National Clarion Memorial Banner
The ‘Memorial Marching Banner’ was produced to commemorate the ultimate sacrifice of two National Clarion Cycling Club members Roy Watts and Ray Cox, who along with dozens of other Clarion members, readily answered the Call of the Spanish people, these two young comrades alas fell whilst defending Spain’s infant democracy against the murderous fascist hordes.
Comrade Roy Watts was employed as a furniture salesman with the Co-op, firstly in Portsmouth and then later in Leicester. As a member of the Communist Party and the Shop Assistant’s Union he regularly addressed open air meetings on Southsea Front. He was also Chairman of the Portsmouth and District National Clarion Cycling Club and one of its most popular members. When the Call came he answered without hesitation. Writing to a group of friends shortly before his death he wrote: “I am happy and proud to place my services with the workers of Spain in their heroic fight against the bestialities of Fascism; we have nothing in common with the outlook of the Fascists who glorify death as their ideal. We love life, but because we love it we do not begrudge giving it in order to save humanity from the enemies of life. Many of our best comrades have already fallen and we do not hide the bitter pain of their loss but their deaths call not for mourning but for action”.
Roy Watts: Clarionite, Communist and Trade Union activist was killed on 25th September 1938 when a fascist plane scored a direct hit on his position during the Ebro offensive. He was age 23
Comrade Raymond Arthur Cox was working as a clerk with a building contractor in Southampton at the time the Fascists launched their cowardly attack on the democratically elected government of Spain. He immediately gave up his job and at his own expense travelled to Spain to offer his services to the Republican Government. Before leaving he told his widowed mother and his elder brother that he had felt the call to go and assist the Spanish people in their fight for liberty. He wrote “I believe that by fighting for the Spanish Government against the forces of Fascism I shall be helping to preserve peace throughout Europe, because if the Spanish Government win the war it will mean that a European conflict will be further off” Activated by that ideal Ray Cox fought and died. He was an active member of the Shop Assistant’s Union and a delegate to Southampton Trades Council. He was a founder member of the Southampton Section of the National Clarion Cycling Club and Secretary of the London and Southern Counties Union of the National Clarion Cycling Clubs. Ray (known as ‘Tommy’ to his Club mates) was amongst the first to volunteer in September of 1936, he was alas one of the first to died when on 15th December 1936 he fell mortally wounded during the heroic defense of Madrid. He was aged just 22 years old.
Glasgow to Barcelona Cycle Ride 1938. The banner also commemorates a cycle ride from Glasgow to Barcelona undertaken by two National Clarion members, Ted Ward and Geoff Jackson in order to raise money for the Republican side and to propagate the cause of the Spanish Government. Geoff had been in Spain when the Fascists launched their attack. He was one of seven cyclists to have represented England at the Barcelona Workers’ Olympiad, but the fighting broke out on the day the Olympiad was to have started. In the summer of 2008 members of the National Clarion Cycling Club 1895 (North Lancs Union) along with comrades from 3 Sections of the National Clarion Cycling Club repeated this historic ride see:
The cameo design of the banner is based on one made professionally for the National Union of Railwaymen by the banner making company of Toye in 1913. It was produced over a period of six months as a community art project by members of the National Clarion Cycling Club and members of Bolton Wood Street Socialist Club, 35 volunteers, both young and old, contributed to the painting thereby making it a ‘Banner of the People’.
The design aims to show the link between the National Clarion Cycling Club, The Clarion newspaper, Bolton Wood Street Socialist Club and the International Brigade as well as honouring the memory of Ray Cox and Roy Watts. This banner has not been made as a display piece but as a marching banner to be taken out on to the streets at demonstrations and political rallies where it will add to the rising sea of marching banners.
The reverse side of the banner honours Sarah Reddish, a Bolton Socialist active in the Co-operative Women’s Guild. She had become well-known as a socialist speaker after touring with the famous Clarion Women’s Van in 1896 as it spread the new gospel of Socialism through the towns and villages of northern England. In June 1898 she was responsible for the formation of Bolton Socialist Party when she suggested a merger between the local branches of the Independent Labour Party and the Social Democratic Federation. ‘Division means weakness’ she wrote. The Party she founded still exists today and its flag has stayed RED.
‘Labour the source of all wealth’ serves to remind us exactly who it is that produces the wealth and of our duty as Socialist to ensure that it is the producers of our nation’s wealth; the workers, who should determine how that wealth is distributed.
The marching industrial workers, the peasant and the dancing children leading a procession of flowing red banners symbolises that ‘The emancipation of the workers will only be achieved by the work of the workers’.
‘Without a banner, they call us a rabble,
With a banner we march with reason
Together many banners gives us strength
A sea of banners we are a Movement’
The total cost of this large (3 metre by 3 metre) double-sided banner, for material, acrylic paint, brushes, poles, carrying harnesses and ropes was £650. The bulk of this money having been donated by fraternal organizations e.g. Trade Unions in particular UNISON, Trades Councils, Leicester Secular Society, and Clarion Cycling Club branches.
The inspiration for the banner without doubt was John Gorman’s book ‘Banners Bright’. Today the need for Trade Unions and worker’s solidarity is greater than ever. The struggle of the common people must be taken back onto the streets and I would urge every organization large or small to add the rising sea of banners ~ it is not as hard as it may seem to produce a banner ~ the Wood Street banner was made without the help of one single artist or craftsman. A copied design, a few pots of paint and lots of willing, sometimes unwilling volunteers. ‘I can’t paint, I’ll spoil it’ was a often heard cry ~ it simply never happened and the end product is a source of great pride to all concerned. ‘So raise the scarlet standard high’..