News and Articles

Margaret Moss

28/7/1950 - 26/5/2007

After the funeral a remembrance event was held at the Queen Charlotte pub. Two bands (Red Flags and Sid and Geraldine) played 'socialist' songs and several people got on stage to share memories of Margaret. We would like to thank Mell Harrison (friend and Regional Coordinator for CND) and Peter Lux (Carer) for organising this event. Many thanks as well to Kevin and the staff at the Queen Charlotte who helped us organise the event at short notice.

Over £150 was for Priscilla Bacon Lodge Support Group from cash donation at Margaret's rememberance on Friday 8th of June. £200 was donated by the Norwich Branch of the NUJ. This does not include money that was handed in at the funeral.

At the remembrance we were asked for copies of several photographs that were on display so we have put them here. To download a large resolution copy of the image use the right hand mouse button to click on the small thumbnail image below and then select 'save link as'.

Margaret At Faslane 2006 Margaret died peacefully after a long battle with cancer. She had spent the day reading in the garden but became ill during the night and was admitted into hospital early the next morning. She passed away a day later.

Margaret had been an active trade unionist and had been secretary of Norwich and District Trades Union Council for several years. It is not only for her trade unionist or peace movement activities that she will be remembered but also as a dear friend and a mother of two children.

Margaret was a familiar face at many meetings in Norwich including Norwich Stop the War, Norwich Anarchists, Social Centre meetings, Banana Link... Further afield Margaret also worked hard within women's groups within the Trade Union movement both as a Unison member and secretary of Trades Council.

Despite her ill health Margaret continued her activism - the major surgery, cancer and a fractured spine did not stop her fighting for what she believed in. In October last year she was one of eight people who cut through the fence at RAF Lakenheath and ran across the base to try and stop cluster bombs and other munitions being moved from a munitions dump onto planes destined for Iraq. Several weeks later she was busy again blocking the nuclear base at Faslane in Scotland. She said that the subsequent court case helped her take her mind off her problems.

Margaret's determination and strength was an inspiration to many of us who knew her and over the last year has shaken medical opinion. Before Margaret was discharged from Priscilla Bacon Lodge recently the Occupational Therapists told us that she might be able to move from the bed to the chair but would never be able to make it to the bathroom. After leaving hospital Margaret made it to the bathroom, then the end of the road, then the corner shop and was soon walking back from the city. When she did have to use the wheelchair she saw this as an adventure: making skidding noises as we went round corners and letting out a gleeful 'wheee!' as we went up and down dips in the pavement.

Poetry and literature was another one of Margaret's interests. She wrote poetry and was a member of a poetry group and would be happy for hours reading. If you ever needed someone to answer the questions in the literature round of a pub quiz Margaret would be the ideal candidate.

On the Sunday after her death a short speech of remembrance and a two minute silence was held at a 'Peace Camp' in the Forum in Norwich. Then the thirty or so peace activists got on with the job of try to make the world a better place. I am sure this is how Margaret would want to be remembered and she would agree with the words of Joe Hill "Don't mourn - organise!".

Joan Butler - Margaret's Step Mother

On behalf of my family, Margaret's stepbrothers and sisters, I would like to thank everyone in Margaret's circle of friends for their kind words and support during the past few days. Margaret was indeed a very special person. A wonderful, loving woman whose kindness and gentleness touched the hearts of all who knew her. She displayed rare qualities that are a shining example for all of us to emulate. She was a very private, humble woman whom I'm sure would be embarrassed by all the attention paid her on her death.

I first met Margaret over 35 years ago when she came to Newfoundland to visit her Dad and they drove across Canada to visit her Dad's sister Florence in British Columbia. Margaret accepted me into her life with open arms. We spend many lovely holidays together with lots of wonderful memories both in Newfoundland and Norwich. She was a wonderful mother to Karen and Richard. She kept most of her health problems from me over the past few months, only telling me the things she thought necessary to tell. I was not surprised when I read of her peace movement activities and her work with the Trade Union Council. She inherited a lot of her Dad's genes. Her Dad volunteered to serve his Country in 1940 with the 166th Royal Artillery Field Regiment as a signaler and fought for England in the African and Italian Campaigns. In recognition for his heroic efforts and concern for his fellow soldiers he was one of nine Newfoundlanders awarded the Military Medal for Bravery in the Field presented by King George Vl of England.

Thank you again for all your help and support you gave Margaret and as you say, in the words of Joe Hill, "Don't mourn - Organize!"

Margaret was a member of the Banana Link Management Committee and on behalf of all of the directors and staff at Banana Link I wanted to say how much we valued her passion and commitment for the organisation's work to contribute to better working and living conditions in solidarity with workers and their unions in Latin America.

I recently became a mother and Margaret really inspired me when we spoke about motherhood and all that it brings. Please pass on all our best wishes at this time to her children.

If you have a chance we would be keen to know how we can pay our respects to Margaret, a woman we will all remember with great fondness and above all respect for her tireless work on behalf of workers worldwide. With very best wishes,

Jacqui

Margaret Moss was a much valued member of the Regional Women’s Committee for a number of years. On behalf of all the current and past members of the Regional Women’s Committee, I wanted to say how much Margaret’s contribution was and is valued.

Margaret also represented the regional women’s committee on the national women’s committee of UNISON and on the South East Region TUC Women’s Rights Committee. On these committees, she quietly campaigned through building alliances and lobbying for our policies to be implemented and so improve women’s lives. You could always tell when Margaret was up to something or had some cunning plan up her sleeve, her mischievous grin always gave her away and she was already willing to share in some fun. Margaret will be very much missed.

Linda Durrant
Regional Women’s Officer

I recently had the privilege of representing Margaret at a Suffolk police station.

Margaret was proud of what she had done and we were honoured to be able to give her representation. She insisted on facing down the warmongers that she had been arrested for protesting against and I must say that I was 100% behind her.

Margaret humbled the police officers with her presence.

I was moved by her quiet determined resolve - I know that even the police officers were moved.

So whilst this office is sad at Margaret’s death we can say with pride that we represented one of the Lakenheath 8 and a person whose courage and determination was an inspiration to all who met her.

We would like to pass on our condolences to her family, friends and comrades.

Yours in the struggle

John Tipple
Linn & Associates

Angie Zelter

Margaret was a brave and lovely person. I was honoured to have worked with her during our month of civil liberties campaigning in Norwich when Charles Clarke was the Home Secretary. And I enjoyed her generous participation in the peace movement. I think she enjoyed her last few years.

Love and peace, Angie.

At our most recent branch-meeting Workers' Liberty comrades in Norwich spoke warmly of Margaret's commitment to socialism, her tireless campaigning and her stalwart trade-union activism. We always found her generous, welcoming, helpful and open-hearted in her work as Norwich and District TUC secretary, and the labour movement in the city and beyond is made the poorer by her early loss. Margaret's dedication to the cause of peace and nuclear disarmament is well-known, and her willingness in recent months to challenge the law in the name of that cause testifies to her courage and tenacity in the face of a grave disease. Likewise, how characteristic of Margaret to insist not only on being present but on helping out at the latest NSTW event involving Tony Benn. In a season when to be active for the working-class is to court from many bafflement if not ridicule, Margaret kept the faith, and in so doing helped others keep it too. She will be much missed.