The UK General Strike of May 1926 had a profound impact on the entire country. For nine days nearly three million trade unionists went on strike in sympathy with nearly a million miners, whose employers had locked them out because they would not accept steep pay cuts and a longer working day.

Britain had never seen this level of mass action before, and the ripples of discontent would stretch out to Oxford: a town which in the 1920s and 30s was experiencing tumultuous industrial, cultural and social change. Join Maurice East to discover the history of how trade unionism and working-class political activism arrived in the city of dreaming spires. 

Tickets cost £6 and are available online via Plinth or at the Museum shop. Tickets for this event also include access to our Galleries.

Further information

Complimentary tea and coffee will be available to enjoy during the talk. We recommend arriving before the start of the talk if you would like to grab a refreshment.

Sales from tickets help support our work to deliver fun and accessible family activities, community engagement projects, schools workshops, exhibitions and special events for Oxford’s people in our Museum spaces.

Maurice East is a local historian who was born and raised in Oxford. He interprets the social history of the city through the lens of growing up as a ‘townie’ and shines a spotlight on stories far off the usual tourist trail. His main area of research is the history of car making at Cowley and how the arrival of industry, cars and blue-collar workers changed Oxford forever in the early twentieth century.

Access

There is step-free, level entry access to the Town Hall via the entrance closest to Carfax Tower (to the left of the main steps as you face the Town Hall). Inside the Museum, Museum Makers is accessible via a platform lift to the Galleries and then a lift to the basement.

Accessible toilets are available in the Museum (close to Museum Makers) and in the Town Hall on the ground floor, before entering the Museum. Please contact the Museum team if you’d like to talk to a member of staff about your access requirements. Further access information can be found on our page dedicated to access at the museum.

Photo consent

Please be aware that photographs will be taken at this event for use in marketing. If you (or a member of your group) would prefer not to be photographed, please let a member of staff know during the event.