A Year in the Life | Craghead: 1968-1969

'A Year in the Life' was an ambitious, in-depth documentary series. In this edition, we visit Craghead, a small village in County Durham. With the local colliery threatened by closure, the miners face uncertain futures. Some welcome the opportunity for retirement, but for others the prospect of relocation or redundancy looms large. The programme also includes scenes from the 85th Durham Miners' Gala, attended by Prime Minister Harold Wilson and Barbara Castle, then Secretary of State for Employment.

Back in 1938, Craghead had been the subject of a BBC radio programme called 'Coal', which is also available in this collection along with photographs taken at the time of this recording. In 1990, the BBC caught up with Susan and Bryan Ord, whose father and grandfather had featured in the original film. The resulting documentary, 'A Year in the Life: Twenty Years On: Craghead' can also be found in this collection.