Hardie Ratcliffe
John Hardie Ratcliffe (2 January 1906 – 26 May 1975)[1] was an English musician, and General Secretary of the United Kingdom Musicians' Union from 1948.[2][3]
Ratcliffe was born in 1906 in Liverpool, and named after Keir Hardie.[2] In childhood, he played saxophone and flute,[2] and by the age of 17, when he joined the union, was already performing theatre orchestras in various towns and cities.[2] He established several branches of the union, and eventually gave up playing music, to devote all his energies to its administration, accepting a post as a full-time official in 1937. Although he gave notice of resignation in August 1962, during a dispute over internal policy matters, he was persuaded to withdraw it, and continued as General Secretary until his eventual retirement in 1971.[2]
He appeared as a castaway on the BBC Radio programme Desert Island Discs on 9 November 1964,[4] and died in 1975 in London.[2][5]
References[]
- ^ England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
- ^ a b c d e f "Musicians' Union History - Hardie Ratcliffe". Musicians' Union. Retrieved 28 July 2014.
- ^ Ford, C. (13 August 1971). "Leader of the Band". The Observer. p. 8.
- ^ "Desert Island Discs - Castaway : Hardie Ratcliffe". BBC Online. BBC. Retrieved 27 July 2014.
- ^ England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1995
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- 1906 births
- 1975 deaths
- Musicians from Liverpool
- General Secretaries of the Musicians' Union (UK)
- Trade unionists from Liverpool
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