Cheating The Parson: Farming & Fascism in 1930's Norfolk

Fading graffiti showing the remains of the lightning flash insignia of the British Union of Fascists daubed on the walls of farm buildings in North Norfolk, UK.

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The first in Stiffkey displays the emblem of the movement, and the second in Aylsham reads Stand By The King, probably referring to the abdication crisis of 1936 . Whoever made the marks, some 20 miles apart did so in bitumen, and intentionally or otherwise ensured they would survive the battering the wind coming off the North Sea gives to bri…

British Union of Fascism graffiti in Aylsham

Graffiti showing the insignia of the British Union of Fascists on the walls of a building in Aylsham, Norfolk, UK, reading Stand By The King, referring to the 1936 abdication crisis . The BUF political movement enjoyed some popularity in rural East Anglia during the 1930s as it opposed the Queen Anne’s Bounty, a tax that was laid upon farmers by the Church of England. If the farmer refused to pay the tithe the church commissioners would send bailiffs to enforce the debt, removing livestock or farm machinery. BUF members known as Blackshirts and led by Oswald Mosley could be called upon by the landowner to defend the property, by force if necessary. The longevity of the markings is attributed to the fact the are made in bitumen.

These images have been digitally retouched