From hardship to solidarity – Derbyshire miners remember battles that shaped a generation
The event attracted former miners, their families and local people
Former miners came together to share memories of one of the most turbulent periods in the county’s industrial history at the launch of a new book documenting the strikes that shaped the region’s coalfields.
‘Coalfield Battles: The Strikes That Shaped Derbyshire’ was officially launched at The Hub at Gladstone Buildings in Clay Cross at the weekend.
The event attracted former miners, their families and local people, with many spending the day swapping memories of life in the pits and recalling the extraordinary hardship experienced during the 1984–85 miners’ strike.
The book traces more than a century of industrial struggle in Derbyshire’s coalfields, from the emergence of the early labour movement and the 1926 General Strike through to the national coal strikes of 1972 and 1974.
Its major focus is the bitter 1984–85 dispute and the experiences of the people who lived through it.
The book has been compiled by Neil Anderson and The Hub and is the second publication to emerge from a wider £79,650 National Lottery Heritage Fund-supported project exploring the mining heritage of Clay Cross and the surrounding area.
Among those attending the launch were former miner Kev Kew and former Sheffield Star journalist and strike activist Lynda Skinner, both of whom contributed their first-hand experiences to the project.
Kev Kew also produced the project's first book, ‘Coal Dust & Community’.
Neil Anderson said: “The launch really brought home why projects like this matter.
“There were former miners sitting together reminiscing about their lives underground and talking about what happened during the strike. What struck me when we were researching the book is just how vivid those memories remain more than 40 years later. It has been a real privilege to help capture them and make sure some of these experiences are preserved for future generations.”
‘Coalfield Battles: The Strikes That Shaped Derbyshire’ is now available for £4.50 from The Hub at Gladstone Buildings, Broadleys, Clay Cross, S45 9JN.
People are welcome to pop into The Hub to pick up a copy. For more information visit www.thehubs45.co.uk