Record

RepositoryArchives
Reference NumberS/CSG
LevelFonds
TitleRecords of the Cable Street Group
Date(s)1978-2016
DescriptionMeeting notes, administrative and financial records of the Cable Street Group, together with extensive historical research notes and papers relating to the history of Cable Street collected by members of the Group. Also records documenting the anniversary celebrations, photographs and audio-visual material.

The archive is formed of the separate papers of five leading members of the Group, along with a small additional group of records and digital photographs of unknown provenance. There is considerable overlap in the material between each of these collections as the work of the Group was collegiate in nature and administrative tasks were shared.

Many of the letters from former Cable Street residents in the collection and other research documents were originally sent to Jil Cove following an appeal for information sent out under her name that was printed in the 'Jewish Chronicle'. This accumulated material was passed to Roger Mills as the person who produced most of the Group's written output.

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Extent12 boxes
FormatPaper
Photograph
Audio-Visual
Digital
AdminHistoryThe Cable Street Group was founded in May 1986 as a voluntary organisation. Five of the leading members were Jil Cove, Roger Mills, Derek Gadd, Liane Venner and Richard Humm. Jil Cove carried out secretarial duties, Derek Gadd oversaw finance and Roger Mills co-ordinated historical research and writing, to which everyone seems to have contributed.

The Group's aim is to keep alive the memory and example of those who came together in October 1936 to stop the virulently anti-Semitic British Union of Fascists marching through a predominantly Jewish neighbourhood in east London. Cable Street runs from Royal Mint Street near the Tower of London to Butcher Row in the east. The Battle, which took place on 4 October 1936, was concentrated at the west end of Cable Street and spilled over into Whitechapel. Some 20,000 anti-fascist demonstrators gathered to prevent the BUF march, constructing barricades across the street. Most of the violent clashes which occurred on the day were between demonstrators and the Metropolitan Police, who were there in force to try and clear a path through for the BUF marchers. There were about 150 arrests and 175 people injured. In the end, the BUF were ordered to withdraw by their leader Sir Oswald Mosley, and they were escorted back to central London by the police.

The Cable Street Group interviewed elderly residents of Cable Street and veterans from October 1936. They produced a short book on the history titled 'The Battle of Cable Street: 4 October 1936 - A People's History' (with two editions, 1995 and 2011). In 1986, along with others, the Group organised an event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Cable Street. The 70th, 75th and 80th anniversaries have also been commemorated. The Cable Street Group also kept a watching brief on the up-keep of the famous Cable Street Mural on the street itself, preventing vandalism and initiating repairs if necessary. The Mural was designed by Dave Binnington, and painted by him, Paul Butler, Ray Walker and Desmond Rochfort between 1979 and 1983.
CustodialHistoryThere are a number of cassette tapes in the collection: some were recorded in 1978 and these relate to research for the Cable Street Mural; they do not, therefore, strictly speaking form part of the Cable Street Group archives but are here on account of Roger Mill's involvement with that earlier project. The later cassettes were recorded by the Cable Street Group in connection with an oral history project to capture the broader recollections of residents of Cable Street as well as the memories of 'veterans' of the Battle; all of these later interviews recorded by the Group were transcribed, but not all of the actual tapes have survived.

At some point the extant 'Cable Street' tapes were passed by Roger Mills to Alan Dein and used by him as preparatory research before interviewing Max Levitas at Shadwell Idea Store. Alan retained the tapes for a number of years before depositing them with THLHLA in August 2019; they are the only tapes which have survived from the Group's oral history work. Roger Mills had been the main instigator of recording the testimonies of the Cable Street veterans and residents, and it was felt appropriate to add to these tapes and transcripts to S/CSG/2.
RelatedMaterialTH/9682 is a further collection of digital photographs of the 'Cable Street 80' celebration events, which does not, however, appear to have originated with the Cable Street Group itself. There are pictures of the exhibition opening, Max Levitas and other attendees, and the rally.

As well as the short book produced by the Cable Street Group itself, there are a number of published items in the Library collections which complement the archive. The following is a small selection:

- Cable Street Group, 'The Battle of Cable Street 4 October 1936: A People's History' (1995; expanded edn 2011) LC6314
- Tony Kushner and Nadia Valman (eds), 'Remembering Cable Street: Fascism and Anti-Fascism in British Society' (London: Valentine Mitchell, 2000) LC281
- Roger Mills, 'Everything Happens in Cable Street' (Nottingham: Five Leaves, 2011) LC6890
- Aubrey Morris, 'Unfinished Business' (London: Polemicist with Artery Publications, 2006) LC2078: the author was a present at the Battle of Cable Street and includes an account of events
- David Rosenberg, 'Battle for the East End: Jewish Responses to Fascism in the 1930s' (Nottingham: Five Leaves, 2011) LC6891
- Jim Wolveridge, 'Ain't it grand, or, This was Stepney' (London: Stepney Books, 1976) L5515: includes reference to the Battle of Cable Street

The classmark 320.5 can be explored for photographs, pamphlets and newspaper cuttings relating to the Battle. Of particular note are a series of 11 photographs taken as events unfolded on 4 October 1936 (P34343-P34353).
SubjectBattle of Cable Street
Anti-Semitism
Anti-racism
Jews
Fascism
Celebrations
Associations
AccessConditionsMaterial within this collection has been closed under current Data Protection legislation as the records concerned contain sensitive personal data. Please check specific item level descriptions for details, and refer any queries to the Heritage Officer (Archives).
RequestNO - This does not represent a physical document. Please click on the reference number and view list of records to find material available to order at file or item level.
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