Greater Manchester Radical History Group

Meeting to be held on Saturday 31st, March 2012:
Starting at 11am at the Town Hall Tavern,
on Tibb Lane off Cross Street
near Albert Square,
Manchester.

Aims:
1) To found a Northern Radical History Network.
2) To decide on the nature of our first research publication:
the Luddite anniversary.

11am to 12.30:
Chris Draper on the Practicalities & Purpose of Radical Publishing:
Production, Content, Style, Form, Accessibility & Distribution.
Examining some previously published examples for consideration:
'Chomsky & his Critics' issued in 2001 (first published by sociologists at the Manchester Universities and some northern anarchists); the Northern Voices' series of journals 2003-2012 ( published by Northern Voices' Editorial Panel); Spanish Civil War booklet (first published by Tameside Trade Union Council in 2006 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Spanish Civil War on behalf of the Greater Manchester County Association of TUCs' program for that year), 'The Workers' Next Step' (2009).

a) What kind of outcome do we want from our project & publication?

b) What kind of booklet do we want?

c) Where will it be distributed and to whom?

d) What should be the relationship of these publications to the Blog?

e) What kind of methodology ought we to be using?

Lunch Break: 12.30 to 1.30pm.

1.30pm to 2.30pm:

Richard Holland on the Luddites & Peterloo-
Why do some events get neglected and others get embraced by the popular culture and the establishment left?

2.30pm to 4pm:

Roger Ball on the History, Practical Experiences & Endeavours of the Bristol Radical History Group, giving everyday parochial examples from his knowledge of the South West of England, and showing how he views a similar venture might relate to the general public in our Northern towns and cities.
What is the knack of opening up the public conciousness to our own history and form of life, away from the stale ghettos of establishment thinking and politics?