Journalistic profile - Miners PDF

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Journalistic profile Why did you choose to become a miner? Was your family miners? How long were you down the mine? What made you interested into the National union of Miners? What key factors lead to strike? Were you affected by the 1972 74 strike, did that influence you into striking in the 80’s? Was is it difficult being one of the minority within Nottingham to strike?

Interview... Arther Jackson. Ollerton 1971 “I was brought up in a Collery village, everyone who lived there either worked down the pit, the farms, or were in the army” “all my life, all my time at school, all I ever wanted was to go to that pit and earn money” During the war, wasn’t much money about. Those down the pit were at the pit together having a good time and I always wanted to be a miner. My Dad was a miner, my Grandad was a miner and Mum came from a Family of 13 where 8 boys were all miners. Could see men working to work with their mining uniform on and wlaking back with a face black as an ace of spades, everything in my life revolved arounf the pit. Day i was 15, left school and went down the mine. “Political Gypsys” were ever a pit closed, we moved onto another one. Thats the only thing we knew, and we were good at it. If youre good at something and you can make a good living out of it, you continue. The commorady at the pits and the villages, was absoloutely brilliant. No houses were locked, just walked in, no money, your neighbours brought you bread. It was one big family. How long.. 42 years Interested in NUM

Started out as NUM. Anything went wrong, or you needed advice go to secretary of NUM. Everything revolved round the pit, any one took ill in village they took them to medical centre. Key factors to strike Any mines closed was going to support them. Mine exhausted, then shut it. When ever there is coal down there, that coal needs to be mined. A boy got killed on the picket line, David Gareth Jones. Yorkshire man came down to ask for support in Ollerton. Young man, married with a young child left his home to fight for his pitto keep it open and went back in a coffin. Some went back to work that night, me and some of my friends never went to work again until it was all over. Loyal to the last. That man, was trying to keep his family up. A miners family means that the Dad leaves his job for his son when he died, and his son left his job for his son when he died. Always there for the next. Killing a boy by throwing a brick at him. 1984 couldnt get involved enough, some people didn’t know where to turn in Nottingham. But the boys who mattered, we were there from the first day. People were going by us, even those from the Union for a fortnight, but we stayed loyal. My son, 16 and his friend from across the road, they never went to work again. So, not just old has beens like me, it affected all generations. Wanted to strike as we could see the unfairness in it all. It was a populars game. Maggy Thatcher just wanted support. She wanted to hurt the miners as theyd dethrowned Ted Heath in 1974 after the 72-74 strikes. Now look at us, we are in debt to all these other coutries for our power and coild have black outs this year when we are sitting on absoloutely tonnes of coal. Minority.. Banner of Nottingham... “So few, so strong” Christmas time when everyone went back to work due to being offered more money, the loyal stayed. We had the best Christmas ever, met up with dirty 30 in Leicster, 6 in South Notts, 119 in Ollerton – Loyal to the Last.

Norwihich who gave food and clothes. Had a soup kitchen for miners in Ollerton Welfare. Everyone picketing went there, and the kids came up for Dinner and Tea. Headline.. So few so strong Arther Jackson, who moved to Ollerton in 1971 knows all to well what it is like to be one of the Minority. Arther Jackson, 74, has known and wanted nothing more than to become a miner all his life. “I was brought up in a Collery village, everyone who lived there either worked down the pit, the farms, or were in the army. Ever since I was a young lad, all I ever wanted to was to earn money down the pit.” At 15, Arther, like many of his friends left his school and pursued, what they thought would be a lifelong career down the Mine. Back when mining was seen as one of the most important industries to be in, wokers were often known as “Political Gypsies”. “Where ever a pit closed, we moved onto another one. That’s the only thing we knew, and we were good at it.” “The commorady at the pits and the villages, was absoloutely brilliant. It was one big family.” Many of the men were members of the National Union of Mineworkers, which to this day is still running. The NUM was the power house of the Pits, if anything was needed the NUM were there to help you. The running of the mine meant that when the coal was exhausted, it shut. “If coal was still down the pit, then it should be mined.” Arther tells a story of young man named David Jones who was killed when standing up for what he believed. “Yorkshire man came down to ask for support in Ollerton. Young man, married with a young child left his home to fight for his pit to keep it open and went back in a coffin.” His quest for support was abruptly ended when he was hit on the head with a brick standing up for what he believed. People were going by us, even those from the Union for a fortnight, but we stayed loyal. My son, 16 and his friend from across the road, they never went to work again. So, not just old has beens like me, it affected all generations.

Wanted to strike as we could see the unfairness in it all. It was a populars game. Maggy Thatcher just wanted support. She wanted to hurt the miners as theyd dethrowned Ted Heath in 1974 after the 72-74 strikes. Now look at us, we are in debt to all these other coutries for our power and coild have black outs this year when we are sitting on absoloutely tonnes of coal. Minority.. Banner of Nottingham... “So few, so strong” Christmas time when everyone went back to work due to being offered more money, the loyal stayed. We had the best Christmas ever, met up with dirty 30 in Leicster, 6 in South Notts, 119 in Ollerton – Loyal to the Last. Norwihich who gave food and clothes. Had a soup kitchen for miners in Ollerton Welfare. Everyone picketing went there, and the kids came up for Dinner and Tea....