It is 40 years since the Miner's strike, and I have been listening to two of four episodes of a fascinating series on the events of that year on BBC radio.
In the 1970s I was married to Kay whose family were miners.
Her dad worked at Easington Colliery, and her mum and dad lived in Seaham Harbour close to Seaham Colliery, and to complete the circle we were married at Easington Registry Office close to the village pit.
During the strike I was back in Manchester and took my turn collecting for the miners outside the old Safeways in Chorlton.
All of which drew me into the BBC story.
"The year long miners’ strike, that started in March 1984, dominated the news for 12 months. It’s been described as “a site of contested memories” and it still evokes strong feelings in those who lived through the strike and had direct experience of it.
Chris Jackson, in his very first job as a young radio reporter in South Wales, found himself covering the dispute that scarred a generation and more. Now, 40 years after the start of the strike, he’s meeting people from different sides, and together they return to a place that holds some very personal memories.
In the first episode episode, Chris is in Sunderland to meet Neil Foster, a fourth generation miner who went on strike for the full year. They meet outside the Stadium of Light, the home ground of Sunderland Football Club, which is built on the former site of the Monkwearmouth Colliery. It’s where Neil worked and its where he got arrested on a picket line during the strike."
Presenter: Chris Jackson
Producer: Jo Dwyer
Executive Producer: Rosamund Jones
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4"*
Picture,: Badge of the Sutton Manor Branch of the NUM awarded to members of the Withington CLP for our support in raising money for their families
*The Miners' Strike: Return Journey, BBC Radio 4, https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001vs7z
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