Profile for School of Social Sciences, Cardiff University
Profile for WISERD (Wales Institute of Social & Economic Research, Data & Methods)
Honorary Fellow profile for the Wolfson Research Institute, Durham University
“Celebratory Conference for Professor Huw Beynon” page by WISERD. Photos of this conference, colleagues and friends are available on this site.
Founding Fellow, The Learned Society of Wales
Bring on your wrecking ball: the politics of Bruce Springsteen
Huw Beynon 
Hello Dr Beynon,
My name is Brian Marren, and I was contracted last year to write a book for Manchester University Press regarding unemployment in Liverpool during the 1980s. Essentially, I am revising my doctoral thesis and submitting a manuscript which will include added material. In this work I look at six case studies where working-class people in Liverpool reacted against forced redundancies, industrial closures and government cuts in the age of Thatcher and beyond.
One of the case studies explored was how some of the workers employed at Standard-Triumph in Speke nearly mounted an occupation of that plant, when it was announced that it was to be closed. However, my real interest is with the Transport & General Workers Union 6/612 Branch, which represented many of these workers, and then went on to become the nucleus of a major advocacy group for the unemployed.
In the past I have interviewed a couple of its leading lights, including Tony McQuade, Kenny Routledge and Phil Ash. All three gave excellent testimony of their recollections, but I would like to find additional people I can speak to who played leading roles in this local branch’s day-to-day business. Unfortunately, the Secretary of that branch, Bobby Owens, is deceased. I’ve already interviewed his brother-in-law, Tony McQuade twice. Therefore, I was wondering if you might have any suggestions of whom I may contact that perhaps would be willing to give me 30-40 minutes of their time for a short interview.
I suspect, I have more than enough material as it is, but I would like to get a little more deeper into the motivations behind the actions of these fellows, etc, as opposed to the narrative of merely reciting off the who, what and where. I didn’t want to press McQuade, Routledge and Ash too much in that way, as I was just happy they took time out of their lives just to sit for an interview with me.
If any of the other fellows from the 6/612 Branch are still around from when you penned ‘What Happened at Speke’, I would be very grateful to them if they’d just give me a few minutes of their time. If you are still in contact with any of these people, I’d be much obliged to you if you could possibly steer me in their direction.
Thank-you for your time.
Sincerely,
Brian Marren
Dear Huw,
I was surfing on the net and came across a paper by Paul Edwards about the 40th anniversary of thepublication of your magnum opus Working for Ford. What a coincidence? I hope you are well (and you seem to be in good condition).
Best regards,
Engin, 1990-94 Manchester Uni. Ph.D student
Thank you very much for your book- just read ‘Working for Ford.’