I'm a union man

My family has a love affair with the name Thomas. Such was the magnificent obsession on my mother's side that her father rejoiced in being Thomas Thomas. My dad's father was called Thomas Jones, although to his children and grandchildren he was known as Dat.

He was an ardent socialist and Christian, although with no republican leanings as far as I can make out.

In 1916 at the age of 30, Dat was presented with this wonderful banner in celebration of his presidency of the British Steel Smelters Amalgamated Association, a trade union which he and others founded. A few years later this union merged with with Iron and  Steel trades Confederation.