G
Goldspoon
On Sunday Radio 4 have a radio serialisation of Robert Tressell's "The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists" (the true story based on his own life).
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/radio/wk24/sun.shtml#sun_philanthropists
"Originally published in 1914, Robert Tressell's novel is often cited as one of the most important Socialist texts in the English language. It follows a group of builders, painters and decorators renovating a house (in Mugsborough) in the early 1900s. Exploited and existing just above the poverty line, their only fall-backs are charity, the dreaded work-house, or the grave."
The cast includes Jonny Vegas, Timothy Spall and, believe it or not, John Prescott!
Funnily enough I just finished reading the book last night and I really enjoyed it - it is both very funny at times but extremely powerful.
The books final chapter (remember this is in the early 1900's) includes the following:
"the majority existed in a state of perpetual poverty... one of the reasons for this was that a great part of incomes of the tradespeople ... were paid away as rent and rates"
and
"as the indebtness of the town increased the rates rose in proportion"
not much changed there then
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/radio/wk24/sun.shtml#sun_philanthropists
"Originally published in 1914, Robert Tressell's novel is often cited as one of the most important Socialist texts in the English language. It follows a group of builders, painters and decorators renovating a house (in Mugsborough) in the early 1900s. Exploited and existing just above the poverty line, their only fall-backs are charity, the dreaded work-house, or the grave."
The cast includes Jonny Vegas, Timothy Spall and, believe it or not, John Prescott!
Funnily enough I just finished reading the book last night and I really enjoyed it - it is both very funny at times but extremely powerful.
The books final chapter (remember this is in the early 1900's) includes the following:
"the majority existed in a state of perpetual poverty... one of the reasons for this was that a great part of incomes of the tradespeople ... were paid away as rent and rates"
and
"as the indebtness of the town increased the rates rose in proportion"
not much changed there then
