[TV] Coal Mining.

[Questions]

Harold Wilson closed more mines in the 60s than Thatcher did in the 80s. The vast majority of them were worked out.

And they’re wasn’t such opposition to the closures in the 60’s because we were running at pretty much full employment so there was work in other fields for the redundant miners.
Not so in the 80’s. Even after meeting the goals set by Heseltine in production mines were shut - destroying communities in a stroke. So different.

 

[blue-shifted]

A conversation from a previous era.

We need to be talking about how we can produce the power we need from renewable means, not who's country's fossil fuels we should be burning

 

[Thunder Bolt]

And they’re wasn’t such opposition to the closures in the 60’s because we were running at pretty much full employment so there was work in other fields for the redundant miners.
Not so in the 80’s. Even after meeting the goals set by Heseltine in production mines were shut - destroying communities in a stroke. So different.

Fair comment, but investment was needed both in coal and in the steel industries. The government decided that it wouldn’t use tax payers money investing in an industry that was running down.
I’m not saying it was right but stating the reasons behind it.

 

[nicko31]

A conversation from a previous era.

We need to be talking about how we can produce the power we need from renewable means, not who's country's fossil fuels we should be burning

Fossil fuels will soon thankfully be yesterdays game

Renewables are the only sensible route and the price is crashing. What's more China is really getting into them in a big way too, they will just get cheaper and cheaper

Covid is an opportunity to re-design our economy and train people up for the future.

 

[beorhthelm]

It was a nationalised industry which needed massive investment to keep old nearly defunct mines open, and she said no. I disagreed with the way she went about it, but it was inevitable. My in-laws were in mining and steel. Steel went the same way.

and ship building, aside some defense contracts. there's an opinion that most our heavy industrial base was lost from decades of under-investment, going back prewar. we were advanced then so go away with it, though as competing nations upgraded we stayed still until so far behind we couldnt catch up.

 

[Martlet]

UK coal mines have always been more expensive than overseas equivalents - they are typically deeper, more fractured, more difficult to mine, and people cost more. That said, the main reason for them in the first place wasn't for lovely home fires, but to power industry and electricity generation - virtually all of which has now gone. Most days now see coal-free power generation, with the largest coal-fired power stations either closed, or converted to biomass.

The timing of your question is quite ironic in itself. Poland is sitting on 8 million tonnes of coal it's unable to sell, and announced this morning, that all of its coal mines will be shut by 2049.....

https://www.intellinews.com/poland-to-close-coal-mines-by-2049-miners-and-government-agree-192807/

 

[Theatre of Trees]

and ship building, aside some defense contracts. there's an opinion that most our heavy industrial base was lost from decades of under-investment, going back prewar. we were advanced then so go away with it, though as competing nations upgraded we stayed still until so far behind we couldnt catch up.

Part of the problem with shipbuilding was the shift in use to the huge container vessels in the 1960s and 70s. Our yards did not have the facilities to build them.

Very good book to read on the subject is this:


Our decline is due to a number of reasons: An old infrastructure which was not renewed quick enough either by managerial incompetence or worker conservatism through unions; Poor customer targeting - not understanding foreign export markets; More importance given to shareholders through short term dividends than strategic long term planning. On top of that there were the political decisions made by both Labour and Conservative governments.

 

[Eeyore]

Sad thing about the demise of the coal industry was the inability, or lack of will, to move towards cleaner energy when the opportunity arose. Shoving thousands out of work with little hope.

One would have hoped one industry to move to another with a re-skilling process.

 

[cunning fergus]

I'm struggling to think of any circumstances that we would have to use a supply of coal ?

https://www.railinsider.co.uk/2020/...s-await-government-decision-on-new-coal-mine/

Sooner these old geezers that run these railways drop off the platform, the sooner we can scrap all those stinky old steam engines...........what a great day that will be!!!

 

[knocky1]

Drove through Germany into Poland last year. This is low labour, cheap labour open cast mining.



That hole is bigger than Brighton and even Leeds.

 

[FatSuperman]

Drove through Germany into Poland last year. This is low labour, cheap labour open cast mining.

View attachment 128872

That hole is bigger than Brighton and even Leeds.

What mine is that?

This is Belchatow, also in Poland. Big hole.


Also, nothing is bigger than Leeds.

 

[beorhthelm]

Sad thing about the demise of the coal industry was the inability, or lack of will, to move towards cleaner energy when the opportunity arose. Shoving thousands out of work with little hope.

One would have hoped one industry to move to another with a re-skilling process.

there was, shifting from coal fired to gas fired. a lot less jobs though. and the same with renewable energy where they are financially competitive.

 

[knocky1]

What mine is that?

This is Belchatow, also in Poland. Big hole.
View attachment 128873

Also, nothing is bigger than Leeds.

Turow. You drive From Germany, into Poland, into Czech Rep and back into Poland alongside it’s big dirtiness.
Cheap dirty lignite coal. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/abcn...al-mine-sparks-international-dispute-67541822

Bigger than massive!

 

[Worried Man Blues]

Not all black in Poland they also have salt mines!

 

[macky]

The lowering of standards and quality is what's driven this country to the wall. It is a race to ther bottom. Our food largely gets worse, the quality of clothes and white goods, furniture etc has all got worse. It may be 'cheaper' but the margins are higher and everything need replacing twice as often, in the long run it is not cheaper. Short termism is the phrase I believe

It's exactly why Sturtevant went tits up in the mid 90's and 100 of us in Brighton lost our jobs. Jobs and careers that had been there over 30 years. A quality product which still exists today in buildings and factorys all over the country.

British coal was extremely good, far more efficient in power generation terms than the cheap Argie shit Thatcher preferred.

Spot on We need to get proud again