Daily Sketch

On this day in working class history, the 30th of September.

On the 30th of September 1919, compositors and pressmen working at the Daily Sketch newspaper in London refused to print the paper until an editorial criticising an ongoing railway strike was deleted.

That same day, another newspaper had its publication delayed by its workers demanding that a government advert appealing to the public to resist the strike be thrown out.

However, they were persuaded by union leaders to withdraw their demand.

Sandy Fox was 45, and she was a Fleet Street journalist.

She had worked for the Daily Sketch and the Daily Express.

She was good at it.

She had also started life as an abandoned infant.

She accompanied Paul Robeson and interpreted for him when he went on to view the troops on the front line, unfortunately, just before the collapse of the Republican front.

so she was well known she was one of the most prominent women members of the Communist Party when Hitler invaded the Soviet Union she saw an opportunity to rekindle her journalistic career which she put on hold and she went around the newspapers But she heard that one newspaper, the Daily Sketch, had not appointed someone they would like to send to Russia.

Of course, not everyone who wanted to go to Russia was able to.

The pipeline of journalists to Russia was very much under the control of of the Soviet Union, particularly the Soviet ambassador in London.

She looks like she can handle herself.

She arrives in Moscow and now we come to the Red Hotel because Charlotte takes residence up.

She gets 20 pounds a week plus expenses for the daily sketch.

The Metropole Hotel is still there.