My great-great-grandad was a Jarrow marcher

In 1936, amid the fallout of the Great Depression, the town of Jarrow suffered from mass unemployment following the closure of the shipyard, its main employer.

In the hope of trying to secure work, 200 men marched almost 300 miles from Tyneside to London to call on the government to help.

Despite taking almost a month, the Jarrow Crusade proved fruitless – but its legacy lives on.

James Lamb is the great-great-grandson of one of those who marched and is about to vote for the first time in the local elections.

As the cost of living comes under the spotlight, he says the Jarrow marchers would be “disgusted” that people are struggling to survive, almost a century on.

Produced by Chris Robinson

Filmed and edited by Dave Edwards

Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].

27 April 2022