Strangeways Riot. Channel 5 Tonight.

[10ClarionSt]

My friend, I call him Jack, was the Senior Admissions Officer at Strangeways when this started in 1990. Fate, circumstances or something else found him and two other officers, trapped in tunnels below Strangeways, trying to escape from violent prisoners who were pusuing them. They went a long way in, to the point where it was pitch black. No water. No food. No sanitation. They were trapped in there for 3 days before being rescued. Jack was never the same person after that. We had been best friends since we were 5 years old. Always kept in touch. Went to each others weddings. Knew both families.

After all that, Jack had a series of heart problems which he never overcame and died on July 16th 1999 aged 51. His funeral was on my birthday at St Peters in Middleton and was attended by many of his colleagues, who turned out, parade style in full uniform, in his honour.

I put flowers on his grave every year on his anniversary. I still miss him.

They may not mention this incident in the documentary. I hope they do because its very relevant.

RIP Jack.

[Sqad]

Interesting clarion, I will record that programme.

[Patsy33]

That's very sad Clarion.
Awful situation for them.
I'm sure the documentary will be interesting to a lot of people, but I can't watch anything like that.

[Ken4155]

I would very much doubt the documentary will mention the fate of any of the 3 prison officers, 10C. If they were to do that, then they would also most likely have to mention the fate of the ringleaders of the riots and the prison governor. That would be a whole new documentary.

[douglas9401]

I can't for the life of me think how they'll get naked bodies into a programme like this.

[Ken4155]

I think a few of the rioters were bare-chested on the roof, Douglas.

[douglas9401]

Topless is soooo Channel 4, Ken.

[10ClarionSt]

Thanks for the replies folks. Ken, I doubt they will mention him personally. I didn't think they would, but they might mention the fact that 3 officers were trapped for 3 days. We'll see.
Thanks again.

[William51]

I managed to see bits of it and the programme was well done.

[Sqad]

I agree with William and had I been a prisoner in Strangeways, I would have joined in the riot.

Appalling conditions in the jail pre riot.

[Peter Pedant]

// I agree with William and had I been a prisoner in Strangeways, I would have joined in the riot.//

well we would have met Sqad. 1988 Hope Hospital had a tuffet - and three kids ( > 12 - Louts) stood and watched as one of their number walked to wards me and Brushed past me. I thought I wd get stabbed

and so.....

someone said a Phil Hughes runs judo/self defence classes at Strangeways. Go there. Which I did every week for an evg for two years. Purely knife practice. ( they have the knife you dont. and you cant do Rule 1 - run away ! - you have to face them )

It worked ! ONCE I took a knife off a fella in Chorlton St ( near da buses) - so I wrote to him

Phil? oh he was busy leading the teams on the roof at the end of the riot. They used razor wire....

[Ken4155]

Anyone remember the documentary series from Strangeways made in 1991. I still chuckle when i remember how one rather gay prisoner appeared to have fixated on the producer/director whose name was Rex. :-)

[Peter Pedant]

Visitors' Hall had a biro notice: "when the floors are full - please start using the ash-trays"

National Front recruited frooda prison officers' union

no one in the prisons spoke arabic - arab, ISIS terrorism was unknown

a pigs head was found in a prisoner's bed - as a joke

[Peter Pedant]

it was on Thur and not Fri- BUT is on My5

I THINK it is a repeat from one from ten years ago ( Stangeway 20) with very few additions. It does have one or two ring leaders, and the awful conditions described by Sqad are adequately aired.

Friel the governor clearly has things he wants to hide even 30 y later. The people on the floor clearly couldnt not see the large picture - Kay Birley has a bit part ( that one is new!)

odd to see the ringleaders ( then in their twenties and red hot) musing over the events in their fifties

NO ONE pointing out that the central tower and the spokes running out for a prison was based on Jeremy Bentham 's panopticon 1798