Exhibition: The General Strike

2026 marks 100 years since the General Strike. It was a national strike that took place over nine days in solidarity with disgruntled coal miners who faced pay cuts and longer hours. It included sectors such as transport, heavy industry, printing, gas and electricity. Between 4th May and 12th May 1926 it is estimated that 3 million workers across the country went on strike.

Our new exhibition, The General Strike – the GWR’s Story in Print, looks at the GWR’s response to the strike through the posters and notices produced at the time. The GWR were hugely affected by the General Strike with over 80% of their workforce walking out. Despite the challenges the GWR still managed to run trains on their network with the help of non-striking workers and over 5,000 volunteers. On display will be original material from the collection, including recent acquisitions donated to the Museum, which help tell this fascinating story.