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Chopwell Soviet

on BBC Radio 4 FM

In the aftermath of the 1926 General Strike the small north-eastern mining village of Chopwell became so notorious for its association with communism that it became known as "Little Moscow". Its streets were named after Marx and Lenin, the miners lodge banner showed portraits of communists, and its militant mineworkers were on strike for more than 7 months. The press ran a series of sensational reports with headlines like "Precocious Lenins Who Live in Marx Avenue". Eighty years later, Alexei Sayle visits the village and trawls the oral history archives for the true story of "the reddest village in England".

Contributors

Presenter:
Alexei Sayle
Producer:
Russell Finch

BBC Radio 4 FM

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