Steve Thompson Jimmy McCauley and Johnny Kelly were two marchers on the historic Jarrow Crusade. Two hundred men from the town of Jarrow marched to London in 1936. The town’s shipyard, Palmers, had closed in 1933 resulting in mass unemployment. The aim of the march was to bring Jarrow’s plight to the government’s notice as life for … Read more
This song, featured in the musical STEEL TOWN and captures the desperation of families living with the threat of unemployment. Their source of employment, Consett Steel Works, closed in September, 1980.ìSometimes feels like heaven is pouring tears down on me.î sorry no folk version yet – below is an alternative version rehearsal recording This post … Read more
The title track of the STEEL TOWN musical. Consett moved from a hard working town, ìRaising hell in this frontier townî as its fame grew. The same story could apply to the industrial heartlands in Europe and the USA. sorry no folk version yet but here is an alternative version preceded by a story from … Read more
The north-east was at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution, sons followed fathers and grandfathers into the Pits, Steel Works and Shipyards. ëMy Father’s Father’ remembers, commemorates and celebrates that world sorry no folk version yet. Alternative version below. This post and the media contained in it is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
See yonder ladder up tree. Branch is mostly sawn through. Rope is tied to branch and slung over pegoda. Noose in end of rope lynch mob style. Stevie the lumberjack climbs into noose and applies his not inconsiderable weight. Sounds of creaking branch. Branch breaks and sails though the air towards the overweight chap swinging … Read more
Consett made steel for one hundred and forty years. The Blackpool Tower was built with Consett steel as were bridges throughout the world. Making steel was a way of life. It gave the town fame and its identity. When the Steel Works closed the entire site was demolished and today there is little evidence of … Read more