Film Number

7706

Title

RUTH AND EDDIE FROW INTERVIEW - PART 1

Producer

WFA

Date

1989

Gauge

U-Matic HB SP

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Running Time

20 mins 55 secs

Description

The first part of an interview with the activists and historians, Ruth and Eddie Frow at the Working Class Movement Library in Salford. The interview was part of the research for a film about unemployment and low pay focussing on the activists and activity at Kirkby Unemployed Centre in Merseyside. Ruth and Eddie speak about the history of their direct experience of the unemployed movement in the North West through the National Unemployed Workers' Movement (NUWM), specifically the years 1930 to 1934 when Eddie was involved. He speaks at length about many of the activists such as Wal Hannington, events, marches, incidents with the police, imprisonment, meetings and the expertise many activists built to defend their members against brutality and repression. Ruth speaks about the role of women on the hunger marches where they made a strong contribution despite being overlooked because they were not entitled to the dole. They speak particularly about Audrey Aimley, Lily Webb and Rose Smith.

[Catalogued as part of 'Revitalising the Regions' a Screen Heritage UK project, 2011]