Newcastle Historians mark General Strike
To mark the 100th anniversary of the British General Strike and miners’ lock-out of 1926, historians at Newcastle University are organising a series of events on its enduring legacy.
29 April 2026
On Thursday, 7th May 2026, the Labour & Society Research Group (LSRG) in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology will hold a two-day international conference, "The British General Strike of 1926: New Directions of Research," at the University’s historic Armstrong Building.
The event will bring together international historians, activists, and trade unionists to re-examine the nine days that brought the country to a standstill.
The events dovetail with the opening of an exhibition at the University’s Phillip Robinson Library on Friday 8th May 2026 which will showcase testimonies and archival material from those involved in the General Strike from local politicians such as Ellen Wilkinson and Charles P. Trevelyan, as well as local trade unionists that participated in the stoppage through local strike committees and trades councils. The exhibit – “When Britain Stood Still: The General Strike at 100” – will run until October 2026 and can be accessed at Phillip Robinson Library, Level 2, Special Collections & Archives Exhibition Area.
On Wednesday, 13th May, Dr Redmayne will give a free lecture at Newcastle City Library focussing on the emergence of the Durham and Northumberland Joint Strike Committee.
Image: Boldon Colliery during the General Strike 1926 (Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums, TWCMS.2018.1138)
This event will bring together contributions focussing on histories of solidarity and the General Strike, whether at sites of coal extraction, transportation, distribution, and everywhere in between.