March 2026: Protest Objects

This month we are commemorating 40 years since the closure of Swindon Works.  In recognition of this anniversary, we are opening a special exhibition titled The Last Blast – the Closure of Swindon Works.  March’s Object of the Month showcases some of the protest material that is on display in the exhibition.

The announcement to close Swindon Works came on the 16 May 1985, with staff being told that they were to be made redundant the following March.  British Railways had been running the Works down for many years and, as work dwindled, many staff had already lost their jobs.  Works employees had previously held protest marches and rallies against these redundancies, but once they were told that the Works was to close completely on 26 March 1986, the protests intensified.

To support the protests, a variety of campaign badges, posters, t shirts and fliers were produced.  Protesters carried both official and home-made banners.  Some even carried homemade coffins to symbolise the slow death of the Works.  STEAM’s collection contains some of the protest material that was used during these demonstrations.  They symbolise the feelings of anger and defiance felt by Swindon Works employees and their families who, ultimately, were unsuccessful in their efforts to save the Works from closure.

The Last Blast – the Closure of Swindon Works opens on 21 March.

©Calyx Archive The protest march through the town about the closure of the Swindon Rail Works.