This year marks the centenary of the 1926 General Strike and Lock Out, in which 1.5 million workers across Britain took part in a nine-day labour stoppage.
In the South Wales Coalfield, the strike was sparked by a long running dispute between miners and colliery owners on wage cuts and working hours. Nationally the strike lasted between 3rd and 12th May, but the lock-out in some collieries across South Wales lasted seven months.
During this time communities across the Cynon Valley supported each other in several ways. Voluntary soup kitchens were set up in chapels and welfare halls to provide striking men and their families with food. Jazz and character bands were formed to boost morale and raise money to alleviate hardship. In the Aberdare valley alone, there were 60 jazz bands and 30-character bands!
Read more about this on our website: https://cynonvalleymuseum.wales/2021/02/10/jazz-bands-of-the-south-wales-valleys-1926/
