This Sunday at the Commonplace social centre in Leeds, we will remember the miners strike with films, talks, photo exhibitions and cheap grub. Come along to 23-25 Wharf Street in the City Centre
www.thecommonplace.org.uk
www.thecommonplace.org.uk
On 12 March, 1984, some 100,000 miners laid down their tools in what became one of the longest and bloodiest industrial disputes in British history. Thatcher's government had ripped up a longstanding agreement and announced 20 pit closures with the loss of 20,000 jobs. Supported by an incredible solidarity movement led by the women of the community, the strike lasted a year but was ultimately doomed to failure. The government had stockpiled coal reserves and as growing poverty, personal hardship and a tough Christmas hit home, the strike collapsed by 3 March 1985. We will mark this heroic working class struggle by hearing from ex-miners and showing a number of films, including The Battle of Orgreave, the bloody June '84 assault on picketing miners by police and army.
2pm The miners campaign tapes
3.30pm Talk by Dave Douglas ex miner and author of ‘Geordies Wa Mental’
4pm Photo exhibition of the miners strike by Martin Shakeshaft
5pm The Battle of Orgreave
The climactic clash of the 1984 miners' strike at Orgreave, near Rotherham, South Yorkshire was recreated on 17th June 2001.
6pm Food and social
Entry by donation. Membership is £2
2pm The miners campaign tapes
3.30pm Talk by Dave Douglas ex miner and author of ‘Geordies Wa Mental’
4pm Photo exhibition of the miners strike by Martin Shakeshaft
5pm The Battle of Orgreave
The climactic clash of the 1984 miners' strike at Orgreave, near Rotherham, South Yorkshire was recreated on 17th June 2001.
6pm Food and social
Entry by donation. Membership is £2
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Comments
Hide the following 13 comments
Clean coal, dirty politicians
07.03.2006 00:59
What an evil lying bitch Thatcher was. To strike at a national resource for her own political gain.
And what an evil lying bitch Blair is. To promote nuclear for his own personal gain.
Danny
A Small point
07.03.2006 09:27
Paul
army lads wore old police uniforms
07.03.2006 12:43
whether an urban myth or something, but some miners swore they saw their mates army sons in ill-fitting police outfits. In the miners strikes of the early 20th century the government always ended up sending in the army, so it fits that in the media age they would be used in a clandestine way so as not to cause public uproar.
80's kid
fao Paul
07.03.2006 17:18
bobby
assumption?
08.03.2006 06:12
paul
coal
08.03.2006 16:05
freddie
Runners
12.03.2006 00:00
Fitzwilliam Hit Squad
The Met
12.03.2006 00:03
FHS
Hands full
12.03.2006 00:17
Sorry Paul, but with respect, that's bollocks. They 'had their hands full with N.Ireland' 2 years earlier as well, didn't stop them sending a massive force to the South Atlantic to rescue some sheep from the Argentinians did it?
Bob
We must agree to disagree
12.03.2006 16:05
Paul
Truth will out
12.03.2006 22:43
Obelisk
Soldiers as cops
13.03.2006 10:04
I was very much involved in the strike, both as a picket and as a member of the Hit Squads. The Runners were notorious among those of us who used to go out at night, but fortunately I never got chased by them personally. Friends of mine certainly did though, and reckoned they were squaddies, based on their fitness, attitude, language, etc. Of course, they could have been mistaken. I've seen personally coppers in old ill-fitting uniforms, but that doesn't necessarily mean they were soldiers. I've also heard the tales about how a mate of a mate saw his (squaddie) brother there, etc. Nothing conclusive that I've seen with my own eyes, and it's true that there were no shortage of cops anyway. That said, I don't think you can dismiss this story simply on the basis that if it were true it 'would have come out by now', that isn't necessarily the case at all, and after all for most people this is a very minor detail of history.
Tom
May Day
14.03.2006 14:25
Pete.
Peter Lazenby
e-mail:
peter.lazenby@ypn.co.uk