Mao – Breaking the Fetters

I thought I’d post some things that I’ve previously shared on Twitter/X. First of all here’s a set of photographs I found detailing Bob’s visit to China. It’s a particularly resonant event for me due to the ornamental walking stick which was presented to him when he met Mao Zedong. When my brother and I were children we were fascinated by it as it was beautifully inscribed with intricate black and red Chinese script. Dad told us these were quotes from Mao’s little red book; he mentioned some stuff about paper tigers and gun barrels but I didn’t really understand. Ian and I used to pretend it was a guitar to mime along to Beatles records with until, inevitably, the writing was completely worn away. Yet another significant historical artefact that didn’t survive intact. As he entered his last decade it became my dad’s walking stick. Now it’s leaning by my front door waiting for the time when it will be mine.

The first photograph is quite well known as it’s reproduced in Bob’s memoirs. He shown smiling and laughing with Chairman Mao. This one usually produces a “WTF?!” when I show it to friends.

Bob, his friend and General Secretary of the CPGB, Harry Pollitt and a Chinese official – if anyone out there recognises any of these people please let me know – I’ll be writing the chapter that includes this visit in a month or so.