Real Life: Children of the Miners' Strike

[London Irish]

Not so long ago on here, we had one of our typical heated debates about the miners' strike.

There was some disagreement about the extent of the social costs to nothern pit villages of the government's pit closure programme in an era of mass unemployment.

On Sunday, there is an interesting documentary on ITV at 10.45pm that examines the problem in one village in Worksop.

I hope those who supported the governments' case at the time will take time to examine some of the consequences of such political choices by watching this programme.

 

[m20gull]

As it's on ITV, if I'm back from RIAT I will try and watch it to see if it is the objective look at the subject that is needed. My concern will be that by looking at one village the conclusion will be based on a limited set of anecdotes.

 

[Beach Hut]

We discussed this subject several time suffice to say if we were still mining coal on a large scale in the UK it would be subsidised with us paying higher taxes.

 

[ben andrews' girlfriend]

most of the mines would be shut down by now anyway because of health and safety issues.

 

[Beach Hut]

most of the mines would be shut down by now anyway because of health and safety issues.

Potentially and all the pending lawsuits

 

[Yorkie]

As it's on ITV, if I'm back from RIAT I will try and watch it to see if it is the objective look at the subject that is needed. My concern will be that by looking at one village the conclusion will be based on a limited set of anecdotes.

I would agree with that. It is interesting that it is comiing from a Nottingham village rather than a Yorkshire one.

 

[m20gull]

Given the Nottingham miners' attitude to the strike we can hope that will help to make it more objective.

 

[Yorkie]

Maybe.

I know that the miners from two of the pits that closed near me were all found jobs in the new Selby coalfield and moved to Pontefract en masse.
That was in the 70's though prior to the 'big' strike.

 

[dougdeep]

Thanks for the info, I'll tune in.

 

[crasher]

The other night I couldn't sleep and found myself re-reading The Road To Wigan Pier.

Whatever your outlook/politics, Orwell's description of the actual business of digging out coal is spell-binding, horrible, thought-provoking and brilliant.

 

[m20gull]

Missed this, due to a family crisis when I got home from RIAT.

Did anyone see it and was it any good?