THE NEWPORT CHARTIST CONVENTION | Saturday 1st November 2008

A day event to celebrate the 169th Anniversary of the Newport Chartist Rising of 4 November 1839:

• Free admission for all
• Morning assembly: 9.30 AM at Newport Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery
• Main venue: 11.30 AM- 16.30 PM, St Mary's Institute, Stow Hill, Newport
• BOOK your place by contacting Pat: tel 01633 677783 : e-mail pat.drewett[at]ntlworld.com
  

PROGRAMME

Morning assembly


09h30 | MORNING ASSEMBLY | Newport Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery

• Welcome by the Mayor of Newport.
• View the museum's Chartist artefacts and the library's ‘Chartist Trial’ documents | Led by Rachael Anderton & Alan Prescott, Newport Public Library, Museum and Art Gallery.

10h30 | CHARTIST WALK

• From John Frost Square to the Westgate Hotel and St. Mary’s Institute, Stow Hill | Led by Les James & Jackie Abbey.

The day's programme continues at the main venue at St. Mary’s Institute, Stow Hill, Newport.

11h30 | KEYNOTE LECTURE

• Prof. Owen Ashton (University of Staffordshire) | The Newport Rising Revisited.

12h30 | CHARTIST FLAGS

• Demonstration by Pat Drewett.

12h45 | LUNCH

• Vegetable soup & bread provided: Donations requested.

13h30 | CHARTIST ANCESTORS

• Film premiere | RIOT OF A TIME | Featuring Sylvia Taylor in conversation with local school children about her remarkable discovery that her ancestor Wright Beatty was a prominent Newport Chartist. | David Mayer & Les James explain the background to the film and plans for future ‘Chartist Ancestor’ film projects.
  

• Chartist Ancestors | RESEARCHING THE FROST FAMILY | Sue Austen, descendant of Edward Frost, local chartist organiser and uncle of John Frost, shares her recent research.
  

• Some late 19th century reminiscences of old Chartists | Led by Colin Gibson & Pete Strong.

14h45 | TEA

15h15 | COMMUNICATING CHARTISM

• THE SOUTH WALES CHARTIST NETWORK | Developing the Chartist Project across South Wales | Kim Colebrook(HERIAN) & John Wilson (The South Wales Chartist Network).
  

• FILMING THE CHARTISTS | Film-maker Colin Thomas will show and discusses extracts from his three film projects for S4C, HTV and BBC exploring the 1839 Newport Chartist Rising.

16.20 – 16.30 | FINALE.

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DEMOCRACY DAY PETITION | 10 Downing Street

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to create a new Autumn Bank Holiday to be called "Democracy Day" as we believe that the pioneering sacrifices of those who sowed the seeds of British democracy should be celebrated.

• Sign the DEMOCRACY DAY PETITION
  

• On the Prime Minister's official 10 Downing Street E-Petition website here
  

• http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Democracy-Day/

We advocate an annual Democracy Day public holiday on the Monday nearest to the 4th of November, in commemoration of the Newport Chartist Rising of 4th November 1839 when more than 20 men were killed whilst demanding the right to vote.

Our proposed date recalls three pioneering movements in the development of British democracy:

• The 'Putney Debates' of 28th October to 9th November 1647, when the case for male suffrage was publicly formulated for the first time in British history.

• The demands of the People's Charter of 1838 which have become the foundation of parliamentary democracy in Britain.

• The cause of the Women's Suffrage Movement is remembered with the foundation of the Women's Social and Political Union in October 1903, and the events of Black Friday in November 1910 when suffragettes demonstrating outside Parliament were attacked and arrested by the authorities.

As outlined in the Early Day Motion Number 8 that was laid before Parliament on 6th November 2007, we call for this additional public holiday to remember the courage and vision of past generations and the challenge of building democracy today.

• Sign the DEMOCRACY DAY PETITION