Sat 10 May
Holmfirth Festival of Folk
Holmfirth
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Alun Parry Blog
A Blue Plaque For A Working Class Hero
Browsing away on the LabourNet UK website today brought a story that grabbed my interest. Robert Tressell, the author of the fabulous Socialist novel 'The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists' has had a blue plaque officially dedicated to him today on the anniversary of his death.
The book is a Socialist classic that has sold at least 1.1 million copies. It is also my favourite book of all time by a country mile. Every time I read it, it gets better. If you haven't read it yet then you really must. Some of the talks from the main character Owen are so well explained that the world has the fog effortlessly lifted from it.
Robert died in Liverpool in 1911 at the age of 40 and is buried at Walton Park Cemetery in a pauper's grave. He died from TB at the Old Royal Liverpool Infirmary.
I knew that Robert had died from TB (my paternal grandfather died of the same illness, also at a similarly young age). Yet I didn't realise that he died in the very place I used to work.
The Old Royal Infirmary was later used by the University of Liverpool, and when I worked there my office was in one of the old wards. I remember the open day that was held, when elderly people wondered around the building, pointing at my desk and yelling "ooooo that's where my bed was!!"
Isn't it odd that this hero of mine should have died in the place where I used to earn my living, and I didn't even know it until now.
Liverpool TUC are running a project whereby funds are raised so that a hardback copy of the book is available to any Merseyside school that wants a copy. For any parents or teachers reading this, make sure your school takes full advantage.
7:35 PM | Permalink
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