BBC History UK 04.2020

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LETTERS

LETTER OF THE MONTH

Policing the pickets

I’m a retired officer who served with the

Metropolitan Police. I read with interest

the article “We are the Lions, Mr Manager!”

(February) as I was on duty at Grunwick

Film Processing Laboratories.

Those who policed the Grunwick strike

were drawn from police stations through-

out the Metropolitan Police Service. To

police the demonstrations at Grunwick,

we paraded at 3am. Breakfast consisted

of an urn of tea and pork pies brought to

our coaches. I don’t remember any actual

fighting and, apart from someone shouting

in my face who had weapons-grade halito-

sis, it was largely peaceful. This later

changed and there were injuries.

I was also on duty at the miners’ strike.

We were sent up north for six days at a time

and slept in aircraft hangers. We had

breakfast at 3am before an hour’s drive to

the mines. It was not easy and became

much more difficult after a few months

when we became more familiar with

individuals. They were between a rock

and a hard place. Their communities

were very tight, and memories of whose

grandfather had been a scab were passed

from generation to generation.

We all lost: Margaret Thatcher (eventu-

ally) lost her premiership; Arthur Scargill

lost the National Union of Mineworkers

its power; the miners lost their savings,

homes and communities; and the police

service lost the affection of the public.

Anthony Moore, Norfolk

We reward the Letter of the Month

writer with a copy of a new history

book. This issue, that is Hitler:

Downfall 1939–1945 by Volker

Ullrich. You can read our review

of the book on page 74

and Menachem Begin of Israel to engage

with each other at all.

This historic accord, however imperfect,

set the precedent of showing that diplomacy

can work between Arab states and Israel. It

still stands today, maintaining decades of

peace between Israel and Egypt, despite

ultimately costing the life of Sadat. Without

this event neither the Oslo Accords nor the

Israeli-Jordanian peace treaty would likely

have occurred.

In the “bottomless pit” of the Carter

presidency shine three incredible lights,

Nobel Peace Prizes: Sadat and Begin (shared)

in 1978 and Jimmy Carter himself in 2002.

Jared Leavitt, Hove

Land mismanagement

Brian Fagan’s article on the Little Ice Age

(Frozen, February) covers the burying of the

Culbin Estate in Morayshire at the end of the

17th century. It repeats the traditional story

that a single big storm overwhelmed a

thriving agricultural community. The

research of Sinclair Ross and others has

challenged this view.

The estate was unlikely to have been

thriving, since the Little Ice Age triggered

multiple crop failures in Scotland in the

1690s. Some 20 per cent of the population

died in the resulting famines. An important

man-made cause of the drifting sand was the

widespread use of turf for building and

thatching, eroding the vegetation cover that

held the sand in place. The year after the big

storm, Alexander Kinnaird of Culbin

petitioned the Scottish parliament for tax

relief because of the deterioration of his land

“within these 20 years” and the ongoing

erosion, “the sand daily gaining ground”.

This led to the 1695 Soil Preservation Act, an

early example of environmental legislation.

So, a combination of short-sighted

building practices and general agricultural

failure meant drifting sand was a recurrent

problem, and the resources were not in place

Anwar Sadat, Jimmy Carter and Menachem Begin join

hands to celebrate the Camp David Accords, 1978

A stamp from 1969 honours the Australian

Federation’s first prime minister, Edmund

Barton. A cricket enthusiast, he helped umpire

a notorious match in 1879

Policemen stand behind pickets

outside the Grunwick Film

Processing Laboratories, scene of

an industrial dispute in the late 1970s

Gentlemen behaving badly

Here are a couple of interesting asides on the

carnage at the cricket match between an

English team and the New South Wales side

in 1879 that was reported in February’s

Anniversaries. The umpire who gave the

NSW batsman the “dodgy” decision was

from the colony of Victoria, and had been

hired by the English team. This exacerbated

the situation – there being traditionally not

much love lost between the two colonies. The

other umpire who corroborated the decision

was Mr (later on Sir) Edmund Barton, who

went on to become the first prime minister of

the Australian Federation in 1901.

Minoo Mehta, Queensland, Australia

Sticking up for schools

Lucy Worsley’s article about the Spanish

Armada (February), which set out to debunk

a number of myths, was thought-provoking

but hardly new. Rather than forgetting what

I was taught at school in Devon, I remember

well that my history teacher offered up a

remarkably similar account of differing

interpretations, problematic evidence and

the changing nature of what is thought

historically significant.

In short, it was very likely the same type

of school history that has been taught for at

least a generation in English schools – teach-

ing that engages with the interpretative

nature of history and with historical think-

ing. Hollywood films and ad campaigns have

nearly always treated historical evidence

lightly, but this is where school history can

play such a positive role in ensuring that

young people are not so easily taken in.

Martyn Davison, Head of History and

Classical Studies, Pakuranga College,

Auckland, New Zealand

Diplomatic triumph

As an American who lived under Jimmy

Carter’s administration, I understand much

of why Dominic Sandbrook has a low

opinion of his presidency (Letters, February).

However, we must not overlook the

achievement of the Camp David

Accords, and the near-impossible feat

that Carter pulled off in just getting

two implacable enemies

such as Anwar Sadat of Egypt

ALAMY/GETTY

IMAGES

LETTERS

LETTER OF THE MONTH

Policingthepickets

I’ma retiredofficerwhoservedwiththe
MetropolitanPolice.I readwithinterest
thearticle“WearetheLions,MrManager!”
(February)asI wasondutyatGrunwick
FilmProcessingLaboratories.
ThosewhopolicedtheGrunwickstrike
weredrawnfrompolicestationsthrough-
outtheMetropolitanPoliceService.To
policethedemonstrationsatGrunwick,
weparadedat3am.Breakfastconsisted
ofanurnofteaandporkpiesbroughtto
ourcoaches.I don’trememberanyactual
fightingand,apartfromsomeoneshouting
inmyfacewhohadweapons-gradehalito-
sis,it waslargelypeaceful.Thislater
changedandtherewereinjuries.
I wasalsoondutyattheminers’strike.
Weweresentupnorthforsixdaysata time
andsleptinaircrafthangers.Wehad
breakfastat3ambeforeanhour’sdriveto
themines.It wasnoteasyandbecame
muchmoredifficultaftera fewmonths
whenwebecamemorefamiliarwith
individuals.Theywerebetweena rock
anda hardplace.Theircommunities
wereverytight,andmemoriesofwhose
grandfatherhadbeena scabwerepassed
fromgenerationtogeneration.
Wealllost:MargaretThatcher(eventu-
ally)lostherpremiership;ArthurScargill
losttheNationalUnionofMineworkers
itspower;theminerslosttheirsavings,
homesandcommunities;andthepolice
servicelosttheaffectionofthe public.
Anthony Moore,Norfolk

WerewardtheLetterof theMonth

writerwitha copyof a newhistory

book.Thisissue,thatisHitler:

Downfall1939–1945byVolker

Ullrich.Youcanreadourreview

of the book on page 74

andMenachemBeginofIsrael to engage

witheachotheratall.

Thishistoricaccord,howeverimperfect,

settheprecedentofshowingthatdiplomacy

canworkbetweenArabstatesandIsrael.It

stillstandstoday,maintainingdecadesof

peacebetweenIsraelandEgypt,despite

ultimatelycostingthelifeofSadat.Without

thiseventneithertheOsloAccordsnorthe

Israeli-Jordanianpeace treaty would likely

haveoccurred.

Inthe“bottomlesspit”oftheCarter

presidencyshinethreeincrediblelights,

NobelPeacePrizes:SadatandBegin(shared)

in 1978 andJimmyCarter himself in 2002.

Jared Leavitt,Hove

Landmismanagement

BrianFagan’sarticleontheLittleIceAge

(Frozen, February)coverstheburyingofthe

CulbinEstateinMorayshireattheendofthe

17thcentury.It repeatsthetraditionalstory

thata singlebigstormoverwhelmeda

thrivingagriculturalcommunity.The

researchofSinclairRossand others has

challengedthisview.

Theestatewasunlikelytohavebeen

thriving,sincetheLittleIceAgetriggered

multiplecropfailuresinScotlandinthe

1690s.Some 20 percentofthepopulation

diedintheresultingfamines.Animportant

man-madecauseofthedriftingsandwasthe

widespreaduseofturfforbuildingand

thatching,erodingthevegetationcoverthat

heldthesandinplace.Theyearafterthebig

storm,AlexanderKinnairdofCulbin

petitionedtheScottishparliamentfortax

reliefbecauseofthedeteriorationofhisland

“withinthese 20 years”andtheongoing

erosion,“thesanddailygainingground”.

Thisledtothe 1695 SoilPreservationAct,an

earlyexampleofenvironmentallegislation.

So,a combinationofshort-sighted

buildingpracticesandgeneralagricultural

failuremeantdriftingsandwasa recurrent

problem, and the resources were not in place

AnwarSadat,JimmyCarterandMenachemBeginjoin

hands to celebrate the Camp David Accords, 1978

A stampfrom 1969 honourstheAustralian

Federation’sfirstprimeminister,Edmund

Barton.A cricketenthusiast,he helped umpire

notorious match in 1879

Policemenstandbehindpickets

outsidetheGrunwickFilm

ProcessingLaboratories,sceneof

an industrial dispute in the late 1970s

Gentlemenbehavingbadly

Herearea coupleofinterestingasidesonthe

carnageatthecricketmatchbetweenan

EnglishteamandtheNewSouthWalesside

in 1879 thatwasreportedinFebruary’s

Anniversaries. Theumpirewhogavethe

NSWbatsmanthe“dodgy”decisionwas

fromthecolonyofVictoria,andhadbeen

hiredbytheEnglishteam.Thisexacerbated

thesituation– therebeingtraditionallynot

muchlovelostbetweenthetwocolonies.The

otherumpirewhocorroboratedthedecision

wasMr(lateronSir)EdmundBarton,who

wentontobecomethefirstprimeminister of

theAustralianFederationin1901.

Minoo Mehta,Queensland, Australia

Stickingupforschools

LucyWorsley’sarticleabouttheSpanish

Armada(February),whichsetouttodebunk

a numberofmyths,wasthought-provoking

buthardlynew.Ratherthanforgettingwhat

I wastaughtatschoolinDevon,I remember

wellthatmyhistoryteacherofferedupa

remarkablysimilaraccountofdiffering

interpretations,problematicevidenceand

thechangingnatureofwhat is thought

historicallysignificant.

Inshort,it wasverylikelythesametype

ofschoolhistorythathasbeentaughtforat

leasta generationinEnglishschools– teach-

ingthatengageswiththeinterpretative

natureofhistoryandwithhistoricalthink-

ing.Hollywoodfilmsandadcampaignshave

nearlyalwaystreatedhistoricalevidence

lightly,butthisis whereschoolhistorycan

playsucha positiveroleinensuringthat

youngpeoplearenotsoeasilytakenin.

MartynDavison,Headof Historyand

ClassicalStudies,Pakuranga College,

Auckland, New Zealand

Diplomatictriumph

AsanAmericanwholivedunderJimmy

Carter’sadministration,I understandmuch

ofwhyDominicSandbrookhasa low

opinionofhispresidency(Letters, February).

However,wemustnotoverlookthe

achievementoftheCampDavid

Accords,andthenear-impossiblefeat

thatCarterpulledoffinjustgetting

twoimplacableenemies

such as Anwar Sadat of Egypt