poll tax demo, and there are interruptions to council meeting from the public gallery.

#OnThisDay, March 1990: At Ealing Town Hall, Councillors are showered with paper planes from the anti-poll tax protestors in the public gallery.

#OnThisDay in London radical history, 1990:
More trouble at London Town halls as borough councils meet to agree first poll tax levels. At Camden, 500 demonstrators outside block Euston Rd; 150 invade council chamber.

Continuing our short thread of anti poll tax actions this week in London, as local councils meet to set the rate of their poll tax and faced mass community resistance:

Today in London radical herstory, 1914: International Womens Day march sees launch of newspaper the Woman’s Dreadnought “The first part of the procession, which was headed by boys and young men , dressed in a sort of cowboy dress, had just entered the square when Miss Sylvia Pankhurst got off the bus…her arrest was …

#OnThisDay in London radical herstory, 1914: International Womens Day suffrage march sees launch of East London Federation of Suffragettes newspaper, the famous ‘Woman’s Dreadnought’
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A good general history of resistance to the Poll Tax from one of those involved:
pasttenseblog.wordpress.com/wp-content/u...

Just some of the other anti poll tax demos on 7 May 1990

More to follow… tomorrow… we’ve concentrated on events in London as we are a London project. But these scenes were echoed all around the country…

#OnThisDay, 1990: anti poll tax disruption at Tower Hamlets Town Hall.

#OnThisDay, 1990: an anti poll tax demo at Lewisham Town Hall. 80 people held up council meeting for 80 minutes, 150 rally outside.

#OnThisDay, 1990: At an anti poll tax demo at Kensington/Chelsea Town hall, 50-100 people are ejected after paper is thrown from the public gallery into council meeting.

#OnThisDay, 1990: 500 anti poll tax campaigners occupy the council chamber at Southwark Town Hall.

#OnThisDay, 1990: 300 people join anti poll tax demo at Newham Town Hall, 150 people get inside. The demo is noisy and sees scuffles with police.

#OnThisDay 1990, Walton on Thames: a 700 strong anti poll tax demo at the town hall sees bricks, coins, eggs and fireworks thrown at police trying to break up the protest.

The Council meetings in early March 1990 became focus of large and angry crowds. Heavily policed, many ended in riotous scenes. and several council meetings were abandoned in chaos.

The daily resistance to the Poll Tax - refusal to pay, support for non-payers being taken to court, preventing bailiffs seizing non-payers’ possessions, supporting those jailed for refusing to pay etc - would be crucial in this struggle.