Five men, six days: Pentonville voices
Arrest
Accounts of events at the Midland Cold Store from one of the Five and two of their supporters.
Micky Fenn (swearing): 鈥淚t鈥檚 Pinky and Perky!鈥� (3:47)
Two police inspectors mocked and chased; the shop stewards restrain their fellow dockers; the spontaneous decision to picket Pentonville.
Ian Olley (swearing): 鈥淣o way is anyone gonna get nicked here today鈥� (2:43)
Many of the dockers want the arrests to be resisted but the shop stewards decide to let the law take its course.
Tony Merrick: 鈥渢his . . . feeling of how big this thing was" (1:23)
The police escort "shaking like a leaf" and the van being rocked before departure for Pentonville.
Picket
The picket of the prison was the hub of campaign operations and grew to be a phenomenon of London life. It was clearly a memorable episode in the lives of these dockers who participated in it.
Colin Coughlin: 鈥渢his was the biggest thing that鈥檚 ever happened to me industrially鈥� (1:59)
The heady atmosphere on the picket, with visitors including Dr Rose Dugdale (active supporter of Irish republicanism), Bernadette Devlin (Irish republican MP) and sight-seers in Rolls Royces.
Maurie Day: 鈥渋t was electrifying鈥� (1:58)
Sympathisers from all walks of life arrive and dispense refreshments.
Ian Olley (swearing): 鈥渋t was like a market!鈥� (2:01)
Food and drink stalls spring up in the street; local squatters鈥� provide hospitality; a bus is stopped and dismantled.
Ian Olley (swearing): 鈥測ou really thought something was gonna happen鈥� (1:25)
Working-class solidarity rattles the Establishment.
Colin Ross: 鈥渇ive days when . . . this country was turned upside down鈥� (1:26)
The 鈥渕oving experience鈥� of the picket; squatters鈥� hospitality; the need for action.
Eddie Prevost: 鈥渁 lot of things become more clear to you鈥� (2:44)
The dockers鈥� horizons widened by conflict with the state and by help from squatters, including gay actors.
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