Down You Go, Down Below

Patrick Hannan presents a documentary looking at some of the major incidents in mining during the 20th Century. From strikes, pit closures and disasters to the day-to-day operations and routines, this story includes interviews with miners who have personal recollections of the General Strike of 1926, and of later strikes that came after public ownership of the mines in 1957.

Although Britain's coal mines had been under government control during both world wars, the mines themselves had remained the property of private firms. The formation in 1946 of the National Coal Board by Clement Attlee's post-war government saw the nationalisation of the country's mines to save the coal industry from collapse. The threat of pit closures was a constant concern throughout the following decades, resulting in three strikes - in 1972, 1974 and, most significantly, 1984-5. This final strike, which concluded with victory for the Conservative government, marked the beginning of the end for the coal industry in Britain. By the mid-1990s, fewer than 20 mines were still operational. The last deep-pit mine in Wales, Tower Colliery in Hirwaun, Rhondda Cynon Taff, closed its gates in 2008.