In the strikes in the 1972 and 1974, the miners had picketed the power stations and coke depots over pay across the industry. In 1984, the strike was to make a stand against pit closures in Yorkshire and the rumour that ‘you’ll be next’. Picketing was targeted at the pits who voted not to make the stand and to stay working. It rapidly became a fight that was uncomfortably close to home.
The village I lived in sat close to the Nottinghamshire /Derbyshire county boundary and my house sat at a convenient location for a police cordon. I was woken in the early hours by blue flashing lights and unnecessary noise too often for me not to storm down in my dressing gown and point out that some of us had to work. From my viewpoint it all seemed way too intense and more likely to add fuel to the fire rather than put it out. Children could not walk to school without running the gamut of police and any car not obviously transporting the wife and kids was stopped as a matter of course to try and stop illegal flying pickets. As women became more active, some joining the picket lines, I considered sticking a paper in the car window saying ‘I’m a miner’s wife, but I don’t necessarily support strike action’. As time passed and events unfolded I was glad I didn’t.