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Bones of Paine: missing presumed dangerous

In November 1819 the bones of radical Thomas Paine were brought to Salford (dug up from their original resting place in New York by campaigning journalist William Cobbett), only to be refused entry to Manchester by the authorities, with the horrors of Peterloo still fresh... And then the bones disappeared.

To mark the bicentenary of this bizarre event and to celebrate Paine’s revolutionary writings and ideas (Common Sense, Rights of Man, Age of Reason) the Working Class Movement Library and Walk the Plank are working together to deliver a project which mixes the traditional with the contemporary, and the unusual with the familiar.

CONNECTIONS: come and meet the giant Bones of Paine puppet and parade at various locations
Sun 6 Oct, 10am-6pm: East Salford Fun Palace, Walk the Plank Cobden Works, Cobden Street, Salford M6 6WF
Fri 25 Oct: times tbc Witches Walk, Buile Hill Park, Eccles Old Road, Salford M6 8GL
Fri 1 Nov: times tbc Irlam Fireworks, Princes Park, Liverpool Road, Irlam M44 6BR
Sat 30 Nov: times tbc Parade – join the processional puppet plus musicians & dancers as together we create a new and artistic ending for this 200 year old story, to coincide exactly with the  anniversary of Cobbett bringing the bones to Salford in 1819. Starts from the Working Class Movement Library and arrives at the People’s History Museum.

Find out more: www.wcml.org.uk/BonesOfPaine

Search the NorthWest Labour History Society website