PRIDE OF THE LODGE

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 16th Year

Issue

Issue No.

10

Date Released

Jun 1963

Length of issue (in feet)

896

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1DUTCH BOFFINs
2. 2COAL BIRDS
3. 3BLAST IT!
4. 4PRIDE OF THE LODGE

Story

Story No. within this Issue

4 / 4

Summary

BFI synopsis: banners of trades unions.
NCB Commentary - When men first banded together to protect against the injustices of the industrial revolution they carried banners. And they took banners with them into their Trade Unions, as symbols of their new-found unity and strength.
For 90 years the firm of George Tutil have been making banners and among their biggest customers are miners lodges.
Ronal Caffyn has been the firm’s general manager for 30 years. He says that most of the customers today don’t have the militant slogans they used to use. In 1940 their building in the city as bombed. But after the war the banners were on the march again.
Today, portraits of politicians and miners’ leaders usually occupy the centre piece.
For strength and to catch the wind when held on high the banners are of silk made-up specially for the firm. The banners are painted at the firm’s new studio, outside London.
Artists Barry Clarke and Barbara Sawford use oil paints - brilliant reds, blues, purples, gold and amber.
After painting, Studio Manager Fred Mann puts in the lettering.
Borders, tapes and loops are added, all of them made to the firm’s own specifications.
A banner is packed for the customer. Soon it will be unfurled to glint in the sun and catch the eyes of the crowd in the proud display - a part of the living history of the miners.

Keywords

Organisations; Arts and crafts; Labour relations

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
The British National Film Catalogue   Vol.1 1963, p.56
The National Archives COAL 32   /13 Scripts for Mining Review, 1960-1963

Credits:

Sponsor

National Coal Board

Production Co.

National Coal Board Film Unit