My Granny Made me an Anarchist: The Christie File: Part 1, 1946-1964. First published by ChristieBooks in 2002 in a limited edition of 100 copies, this fully revised, updated, unabridged eBook
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“This fascinating personal account offers a remarkable picture of the late-20th century, seen through sensitive eyes and interpreted by a compassionate, searching soul.” Noam Chomsky
“Stuart Christie’s granny might well disagree, given the chance, but her qualities of honesty and self-respect in a hard life were part of his development from flash Glaswegian teenager — the haircut at 15 is terrific — to the 18-year old who sets off to Spain at the end of the book as part of a plan to assassinate the Spanish dictator Franco. In the meanwhile we get a vivid picture of 1950s and early 1960s Glasgow, its cinemas, coffee bars and dance halls as well as the politics of the city, a politics informed by a whole tradition of Scottish radicalism. Not just Glasgow, because Stuart was all over Scotland living with different parts of his family, and in these chapters of the book there is a lyrical tone to the writing amplified by a sense of history of each different place. When we reach the 1960s we get a flavour of that explosion of working class creativity and talent that marked the time, as well as the real fear of nuclear war and the bold tactics used against nuclear weapons bases. It is through this period of cultural shake-up that Stuart clambers through the obstructive wreckage of labour and Bolshevik politics, and finds a still extant politics of libertarian communism that better fitted the mood of those times. Now, in 2002,it is Stuart who finds himself quoted in an Earth First pamphlet as the new generation of activists for Global Justice by-pass the dead hand of Trotskyist parties and renew the libertarian tradition.” John Barker
“What exactly Stuart Christie’s Granny is being made responsible for is rather a lot. Given that the opening scene of this riveting autobiography is a bitterly funny account of his trial for attempting to murder General Franco, it seems that the poor lady is being saddled with more responsibility than is fair. Moreover, her quick-draw way with a bar of carbolic soap when confronted with obscenity does not mark her out as much of a subversive. On the other hand, as I know only too well from my own experience, Grannies, like Stuart’s, can provide an ethical framework that leads to serious questioning of conventional politics. As this marvelously readable and often moving book reveals, the real responsibility lies in part with the post-1945 break-up of a social system based on deference — although it would be interesting to know why it did not have the same effect on Alex Ferguson. Forged in the spirit of community in poor working-class Glasgow, profoundly influenced by Chic Murray and Dennis the Menace, local religious conflict, the father who went out for a packet of fags and did not come back for twenty years, Christie’s road to a Francoist courtroom in Madrid had many by-ways. Perhaps the profoundest influence of all was the rebellious William Brown although this book has more of Billy Connolly than of Richmal Crompton. A compelling read.” Professor Paul Preston
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First off, I will admit to not being a big fan of autobiographies. I only bought Emma Goldman’s “Living me Life” this year and simply for her account of Bolshevik Russia. Saying that, Stuart Christie’s new book may persuade me to change my mind. The first volume of his autobiography is an extremely interesting read, well written and absorbing. For those who don’t know, Stuart is Scotland’s (and Britain’s) most famous anarchist. Born in Glasgow in 1946, Stuart’s book recounts his life in post-war Glasgow (and round about) and his political awakening, an awakening that brought him to via the Labour Party, anti-nuclear protesting and trade union activism, to anarchism.
‘Being a Glaswegian anarchist myself I was enthralled by his account of growing up in a Glasgow which was in so many ways similar to my own but, at the same time, was slowly disappearing. He gives the reader a glimpse into working class life and culture in the 1950s and 1960s, even down to the comics he read and the films and books which influenced him and his ideas. Unsurprisingly, many of his memories, influences and experiences I can relate to. Stuart said he became an anarchist outside the Mitchell library, I discovered I was one inside it. He talks about meeting anarchists like Bobby Lynn, a comrade I came to know decades later. He gives a good overview of the ideas of anarchism, its history and the state of the movement in the 1960s, both in Glasgow and in Britain as a whole. He discusses the anarchist resistance to Franco, providing background to his decision, at the age of 18, to go to Spain to assassinate the dictator. It is here that volume 1 ends. All I can say is I cannot wait for volume 2!
‘Compared to the original Christie File, published in 1980 by Cienfuegos Press (and found by me in Oxfam in Glasgow), this new version is substantially bigger. What was covered in one chapter in that book is now a book in itself. As such, owners of the original will find the book worth buying for the new material in it. Moreover, Stuart has supplemented his story with pictures of people, where he lived, his schools, protests and much more! He provides material on a wide range of related subjects (such as the Spanish and Cuban revolutions) as well as discussing left-wing, anarchist and anti-nuclear politics in the 1960s (including the Glasgow Committee of 100, Spies for Peace and Scots Against War).
‘His account of anarchism in Britain in the 1960s shows a divided movement, within which he was drawn to those around the Syndicalist Workers Federation. He considers that “the role of Freedom under the control of Vernon Richards and his close associates, proved seriously divisive within the British anarchist movement.” An opinion I, until recently, agreed with. Thankfully the split between Freedom and the class struggle anarchist movement (which dates from 1946 and which Stuart recounts) is being healed and the new century can see Freedom playing the role it did in the 1940s, namely the voice of a militant working class anarchist movement. His definition of anarchism shows the way forward:
“Anarchism is a movement for human liberation. It is concrete, democratic and egalitarian . . . Anarchism began — and remains — a direct challenge by the underprivileged to their oppression and exploitation. It opposes both the insidious growth of state power and the pernicious ethos of possessive individualism, which . . . ultimately serve only the interests of the few at the expense of the rest.
“Anarchism is both a theory and practice of life . . . Ultimately, only struggle determines outcome, and progress towards a more meaningful community must begin with the will to resist every form of injustice . . . If anarchists have on article of unshakeable faith, it is that, once the habit of deferring to politicians or ideologues is lost, and that of resistance is acquired, then ordinary people have a capacity to organise every aspect of their lives in their own interests.”
‘His autobiography is a testament to this perspective, to an anarchism that inspires people to fight for freedom, equality and solidarity. It shows that anarchism is more than a vision of a bigger tomorrow, it is a guide to bringing it about. As such, Stuart’s biography should inspire those who have the good fortune to read it.
‘This book is a limited edition and is so expensive in order to fund a bigger (and so cheaper) reprint. As such, I would urge all comrades who can afford it to buy a copy. For the others, get their local library to get a copy. Either way, you will not be disappointed.’ FLAG BLACKENED
Table of Contents
Mise-en-scène 7
Preamble 9
A River Runs Through It 10
Caves In The Sandstone Canyons 14
Partick 15
The Kindness of Strangers 16
Servants of the Light 18
Operation Kitchen Table 19
The Italian Connection 20
Houston, We Have a Problem 22
The Games People Play 23
Chapel Perilous 24
A Tramcar Named Auchenshuggle 25
Penny Caramels 26
Radio Times 27
A Bunch o’ Comedians 28
Travel in Mind 30
Transports of Delight 31
Old Torry 32
Just Another Saturday… 33
High Art 34
Sunday, Bloody Sunday! 35
Lordy, Lordy Ah Didnae Ken… 36
‘Ay, Weel, Ye Ken the Noo!’ 36
Divine Authority 38
Bible Stories You Never Heard Before 39
Beyond the Pail 40
Dowanhill Primary School — 1950 42
‘Big Fight In The Wee Park!’ 44
‘Billies’ and ‘Dans’ 46
The Rings of Abbeyleix 53
Grampa Ring — 1878–1955 55
Granny — 1890–1969 60
My Granny Made Me an Anarchist 61
‘Land O’ Birk An’ Rowan Tree — Bonny Gallowa’ 62
Great Grandfather 62
Gran’s Early Years 63
Soldier, Soldier… 65
Mum — 1922-2012 67
Dad — 1915–1974 68
Jacobites by name 69
Back To Sea 75
Kidnapped! 76
Saltcoats and Ardrossan — 1954–55 78
Taking My ‘Dowts’ to Jesus 79
The Light That Failed 79
Without Benefit of Clergy 80
Sectarian Politics — 1955 81
Arran — Days of Whin and Rose Hips 83
Role Models 86
‘Vigleikr Was Here….’ 88
Sherpa McTensing 90
Container for the Thing Contained 90
The Pictures 92
Son of the Manse 94
Out, Damned Spot! 96
Captain of Murderers 96
The Woggle Brigade 97
The Green Man 100
Tartanic Verses 101
Wu’r No In Kansas Ony Mair… 103
Send Not To Ask For Whom The Riff Twangs… 105
Those Whom The Gods Would Destroy They First Sent Mad 107
Goodnight, Sergeant Major 108
The Class of ‘59 109
The 1950s – ‘It’s A Great Life – If You Don’t Weaken’ 113
Blantyre — 1960 119
Doon The Pit 121
Politicisation 123
The Spanish Civil War 123
Stalin’s ‘Great Game’ 124
Mr Kennedy Goes To Washington 127
The One-Armed Dominie 129
Hank Janson Meets Lady Chatterley 136
‘I Am Legend’ 138
Orangemen Are Not the Only Fruits… 139
The Wilder Side Of Life 139
The Forward March of Socialism 141
1961: First of the Buckfast Wine 142
Ban the Bomb! 144
The Glesca Eskimos’ or ‘Messing About On The River…’ 146
We All Know Where Kennedy Was That Night In the Red Lion 151
Square-Dealing Men 151
‘Trots’ and the Labour Party 153
The Cliff-Hangers-On 155
Solidarity Forever 158
The Day Gaitskell ’Lost the Heid’ — Sunday 6 May 1962 161
Hamilton Young Socialists 163
A Modern Folk Tale: A Historic ‘Stushie’ at The Marland 164
Ten Days That Shook the World 166
Common Purpose 168
Union Militancy 169
The Glasgow Committee Of 100 171
The Bitter Winter of 1962: ‘Beyond Counting Arses’ 172
Spring 1963: Spies for Peace 173
Scots Against War 175
The Factory For Peace — Summer 1963 180
Summer 1963 — Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow 182
Glasgow’s Anarchists 183
The ‘Wee Man Frae the Calton’ 184
Reading Matters 190
The Summer of 1963 191
Their Man in Havana 192
Greek Drama 194
The Glasgow Federation of Anarchists 195
The British Anarchist Milieu in the 1960s 196
Snapshot of the UK anarchist movement in 1963-64 198
Spain and Franco 203
1963: Franco — The Surviving ‘Axis’ Dictator 203
Rogue Male 207
Just Cause, Just War 207
London — 1964 209
Albert Meltzer 211
The Harts of the Matter 212
The Anarchists of Notting Hill 213
Ben Birnberg, Lawyer Extraordinaire 214
The Artist and the Poet 215
Who the Fuck Is Eddie Linden? 216
The Mouse That Bored 217
Speaker’s Corner 218
The West London Wackos 219
The ’62 Group 221
Informers and Agents Provocateurs 223
The Metropolitan Police Special Branch and Security Service (MI5) 224
The Secret Policeman’s Call 225
Give Flowers to the Rebels Failed 227
Duende 228
Torpor of Exile 229
Recruited 230
Why Me? Why Then? 232
1964 – Weltanschauung 234
Exits and Entrances 236
BACKGROUND 239
Aims and Principles of the Federación Ibérica de Juventudes Libertarias 239
The Post-War Guerrilla Struggle Against Franco 242
The Hijacking of the Santa Maria 244
Consequences 249
Defensa Interior 251
Funding and Weapons 252
Kill Franco! 254
The Execution of Delgado and Granado 275
Freemasonry 284