Episodios

  • The Chopwell Lockout
    Jun 20 2025

    Chopwell, in case you’re not familiar, is a small, former mining

    village in the west of Gateshead and it is this mining connection

    that earned it the nickname Little Moscow. In fact, there are still

    streets in the village named after Marx and Lenin.

    In June 1925, miners were locked out of the mine after they

    refused the owners’ offer of less pay and worse working

    conditions. Chopwell was already well known for its strong left-

    leaning politics and had some strong, very vocal union leaders

    who had been inspired by the revolution in Russia. The

    Chopwell lockout preceded the General Strike in 1926 and

    continued more than six months after it finished. In total it

    lasted 17 months and during that time, the community came

    together to support one another. Soup kitchens were set up

    and care packages came from across the world, including from

    Russian miners.

    On its 100th anniversary Digital Voice have co-produced a

    podcast from a treasure trove of first-hand accounts of those

    who lived through those difficult times. They come from the oral

    history archives at Beamish Museum, Gateshead Libraries and the

    Yorkshire and North East Film Archive.

    It is a fascinating story of the incredible community spirit and

    belief in social justice; the fight for workers’ rights and a hope

    for better conditions for all; from working class people who saw

    what was happening in the Russian revolution, educated

    themselves, and joined the class struggle. The miners and

    their families suffered 17 months of hardship to fight that fight.

    This podcast is co-produced by Digital Voice with Chopwell

    Community Centre and funded by The Heritage Lottery Fund

    and presented by local people passionate about their political

    heritage, Helen Neasham and Joe McNestry.

    Más Menos
    1 h y 4 m