The miners of Polmaise Colliery had a reputation. In 1983 their pit was threatened with closure. Their actions lit the spark that became the 1984 miners’ strike. The most violent industrial conflict in British history. Strike! The Village that Fought Back, captions, BBC 2025
They were the first pit out on strike actually, and the last pit to go back. ibid. comment
Everybody was on strike for a year. Every single man. ibid.
A new chairman takes over the National Coal Board. ibid. caption
The Coal Board offers to transfer the Polmaise miners to a pit in Fife. The Polmaise miners refuse offers of transfer or redundancies. ibid. comment
There’s political inference going on behind the scenes. ibid. reporter
Nearly 300 miners were arrested this morning as Scottish police changed their tactics. ibid. BBC News
The Polmaise miners join a mass picket at the Orgreave Coking Plant. ibid. caption
We’d powered the land for centuries and now we’re getting rubbished and vilified. ibid. comment
It became abundantly clear that the cards were stacked against the miners. ibid. reporter
The Polmaise miners carry on the strike even after the vote to return to work. ibid.
That was a sad sad day when we had to go back. ibid. Comment
The Coal Board reverse their decision to close Polmaise. ibid. caption
They just closed it one fair Friday. ibid. comment