³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

Read the stories of the people who lived through the miners strike and pit closures, plus more strike stories via the links below.

:: Through the picket lines

I was a mechanical engineer at a colliery near Doncaster and I worked all through the strike but went through some very hard times and felt very, very sorry for people who were involved.

I had a lot of good friends then, and still have a lot of good friends who were on strike.

I never thought that in England I'd have to go to work in an armoured vehicle.

On occasions it was hostile, it wasn't very pleasant at all. But other times it was friendly, y'know we knew the people that were on the picket lines and we'd still got to work together, still got to live together when it was all over.

But when it was hostile, it was nasty, it was savage, very lonely. But even then a lot of comradeship from the people who were working; I made a lot of friends from people who came from other pits, other departments of the area, and worked together.

Striking miners at Orgreave coke depot.

The pit had still got to be inspected, the statutory examinations had still got to be done and the mechanical side of the pit, there were still rules and regulations, things that had got to be done just to keep the places going for when it all was over.

:: Women Against Pit Closures

I'm Rita, I joined Women Against Pit Closures in 1984. There was a notice in the Chronicle: they needed women wanted to help their husbands with the struggle. He's worked in the pits, Jeff's worked in 41 years, but up till the strike he'd done 37 and when they came on strike we wanted to be there for them.

We wanted to help them with their struggle because this government was set on closing down the mines, and it were their jobs, our

futures, our sons' and daughters' futures.

So, as I say, we joined the group and we decided on setting up a soup kitchen. The soup kitchen was set up, we decided to raise funds and we decided to become our own bosses. We would say what we were doing, we would raise our funds and what was done with those funds we would decide between us. And that's what we did.

:: Fighting the government

My name's June and I live in Royston. When the overtime ban started in 1983, we more or less knew we were in for a long battle.

We didn't realise it would be as long as it was. I am from a mining family: I had a brother who was a miner, Trevor's father was a miner and he also had four brothers and grandfathers etcetera.

Anyway when it came to pass that the strike started you used to see a lot on the television about the Nottingham wives backing their husbands up NOT to go on strike and it used to incense me because it looked as if we had no say.

And I were fully behind my husband, because we knew that we were fighting, not just for jobs, but for the community. And we were fighting a conservative government who…

Actually it was a political decision, she wanted to get the miners, as few as possible because when Heath was Prime Minister we actually - I wouldn't say brought the government down - but people realised how much the miners had been working for next to nothing. And we wanted a voice.

Read and listen to more strike stories by clicking on the links below.