She Speaks by Yvette Cooper

Author:Yvette Cooper [Cooper, Yvette]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Atlantic Books
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

ALISON DRAKE

‘Get Up There and Get At It’

CASTLEFORD

September 2010

I spent a long time trying to find a recording or a transcript of one of the many speeches made by Alison Drake, a brilliant Yorkshire community activist, and a close friend of mine for many years.

Born and bred in Castleford, Alison was a former teacher in my constituency who had been forced to retire after a debilitating accident. She had a tough time of it, but she fought back, becoming a tireless advocate for our community. She was incredibly proud of our town and its history – from its Roman roots, to the coal industry, to Henry Moore. But she also knew that community pride was crucial to building confidence in the future too. She wanted Castleford children to be proud of where they came from so that they would have the confidence to do amazing things.

Like the woman herself, Alison’s speeches were brilliant. She speaks for millions of women who say what they think, who fight for their communities, and whose words never get written down or heard outside their towns. Back in the late nineties and early noughties, Alison and I would often make speeches together at community events. We were trying to get new investment in Castleford after years of decline since the pits closed, and we’d managed to get several of our local towns included in a government-funded regeneration programme. We were determined it would be community led, so the local council leader and I chaired a series of public meetings which hundreds of local people came along to, putting ideas forward and volunteering to get involved.

When Alison spoke, she could shape the whole mood and direction of a meeting. She would talk about the hardship people faced, and the industry and jobs we had lost. But she would also tell a story to be proud of, usually rooted in some wonderful part of Castleford’s history, its working-class communities or a quirky corner of our town. We all learned early not to resist an Alison request because she was bound to get her way eventually. But she did everything in a coaxing, persuasive way – simultaneously charming international architects and chivvying friends and neighbours to work together in the interests of our town.

At Alison’s urging, the town has rediscovered its historic connection to its waterways, turning back towards the river again, and thanks to her persistence we now have an internationally renowned new curving bridge across the River Aire.

The Castleford Heritage Group she founded (and made me president of) has taken over the old flour mill on the riverbank. Retired builders, millworkers, engineers, carpenters and managers from across the area have been mobilized to help regenerate it bit by bit. We now have a cafe, an exhibition space, a Yorkshire craft beer shop and a boat house – all run by local people.

I haven’t managed to find one of Alison’s most rousing early speeches, as none of us recorded them or wrote them down. But that doesn’t mean they have been lost or forgotten – those words started something important for our community.

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