Manual Ref* NFsnBU001 Show 5 images 93
Title*

Burston Strike School
County Norfolk   District Council South Norfolk 
Civil Parish or equivalent Burston  Town/Village* Burston 
Road Diss Road 
Precise Location Village green 
OS Grid Ref TM138833  Postcode IP22 
Previous location(s)  
Setting On building  Access Public 
Artist/Maker Role Qualifier
Not known     

Commissioned by

 By public subscription 

Design & Constrn period

 1917 

Date of installing

 1917 

Exact date of unveiling

 13 May 1917, by George Lansbury 

Category
Abstract Animal Architectural
Commercial Commemorative Composite
Free Functional Funerary
Heraldic Military Natural
Non-Commemorative Performance Portable
Religious Roadside, Wayside Sculptural
Temporary, Mobile Other  

Object Type
Building Clock Tower Architectural
Coat of Arms Cross Fountain
Landscape Marker Medallion
Mural Panel Readymade
Relief Shaft Sculpture
Statue Street Furniture War Memorial
Other Object Sub Type: Facade decorated with plaques of supporters for strike school

Subject Type
Allegorical Mythological Pictorial
Figurative Non-figurative Portrait
Still-life Symbolic Other

Subject Sub Type
Bust Equestrian Full-length
Group Head Reclining
Seated Standing Torso
Part Material Dimension
Facade  Stone  H 4 metres L 9 metres 
Fireplace  Stone  H 20 cms W 1 metre 

Work is
Extant Not Sited Lost

Owner/Custodian

 Trustees of the Burston Strike School Museum 

Listing status
Grade I Grade II* Grade II Don't Know Not Listed

Surface Condition
Corrosion, Deterioration Accretions
Bird Guano Abrasions, cracks, splits
Biological growth Spalling, crumbling
Metallic staining Previous treatments
Other  
Detail:

Structural Condition
Armature exposed Broken or missing parts
Replaced parts Loose elements
Cracks, splits, breaks, holes Spalling, crumbling
Water collection Other
Detail:

Vandalism
Graffiti Structural damage Surface Damage
Detail:

Overall condition
Good Fair Poor

Risk
No Known Risk At Risk Immediate
Signatures/Marks On the Fireplace: FREEDOM/ JUSTICE/ HUMANITY 
Inscriptions Along cornice: BURSTON 19 STRIKE 17 SCHOOL. The stones which make up the facade are all engraved with the names of the individuals and trades unions which supported the strike school. One, in particular, explains the history of the school: MR T.G. HIGDON AND MRS A.K. HIGDON/ WERE UNJUSTLY DISMISSSED FROM THE/ COUNCIL SCHOOL OF THIS VILLAGE ON/ THE THIRTY-FIRST DAY OF MAY /1914./ THIS BUILDING WAS ERECTED BY PUBLIC SUBSCRIPTION TO PROTEST AGAINST THIS/ ACTION OF THE EDUCATION AUTHORITIES/ TO PROVIDE A FREE SCHOOL, TO BE A CENTRE/ OF RURAL DEMOCARACY AND/ A MEMORIAL OF THE VILLAGERS FIGHT FOR/ FREEDOM 

Description (physical)

 Tom Higdon was born on 21st August 1869 at East Pennard, Somerset, the son of a farm labourer. Annie Katherine Schollick (Kitty) was born on 13th December 1864 in Poolton cum Seacombe in Cheshire. They married on 4th July 1896, and lived at first in London, moving to Norfolk in 1902, when, inspired by the Education Act of that year they began teaching, first at Wood Dalling and then in Burston in 1911. Annie was an inspirational teacher, who, together with Tom sided with the rural workers and did not teach the sort of 'respect' expected by local hierarchy. In 1913 Tom topped the poll for the parish council, ahead of the rector. In May 1914 the rector, who was in charge of the school management, fired Kitty. Only six children remained in the Council school, from 1st April the remainder were educated by Kitty Higdon on the village green, moving to a nearby carpenter's shop in winter. As the lease on the shop was due to expire a national appeal was launched, raising £1250 by 1917. The school remained open until Tom's death in 1939 (Annie died in 1944) The facade reveals the scale of the support: Trades Unions of Miners and Railwaymen; Trades Labour Councils; Independent Labour Party branches and Co-operative Societies from Rugby, Mountain Ash, Norwich, Tufton, Watford, Newport; Leo Tolstoy (one of the great novelists thirteen children) added his name to a stone. It was unveiled by George Lansbury ( 1859 – 1940) a British Labour politician, socialist, Christian pacifist, and newspaper editor. Born in Halesworth, Suffolk,he was a Member of Parliament from 1910 to 1912 and from 1922 to 1940, and leader of the Labour Party from 1932 to 1935. 

Description (iconographical)

 The facade serves as a billboard for the school, defiant in the face of local opposition, using every stone to proclaim its history and the range of support nationally. This is echoed in the message proclaimed in the inscription set over the rays of the sun rising out of the fireplace. 

Photographs

 Date taken:  16/5/2006
Date logged: 

Photographed by:
Sarah Cocke

On Site Inspection

 Date:  16/5/2006

Inspected by:
Richard Cocke

Sources and References

 en.wikipedia.org 26/05/06 www.burstonstrikeschool.org 26/05/06 

Database

 Date entered:  26/5/2006

Data inputter:
Richard Cocke