Coal Mining in Britain | The story of mining from the coal face to the strike
CHANNEL | Home Service
FIRST BROADCAST | 29 November 1959
DURATION | 7 minutes 9 seconds
Frederick Swain, an experienced miner, describes the hardship of life at the colliery, which he says involves walking two miles to the pit face before he can actually start work. Brian Smedley has been a miner for just seven years, starting when he left school at 15. He explains the ways in which mining conditions have improved.
This excerpt comes from 'Home for the Day', which was the Sunday edition of 'Woman's Hour'.
Two recordings of a Welsh male-voice choir.
'Behind the seams' at a Durham coal mine.
How do the experiences of two miners from separate generations differ?
The story of the closing of Brereton Colliery.
Remembering Tonypandy's role in the 1921 National Coal Strike.
Two mining families make the decision to move from Northumberland to Nottingham.
Memories of childhood in a 1930s Glasgow mining family.
The story of the men who spent World War II down the mines.
A turbulent time for a mining village in the North East of England.
Exploring the culture and social history of the Durham coal fields.
Memories of a Bevin Boy from Bridlington.
Where there's muck, there's brass... and pigeons and lurchers and bingo too.
The diminishing role of animals in Britain's coal mines.
A history of the South Wales mining industry.
A weekend in the lives of four Yorkshire miners.
Recollections of conscription in the coal industry during World War II.
Is the ongoing miners' strike turning moderates into militants?
The miners' strike continues with both sides predicting victory.
A 'Panorama' report broadcast in the final weeks of the miners' strike.
A personal perspective on life in a 1930s mining community.
Revisiting the story of miners from a documentary made in 1969.
Scenes from a Durham mining village that featured in a 1938 radio broadcast by Joan Littlewood.
This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets (CSS) enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so.