Orgreave justice campaign invites people to share memories of miners' strike

The Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign are inviting striking miners, their wives, partners, families, friends and anyone who supported them to come and speak on camera about their favourite stories - sad, funny, inspiring, or anything they wish to share from the time.

Joe Rollin, deputy chair of the campaign, said: “We are really excited to be hosting this event.

“In 1984/5 the police occupied mining villages throughout Britain during the strike, organised road blocks to stop the movement of pickets, were verbally and physically abusive and violent towards miners and our communities, wrongfully arrested and framed hundreds of miners and behaved with impunity.

“All this was organised and backed by the Tory Government who were hell bent on smashing the trade unions.”

John Dunn, a miner assaulted and arrested during the strike said: “OTJC has learned from and been inspired by campaigning through the years.”

He stressed the importance of solidarity, how adversity can bring out creative skills, organising through communication and the importance of documenting social and political history for people to learn from.

Campaign secretary Kate Flannery said: “Women Against Pit Closures was a movement supporting miners, families and communities.

“One of the main reasons the miners’ strike of 1984-5 was able to continue for as long as it did was because of this support network.

“Women established groups early on in the year-long strike, in mining communities, in towns and cities throughout Britain and in other countries. We'd love to hear stories from the women involved.”

The filming day will be held on Saturday, December 7, 10am-4pm, at Barnsley NUM, 2 Huddersfield Road.