Vale Rawlings
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valerawlings.bsky.social
Vale Rawlings
@valerawlings.bsky.social
Book about forgotten trade union pioneer Vale Rawlings called 'Friendship, Love and Truth' due out Dec 2025. #LabourHistory #SocialHistory #TradeUnions #Staffordshire #ConscientiousObjector #WW1
Posts by Elaine Pritchard of Burton upon Trent.
I'm 87% funded on Crowdfunder. Thank you to everyone who's donated. 'Friendship, Love & Truth' will be out in early Dec. By supporting the Crowdfunder & choosing a book as a reward you'll be among the first to get a copy. All profits to YMCA & SARAC.
www.crowdfunder.co.uk/vale-rawlings
November 17, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Thanks to everyone who has already supported the Crowdfunder for my new book about forgotten British trade unionist Vale Rawlings.
It's 49% funded in just three days. Could you help?
Have a look at www.crowdfunder.co.uk/vale-rawlings
#LabourHistory #TradeUnions #BurtonUponTrent #YMCABurton #SARAC
November 1, 2025 at 10:14 PM
If you're thinking of buying our book when it's out before Christmas, you can secure your copy NOW by donating to our new Crowdfunder campaign. www.crowdfunder.co.uk/vale-rawlings
#FriendshipLoveTruth #TradeUnion #WomensHistory #YMCABurton #SARAC #ValeRawlings #BurtonUponTrent
Vale Rawlings: Friendship Love & Truth
Raising funds for two Burton charities through publishing a book about the life and times of forgotten local man Vale Rawlings (1887-1940).
www.crowdfunder.co.uk
October 29, 2025 at 2:06 PM
East Staffs TUC hosts a free meeting Friday Oct 24 7.30pm to discuss the Vale Rawlings story & its relevance in 2025. Lots of union speakers. At Burton Caribbean Association DE14 3JS. #TradeUnions #LabourHistory
October 21, 2025 at 4:04 PM
FINAL screening for 2025 of Strikers! - the filmed live version of my play about Vale Rawlings - is at Brewhouse Arts Centre, Union Street, #BurtonUponTrent 7.30pm Mon Oct 20th. Tickets £8. Pay on the door by cash or card. #CommunityPlay #LocalHistory #WW1 #WomensHistory #Staffordshire #TradeUnion
October 9, 2025 at 5:47 PM
📣Union members in the Midlands: A thought-provoking evening in #BurtonUponTrent. Speakers will include @stuart-richards.bsky.social; Danielle Jackson of @pcsunion.bsky.social and Louise Regan of @neunion.bsky.social & me. 📣
24/10/2025
www.forgottenburtonstories.co.uk/post/discuss...
Discussing the relevance of Vale in 2025
Vale Rawlings was a pioneer in the local trade union movement and a committed member of the Burton Trades Council. This month, the successor to that organisation, now called East Staffordshire Trades ...
www.forgottenburtonstories.co.uk
October 7, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Exhibition: working-class community and mutual aid during the First World War sslh.org.uk/2025/10/04/e...
Exhibition: working-class community and mutual aid during the First World War
Remembering to Help, Helping to Remember, an exhibition funded by an SSLH grant, has opened at the Heugh Battery Museum in Hartlepool. Michael Reeve reports. Stories of the struggles, heroism and s…
sslh.org.uk
October 4, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Thrilled to be speaking on Orton & Spooner at Burton Library as part of #StaffsHistFest on Oct 25, 1.30-2.30pm. Entry is free but booking is essential. Donations welcome. Call the library on 01283 881208, book in person at the library desk or email burton.library@staffordshire.gov.uk #skystorians
September 22, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Here it is! The cover for my book on Vale Rawlings. Huge thanks to Tilley Bancroft for her design work. So excited! Next big book news will be the pre-Christmas publication date.
#FriendshipLoveTruth #BurtonUponTrent #UponItAll #BurtonHistory All book profits will go to YMCA Burton and SARAC.
September 15, 2025 at 3:03 PM
A truly joyful, positive and life-affirming day at Sonic Boom Festival 2025 in #BurtonUponTrent. A unique free event in this country. Burton is guilty of not appreciating how blooming wonderful it is.
Change starts today. #UponItAll

m.youtube.com/watch?v=Die_...
BUT Wip 10 16x9
YouTube video by East Staffordshire Borough Council
m.youtube.com
September 13, 2025 at 6:34 PM
I'm ready for Saturday's talk at Derby Museum. Tickets just £5 each or free to Derby Museum Friends. The link to book is in the reply below. Lots of interest to Derby social history & Labour History enthusiasts. @derbyshiredro.bsky.social @morwennarae.bsky.social @sslh.bsky.social #Derbyshire
August 28, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Fundraising curry night - one week tonight - at the Gurkha Curry Lounge, Station Street, Burton upon Trent. Help us spread the word to Midlands curry lovers by sharing this link www.forgottenburtonstories.co.uk/post/curry-n... #Staffordshire #Charity #Foodie #BookSky #FoodSky
Curry Night Fundraiser
In order to make as much profit as possible for our two nominated charities, YMCA Burton and SARAC, we want to cover the essential costs of printing and publishing Friendship, Love & Truth - The Vale ...
www.forgottenburtonstories.co.uk
August 27, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Anyone up for a curry night in #BurtonOnTrent #Staffordshire? We’ve got one at the Gurkha Curry Lounge, Station Street, on Weds Sept 3. Come & share these great dishes. £25 a ticket. Message for more & how to pay.
August 14, 2025 at 10:51 AM
#OnThisDay Constance Shreeve died in Burton Workhouse after drinking disinfectant. Vale Rawlings, a recent appointee to the workhouse Board of Guardians, tried to raise concerns at her inquest but was shouted down. We will remember her heartbreaking story. #WomensHistory #OTD #WomenInHistory
August 13, 2025 at 2:59 PM
It's deadline day and my Vale Rawlings book manuscript will be emailed off to my proofreader today. It might be five to midnight but it WILL be today. The book is going to be called Friendship, Love and Truth - The Vale Rawlings Story. #writingcommunity #BookSky #amwriting #writesky #writers
August 11, 2025 at 10:10 AM
Thanks to Burton No. 1 Branch of @rmtunion.bsky.social who have joined us a sponsor for 2025/2026. Sponsorship helps us meet essential costs of getting out the Vale Rawlings book and raise more for two charities: YMCA Burton and SARAC. #labourhistory #staffordshire #tradeunions #skystorians #WW1
July 17, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Any #WW1 #ConscientiousObjection experts know if this W G Rinder would have been Gladys Rinder? It was a reply to Vale Rawlings' friend Austin Smith following some physical abuse Vale (ill & frail) had suffered in custody waiting for his court martial. menwhosaidno.org/context/wome...
#WorldWar1
July 7, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Reposted by Vale Rawlings
🗳️ #OTD 2 July 1928: The Equal Franchise Act received royal assent in the UK, granting all women over 21 the vote—regardless of property.

It gave women electoral equality with men, adding 5 million to the roll and making them the majority in the 1929 election. #VotesForWomen #Suffrage #GenderHist
July 2, 2025 at 8:08 AM
Can anyone decipher the signature on this memo from the War Office in September 1917 to MP Charles Duncan?
#WorldWarOne #WW1 #ConscientiousObjector #ValeRawlings #LabourHistory #DartmoorPrison
July 1, 2025 at 10:49 AM
#OnThisDay in 1914, Austin Smith, Vale’s friend & Workers’ Union colleague, travelled to Westminster to speak to MPs about Vale’s court case. Vale’s sister had already told Keir Hardie who called it a gross miscarriage of justice. #LabourHistory #TradeUnion
June 22, 2025 at 6:21 PM
#OnThisDay 111 years ago Vale Rawlings went on trial for 2 charges of assault arising from a strike by young women factory workers in Burton upon Trent. Vale denied the charges as did 7 eye witnesses. Vale was convicted & took 21 days' jail rather than pay fines & costs #LabourHistory #TradeUnions
June 19, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Setting up on Cathedral Green, Derby, outside the Museum of Making, for the Derby Silk Mill Festival. Come and say ‘hello’ and find out more about our project #ValeRawlings #TradeUnions #LabourHistory
#SilkMillLockout
June 7, 2025 at 8:36 AM