Little Moscow Remembered: The Chopwell Lockout 100 years on
At Digital Voice HQ, we’re passionate about local history, particularly when it’s the history on our doorstep right here in Chopwell. 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, Chopwell is commemorating this important part of its history with a series of events and projects. Obviously we had to get involved.
“When we focus on local history in our projects, we’re ensuring that the stories and experiences of people who were there are preserved for future generations. These aren’t the stories that would usually make it into history books but they are just as important as they tell us the personality of a place and its people. There’s great pride in Chopwell for what those miners and their families endured and I’m proud that we’re able to capture, commemorate and celebrate it in this way.”
- Julie Nicholson, Managing Director, Digital Voice
Digital Voice is in the process of creating a film that will share the full story as well as document the centenary events happening across the village. Big thanks goes to Chopwell History Club for bringing a brilliant collection of photos together and finding the original letter from the mine owners to the miners, telling them of their intention to lock them out, within the community archive. We’re also creating a podcast series which will include a treasure trove of audio recordings found in Gateshead library and Beamish Museum. And, as if that isn’t enough, we’re creating two new animations with Chopwell Youth Club and Chopwell Primary School.
This work will be shared as part of a month-long celebration starting in late June, alongside a range of events organised by voluntary groups and supported by Chopwell Community Centre, including a community lunch, a big band night and a new play written and performed by Chopwell Drama Club.
Whether it’s the children, bringing a very 21st Century approach to their retelling of the lockout, or first-hand accounts in the recordings we’ve found, at their heart is the inspiring story of the community spirit that kept people alive for over 500 days - we think that’s a story worth sharing.