In the end the vote, in Nottinghamshire particularly and perhaps predictably, was split, some pits went on strike, some didn’t. Even disregarding unilateral views, times were hard and the 1972 and 1974 strikes lingered as a memory of something not to be repeated. The mining communities were genuinely weary of disputes and Margaret Thatcher had made it obvious that she was not Ted Heath; she was not going to be blindsided by industrial action.
The results came in. My father’s pit stayed open and my husband’s pit was split 50/50 so the NUM made the deciding call to bring them out on strike. I was not best pleased.
The carnage began
Nobody could have envisaged how long the strike would last or were prepared for the thousands of police that would be seconded to keep the peace, much less the militaristic methods they would use.