Miners Strike - what happened in Derbyshire?

[DerbyRevolution]

What happened in Derbyshire during the miners strike?

I know there is the animosity between Sheffield and Nottingham, but not so with Sheffield and Derby? So from that can it be concluded that Derbyshire miners did strike along with the Yorkshire miners? If so I would have expected that its something that Derby would hold against Nottingham as well, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

What happened in the borders with the likes of Long Eaton, Heanor and Ilkeston?

Can anyone provide more information on this? I'm guessing a few on here were in the thick of it.

[GB SPORTS]

4 minutes ago, DerbyRevolution said:

What happened in Derbyshire during the miners strike?

I know there is the animosity between Sheffield and Nottingham, but not so with Sheffield and Derby? So from that can it be concluded that Derbyshire miners did strike along with the Yorkshire miners? If so I would have expected that its something that Derby would hold against Nottingham as well, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

What happened in the borders with the likes of Long Eaton, Heanor and Ilkeston?

Can anyone provide more information on this? I'm guessing a few on here were in the thick of it.

Nearly all of the Derbyshire pits in the areas that you mentioned were closed by 1984.And the miners who lived in the area were employed in Notts pits. Moor Green  Babington Silver hill Teversal etc. So we're more aligned with the UDM Notts miners. 

Further North in the county Clay Cross, Bolsover Markham etc were more aligned with Yorkshire lot( NUM). 

Whilst not being mine worker myself I come from mining stock so I know a little about it. 

I saw plenty of trouble between working miners, those on strike and the police who were trying to stop violence and flying pickets moving around the pits. 

 

[Ram-Alf]

I was at Orgreave with a load of other football lads, All this after I was stopped at the top of the A38 junction 28 M1 when going for a day out with the family, Pulled me over and took my name and address, Car reg and checked the boot, There was food in there for a picnic, I was told that if that's for the miners...I'm in bother, All those Police wore white shirts...The Met Police.

A couple of years later we were in Lloret de Mar Spain, Met a couple from Annesley he worked at their Pit, He told me the reason they bailed from the NUM, They had just voted 2-1 for strike action, As they were coming out from the meeting a few coaches of Yorks miners turned up with threats of...you'd better vote for strike action, They already had, Then went straight back in and re voted to not take strike action as they weren't going to be bullied...hence the birth of the UDM.

Still to this day families are split, Friends are enemies, Scores are settled, Yorks police are still hated(or hated even more)as they were seen as doing Thatchers work 

As for the Derbyshire miners I think their was only the Swadlincote open cast mine still open, No angst That I can remember as has been said above...most Derbyshire pits had closed

[Boycie]

30 minutes ago, I DONT MIND said:

Nearly all of the Derbyshire pits in the areas that you mentioned were closed by 1984.And the miners who lived in the area were employed in Notts pits. Moor Green  Babington Silver hill Teversal etc. So we're more aligned with the UDM Notts miners. 

Further North in the county Clay Cross, Bolsover Markham etc were more aligned with Yorkshire lot( NUM). 

Whilst not being mine worker myself I come from mining stock so I know a little about it. 

I saw plenty of trouble between working miners, those on strike and the police who were trying to stop violence and flying pickets moving around the pits. 

 

I was going to say that I don’t think we had many mines left? Possibly like you say, north Derbyshire and south Derbyshire but they might be Staffordshire to be honest.

I remember some pickets stopping the coal train at Kilburn Crossings going up the track to the coal loading facility in Denby. I was going to secondary school at the time.  The train driver wouldn’t cross the picket and the train remained there all day and night until the pickets went elsewhere.

I think some villages around the pits that were open had it tough, I remember watching the biased “news” reports at tea time.

[Boycie]

2 minutes ago, Unlucky Alf said:

I was at Orgreave with a load of other football lads, All this after I was stopped at the top of the A38 junction 28 M1 when going for a day out with the family, Pulled me over and took my name and address, Car reg and checked the boot, There was food in there for a picnic, I was told that if that's for the miners...I'm in bother, All those Police wore white shirts...The Met Police.

A couple of years later we were in Lloret de Mar Spain, Met a couple from Annesley he worked at their Pit, He told me the reason they bailed from the NUM, They had just voted 2-1 for strike action, As they were coming out from the meeting a few coaches of Yorks miners turned up with threats of...you'd better vote for strike action, They already had, Then went straight back in and re voted to not take strike action as they weren't going to be bullied...hence the birth of the UDM.

Still to this day families are split, Friends are enemies, Scores are settled, Yorks police are still hated(or hated even more)as they were seen as doing Thatchers work 

As for the Derbyshire miners I think their was only the Swadlincote open cast mine still open, No angst That I can remember as has been said above...most Derbyshire pits had closed

The opencasts at Denby and the surrounding areas remained open, but I doubt they’d be in any unions?

[Henrycav81]

I played football in the northern counties league at the time so played against a few Yorkshire teams.

Every time we played against them we were called scabs by their players and supporters 

Always said I’m from Derby and don’t know any miners to which they’d usually reply f*** off scab, mind you that was a lot nicer than anything that was said when you were away at  shirebrook and that’s in Derbyshire 

 

[GB SPORTS]

The ones in Derbyshire that were still operating at the time of the miners strike were 

Bolsover, Shirebrook, Arkwright, Markham and Cadley Hill. These all closed between 1988 and 1993.

I am not aware of any others but my memory may be defeating me.

The two times when i witnessed the trouble was whilst at the college (now the University) we witnessed the rounding up and turning round of some flying pickets on the A38. Good view of this from the 8th Floor !!!!

Also more local to me fighting between the local (working) miners at Pye Hill and some Yorkshire flying pickets one Sunday lunch time early in the strike.

Boycie talking about Kilburn Crossings also reminded there was a constant picket on the coal gates on the main road so any coal delivered by rail into the yard couldn't get distributed by road.

 

Best person for personal recollections would be Owd Miner, where is he when you need him!!!

[Boycie]

3 hours ago, I DONT MIND said:

The ones in Derbyshire that were still operating at the time of the miners strike were 

Bolsover, Shirebrook, Arkwright, Markham and Cadley Hill. These all closed between 1988 and 1993.

I am not aware of any others but my memory may be defeating me.

The two times when i witnessed the trouble was whilst at the college (now the University) we witnessed the rounding up and turning round of some flying pickets on the A38. Good view of this from the 8th Floor !!!!

Also more local to me fighting between the local (working) miners at Pye Hill and some Yorkshire flying pickets one Sunday lunch time early in the strike.

Boycie talking about Kilburn Crossings also reminded there was a constant picket on the coal gates on the main road so any coal delivered by rail into the yard couldn't get distributed by road.

 

Best person for personal recollections would be Owd Miner, where is he when you need him!!!

I don’t remember a constant picket, only one that I’m remember? But maybe as there were 3 trains a day I didn’t see them all?

[chezzyram]

On 24/11/2022 at 18:44, I DONT MIND said:

The ones in Derbyshire that were still operating at the time of the miners strike were 

Bolsover, Shirebrook, Arkwright, Markham and Cadley Hill. These all closed between 1988 and 1993.

I am not aware of any others but my memory may be defeating me.

The two times when i witnessed the trouble was whilst at the college (now the University) we witnessed the rounding up and turning round of some flying pickets on the A38. Good view of this from the 8th Floor !!!!

Also more local to me fighting between the local (working) miners at Pye Hill and some Yorkshire flying pickets one Sunday lunch time early in the strike.

Boycie talking about Kilburn Crossings also reminded there was a constant picket on the coal gates on the main road so any coal delivered by rail into the yard couldn't get distributed by road.

 

Best person for personal recollections would be Owd Miner, where is he when you need him!!!

I worked as a youth worker in Arkwright throughout the strike and when the pit closed. It was an incredibly tough and difficult time for everyone in the village. There is a book called 'Norma Dolby's Diary - An Account Of The Great Miners Strike'. I knew Norma, she was the wife of a striking miner, the book is probably very difficult to find now but it gives an honest and revealing account of how difficult life was from the inside and also how resilient, determined and proud they were

[Eddie]

Plenty of pickets on occasion at our local power station, trying to stop coal lorries and trains.

I used to have to sneak in the back way. I didn't work there - I used to play snooker for them and the tables were absolutely top-notch slate beds. It was going to take more than a bunch of flying pickets to keep me off the green baize in those days.

[Hans Datdo-Dishes]

6 hours ago, Eddie said:

Plenty of pickets on occasion at our local power station, trying to stop coal lorries and trains.

I used to have to sneak in the back way. I didn't work there - I used to play snooker for them and the tables were absolutely top-notch slate beds. It was going to take more than a bunch of flying pickets to keep me off the green baize in those days.

You just had to negotiate the pocket line to play then, Eddie?

[Mucker1884]

1 hour ago, Hans Datdo-Dishes said:

You just had to negotiate the pocket line to play then, Eddie?

Oh, not more bloody puns! 
Give it a rest!  ?

[Eddie]

2 minutes ago, Mucker1884 said:

Oh, not more bloody puns! 
Give it a rest!  ?

Join the cue.

[Reggie Greenwood]

15 minutes ago, Eddie said:

Join the cue.

Well you were striking the balls Eddie so that should have been ok 

[Hans Datdo-Dishes]

17 minutes ago, Mucker1884 said:

Oh, not more bloody puns! 
Give it a rest!  ?

Sorry, Mucker. I'll chalk my last post off.

[Ram-Alf]

10 hours ago, chezzyram said:

I worked as a youth worker in Arkwright throughout the strike and when the pit closed. It was an incredibly tough and difficult time for everyone in the village. There is a book called 'Norma Dolby's Diary - An Account Of The Great Miners Strike'. I knew Norma, she was the wife of a striking miner, the book is probably very difficult to find now but it gives an honest and revealing account of how difficult life was from the inside and also how resilient, determined and proud they were

I used to go through Arkwright on my way to Bolsover in the mid 80s, A village that was still 100 years behind all ?, Then they found Radon Gas ?‍♀️I believe seeping through the ground.

They upped sticks around half a mile down the road to a purpose built village, Which caused a lot of angst amongst the locals, Where each home was purpose built to the new owners desires, Some didn't know you could have this and complained to the local authority/builder.

There was a documentary about all this at the time, And I remember an old dear with her carpet over the washing line beating the phuck out of it, And she said this..."you just need to sheck it" yes sheck not shake?

[Eddie]

2 hours ago, Hans Datdo-Dishes said:

Sorry, Mucker. I'll chalk my last post off.

You'll be back... after the break.

[Eddie]

1 hour ago, Unlucky Alf said:

I used to go through Arkwright on my way to Bolsover in the mid 80s, A village that was still 100 years behind all ?, Then they found Radon Gas ?‍♀️I believe seeping through the ground.

They upped sticks around half a mile down the road to a purpose built village, Which caused a lot of angst amongst the locals, Where each home was purpose built to the new owners desires, Some didn't know you could have this and complained to the local authority/builder.

There was a documentary about all this at the time, And I remember an old dear with her carpet over the washing line beating the phuck out of it, And she said this..."you just need to sheck it" yes sheck not shake?

"sheckin" is talking proper English - like worrah do.

Edited November 26, 2022 by Eddie

[chezzyram]

5 hours ago, Unlucky Alf said:

I used to go through Arkwright on my way to Bolsover in the mid 80s, A village that was still 100 years behind all ?, Then they found Radon Gas ?‍♀️I believe seeping through the ground.

They upped sticks around half a mile down the road to a purpose built village, Which caused a lot of angst amongst the locals, Where each home was purpose built to the new owners desires, Some didn't know you could have this and complained to the local authority/builder.

There was a documentary about all this at the time, And I remember an old dear with her carpet over the washing line beating the phuck out of it, And she said this..."you just need to sheck it" yes sheck not shake?

It was a typical small mining village built around the pit, just a few streets of Victorian terraced houses, a pub, miners welfare and school. They were special communities.

The gas was methane seeping into the houses from the mine workings below, an unforseen circumstance of the pit closure. They opencast mined a site across the main road then filled it and built a new village on it, then they demolished the old village and opencast mined that. There was one old boy in a detached house who absolutely refused to move no matter what they offered and they eventually opencasted up to his boundary on 3 sides, it looked like he was perched on the edge of the white cliffs of Dover! His house is still there though.

[Archied]

22 hours ago, Eddie said:

You'll be back... after the break.

Think you will find he may baulk at that