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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
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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