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Miners' Strike 1984 RSS Feed

The Northern Echo is marking the 25th anniversary of the Miners' Strike with a series of reports starting Thursday, March 5 in The Northern Echo and online. Most of Britain's 200,000 miners went on strike in the week following a walkout at Cortonwood and what followed were some of the most violent picketline scenes ever witnessed in British history.

‘They were determined to smash unions’

IDEOLOGICAL BATTLE’: Police arresting pickets at Gascoigne Wood mine, North Yorkshire

8:49am Thursday 12th March 2009

On the 25th anniversary of the day that the National Union of Mineworkers declared a national strike, North-East union leader Dave Hopper tells Mark Summers that he is still angry.

Artist tried to capture pits before they closed

8:50am Thursday 12th March 2009

AN artist has recalled his experiences attempting to capture the disappearing North-East colliery skyline on canvas.

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‘We were never Margaret Thatcher’s boot boys’

10:45am Wednesday 11th March 2009

In what they describe as the worst 12 months of their careers, two former high-ranking Durham officers tell Marjorie McIntyre about the dark days of the miners’ strike and the ensuing bitterness between pit communities and the police.

Visible face of Thatcherism

8:53am Tuesday 10th March 2009

As Conservative MP for Darlington, Michael Fallon became the North-East face of the Thatcher Government during the 1984-5 Miners’ strike. Twenty-five years later, he spoke to Mark Tallentire about “a very uncomfortable time.”

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A village under siege

10:31am Monday 9th March 2009

For two weeks in August 1984, Easington was under a virtual state of siege as the first miner defied the strike and went back to work.

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Standing by their men

9:26am Saturday 7th March 2009

Women throughout the Durham coalfield played a key role in the 1984 miners’ strike. They tell Marjorie McIntyre of the events which transformed their lives for ever

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No regrets

9:59am Friday 6th March 2009

David Jenkins’ support for the miners during the 1984-5 strike drew fire from both Church and State.

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1984 miners’ strike started by ‘mistake’

8:41am Thursday 5th March 2009

THE spark that exploded into the year-long miners’ strike was a mistake, according to a book published today to mark the 25th anniversary of the start of the dispute.