Fights, football and fascists: The General Strike in Plymouth

About us

Join us for our lecture Fights, football and fascists: The General Strike in Plymouth on Thursday, 12 November 2026 (7.30pm) at the Plymouth Athenaeum.

The British General Strike was a nine-day national industrial walkout called by the Trades Union Congress in May 1926. The General Strike was a solidarity action that arose from the dispute between coal mine owners demanding wage cuts and longer working hours and the mineworkers' union, who rallied under the slogan 'Not a penny off the pay, not a minute on the day'.

The General Strike ran from 3-12 May 1926 and between 1.5m and 2m workers walked out, including those in the transport, railways, docks, iron, steel, gas, electricity, and printing industries.

One hundred years on, Fights, football and fascists: The General Strike in Plymouth looks at the economic, social, and cultural impact it had on the city. It considers the riots, football matches between strikers and police and the volunteers who came out at the government's call to try to break the strike. It also uncovers the local and national media coverage of the strike.

The talk will be given by Owen Ryles, Director of the Plymouth Institution. Owen has a Masters in Business Administration and a degree in Modern History and International Relations. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce.

His previous talks include The Romance of Architecture: The life of George Wightwick, Spanning the divide: Brunel and the Royal Albert Bridge, Education, enlightenment and entertainment: Plymouth Mechanics' Institute 1825-1899 , Walking through the storm: William Snow Harris v The Admiralty, and Charles Hamilton Smith: Writer, Illustrator, Solider, Spy.

Entry free.

Register on Eventbrite: https://general-strike-in-plymouth.eventbrite.co.uk