Getty Images


n By Chris Kaufman


From 1974 – l-r Labour MPs Helene Hayman, Joan Maynard and Millie Miller


“”


She was a lovely and remarkable person, far ahead of her time as she showed in explaining the value of the land


Helen Hepburn, Joan’s niece


grounds in front of the workers’ cottages in Tolpuddle.


One of Joan’s trusty parliamentary allies for many years was Jeremy Corbyn. He recalls her frequently saying to visitors to the House of Commons, ‘This is not our place…not for our class.” The implication was that parliament was an important place to try to pass laws to help workers but there had to be extra-parliamentary pressure to win those changes.


Helen Hepburn, Joan’s niece, has been organising the Maynard collection of books, papers and minutes which are housed in the


York Archives and The People’s History Museum. They include copies of the Country Standard to which, we are proud to say, she was a frequent contributor.


“She was a lovely and remarkable person,” says Helen, “far ahead of her time as she showed in explaining the value of the land.”


From a farming family, Joan was wont to say, “The earth is honest with you, it gives back what you put in.”


This feature originally appeared in Country Standard


31 uniteLANDWORKER Autumn 2023


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