The Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron & Coal Company 23 July 2010 Ebbw Vale Open Hearth Furnaces, 1960s. The early iron industry of South Wales was small scale and rural; blast furnaces at Clydach Ironworks, 1813. Sir Henry Bessemer paid the Ebbw Vale Company £30,000 for their patents on steel making (George Parry received £10,000) and in 1866-68 the company erected six Bessemer Converters to make steel, one of the first two installations in Britain. A Bessemer converter "on the blow" is a dramatic sight. The process had not changed at Ebbw Vale in the 1950s when this photograph was taken. The Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron & Coal Company The Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron & Coal Company was based in south Wales. Founded in 1790, it was the largest tinplate producer in the country, until its closure in 2002. In the Edwardian period it employed 34,000 men, and by the mid-nineteenth century it was at the forefront of technological development, especially in the conversion of iron to steel. It gained further British technological firsts after a complete rebuild in 1936-8 and went on to outlast all the other Heads of the Valleys iron and steel plants. Beginnings Ebbw Vale Ironworks was part of a chain of works along the northern rim of the south Wales coalfield where the raw materials for making iron - iron ore, coal and limestone - occurred together. It was established in 1790 by a partnership led by Jeremiah Homfray, owner of the Penydarren Ironworks at Merthyr Tydfil. In 1796 he sold the works to the Harford family who ran it for the next half a century, building three more blast furnaces, puddling furnaces to produce wrought iron and rolling mills to make rails. The Harfords also bought the three blast furnaces at Sirhowy in 1818, to increase their supplies of pig iron for the furnaces and mills. Expansion The Harfords went bankrupt in 1842 when their overseas investments collapsed. Their works were kept going by trustees and in 1844 Abraham Derby IV, the Coalbrookdale ironmaster, came out of semi-retirement to form the Ebbw Vale Company. The company rapidly expanded, buying the neighbouring Victoria Ironworks in 1848, Abersychan Ironworks in 1852, Pentwyn Ironworks in 1858 and Pontypool Ironworks in 1872. When the local iron ores became exhausted the company bought iron mines in Somerset, Gloucestershire and Spain during the 1850s. In 1854-5 George Parry, the works chemist, experimented with steel making but it was not until 1868, when the company installed a Bessemer plant, that regular steel production began. The cost of expansion The company was reformed as the Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron & Coal Company Limited in 1868. The cost of continued expansion in the boom of the early 1870s crippled the company in the depression that came later in the decade. Iron trade declined as steel superseded iron - fortunately the Ebbw Vale Company had been an early innovator in steel production. From 1873 the company was controlled by Manchester financiers, who did not seem to understand the iron and steel trade. The works declined; Pentwyn closed in 1868, Sirhowy and Abersychan closed in 1882-3, Pontypool in 1890 and by 1892 the concern was almost bankrupt, with the plant described as obsolete and the machinery in disrepair. Changing direction — the insatiable demand for Welsh Coal From the 1870s onwards the Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron & Coal Company's prosperity lay in coal rather than iron and steel. In 1873 it was already the largest coal producer in south Wales, but the bulk of its coal was being used in the coke ovens and the steam engines of the ironworks. In the 1870s and 1880s the company switched direction to take advantage of the spectacular growth in demand for Welsh steam coal to drive the world's ships, trains and steam engines. As the older collieries in the Ebbw Vale area were becoming exhausted it sank two new collieries - Waunlwyd (1874-7) and Marine Colliery at Cwm (1889-91). Ebbw Vale coal became a familiar sight all over the world. The increasingly insatiable demand for Welsh steam coal during the first two decades of the twentieth century enabled the company to rapidly expand and modernise its collieries. Some of the older collieries were closed and output was doubled at Waunlwyd and Marine. In twenty years the company doubled its output to 2 million tons. More coal meant more miners and the company's workforce rose to nearly 6,000, and profits rose dramatically too. Digging for coal at Llangynidr Road during the 1926 miner's lockout. An air view of the works in August 1957 As Marine Colliery expanded so did the village of Cwm where the bulk of the miners and families lived. Station Terrace, Cwm's first major shopping centre, in 1913. The 750-ton hot metal receiver in the Bessemer Steel Works was the largest in the World when installed in 1905-06. On 30 October 1929 the works were closed. In 1936 they were demolished. Coal mining and its landscape, Waunlwyd, 1950s Modernisation In 1892 control of the company returned to iron and steel interests. The companies finances were consolidated, with expansion and modernisation beginning in 1897. In 1910 a number of south Wales colliery owners led by Viscount Rhondda became directors. In May 1911, under the impression that profits would be increased by concentrating on coal production alone, they closed the iron and steel works. However, their hopes were not fulfilled and those works reopened in April 1912. The last act of expansion before the First World War was the construction of sheet mills in 1912. Between 1918 and 1920 the company increased its capital from £1.8 million to £7.7 million and embarked on further expansion. Two modern blast furnaces built at Victoria in 1920-23 replaced the four old Ebbw Vale blast furnaces. Plants were installed to produce steel railway sleepers and weldless tubes and couplings. However, the international iron and steel trade slumped in the early 1920s. Troubled times The golden age of the early twentieth century was shattered from the 1920s onwards. The boom in the coal export market collapsed as ships switched to oil for fuel. After 1922 the company's high profits turned into big losses. Closure The 1920s and 1930s were the "Years of the Locust" as wages fell, collieries closed and unemployment rocketed. There were bitter and long industrial disputes in 1921 and 1926 and the financial crisis of 1929 affected the Ebbw Vale company badly. Its works closed, putting almost half the town's population out of work. In 1935 the company went into liquidation and all its collieries were sold to Partridge Jones and John Paton Ltd, the largest colliery owner in the Gwent valleys. Rebuilding To remain internationally competitive, Britain's tinplate industry required an American-style steel stripmill. A new stripmill was planned in Lincolnshire but Government intervention caused it to be relocated to Ebbw Vale, and in 1936-8 the old works was cleared and an integrated iron, steel and tinplate plant built. The former collieries of the Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron & Coal Company were taken over by the National Coal Board when the whole industry was nationalised in 1947. In that year, three were still in production — Waunlwyd, Cwmcarn and Marine. They were closed in 1964, 1968 and 1988 respectively. Up to the present The first electrolytic line outside the USA was built at Ebbw Vale in 1947-8. The Bessemer and open hearth steel plants were expanded and in 1960 Britain's first LD converter was installed at the works. Such plant was soon to supersede all Bessemer and open hearth steel plants in the UK. Two further electrolytic tinning lines were installed in 1961 and 1969, with galvanising lines added in 1957 and 1969. Rationalisation in the steel industry following nationalisation in 1967 led to the steel plant at Ebbw Vale closing in 1978. Until closure in 2002 the works concentrated on tinplating and galvanising, and was the largest tinplate producer in Britain.
The Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron & Coal Company 20 July 2010 The Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron & Coal Company was based in south Wales. Founded in 1790, it was the largest tinplate producer in the country, until its closure in 2002. Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron & Coal Co. The Double Reduction Mill installed in 1978 produced very thin strip steel for making drinks cans Demolition of the blast furnaces, August 1978. The no 2 electrolytic tinplating line was the fastest in the world when installed in 1961. An air view of the works in August 1957 Fettling an open hearth steel furnace at Ebbw Vale in about 1962. Abercarn Colliery site in the 1970's Underground timbering competition at Cwm Betterment Society Carnival 1956 Coal mining and its landscape, Waunlwyd, 1950s The new works started production in 1938 and prosperity returned to the town of Ebbw Vale. The new stripmill produced high quality strip steel at 20 miles per hour & far faster than the hand rolling mills it replaced. On 30 October 1929 the works were closed. In 1936 they were demolished. In 1929 a new 1,500 ton hot metal receiver, then the largest in the world, was installed. The works were due to close before it could be used. Ebbw Vale's inland location necessitated a huge fleet of railway trucks to haul iron ore from the Newport wharves to the furnaces The Roughing Mill at the Steel Works. The depressed state of the steel trade between the wars has been described as "like entering a tunnel and not emerging until 1938". The new Nos. 4 and 5 blast furnaces at Victoria produced 2,750 tons a week each. On St David's day 1927, 52 miners at Marine Colliery were killed in an explosion. The cause of the disaster was never ascertained. On St David's day 1927, 52 miners at Marine Colliery were killed in an explosion. The cause of the disaster was never ascertained. During the industrial disputes of the 1920s and the depression of the 1930s jazz bands provided fun and just as important, kept up spirits. Digging for coal at Llangynidr Road during the 1926 miner's lockout. As Marine Colliery expanded so did the village of Cwm where the bulk of the miners and families lived. Station Terrace, Cwm's first major shopping centre, in 1913. The Prince of Wales during his visit to Victoria No 5 pit in 1918. The colliery had recently been deepened and modernised. After he had been underground he agreed to the colliery being renamed 'Prince of Wales'. Marine Colliery, 1907: Coke for the furnaces, but the bulk of its coal was exported overseas. Pride and achievement: Pit Bottom. Marine Colliery, Cwm, c.1907. In 1907 the company built a third brickworks and production reached 14 million a year. The company owned four wharves at Newport to import iron ore and pit props and to export iron and steel By 1907 the company employed 350 maintenance and engineering staff: The Smith Shop in the Engineering Department. Victoria Foundry, rebuilt in 1902, produced 18,000 tons of castings a year, used both within the works and sold to other firms. In 1907 the company owned 524 coke ovens and was producing 200,000 tons of coke a year. The tapping hole of the "Yankee" furnace at Victoria, it could produce 2,300 tons of iron a week. Ten hours output of steel billets from the Bessemer Steel Works. The 750-ton hot metal receiver in the Bessemer Steel Works was the largest in the World when installed in 1905-06. A new American design blast furnace was built at Victoria in 1903. Two open-hearth steel furnaces were built in 1898, followed by a further three in 1905-06. In 1897 a spring making shop was built to make railway carriage springs. The export market was the mainstay of the company. Cardiff Docks, early twentieth century The export market was the mainstay of the company. Cardiff Docks, early twentieth century The new pits sunk from the 1870s onwards were much deeper than the older collieries so that they could reach new reserves and the steam coal seams. The shaft of Victoria No. 5 (Prince of Wales) Colliery. Waunlwyd Colliery. At the turn of the century two trainloads of coal from this colliery went to Crewe everyday to power the locomotives of the L.M.S. The rolling mills about 1900. A Bessemer converter "on the blow" is a dramatic sight. The process had not changed at Ebbw Vale in the 1950s when this photograph was taken. One of the works' main products was rails; steel replaced wrought iron in the 1870s and in 1881 wrought iron puddling ceased at Ebbw Vale. The Bessemer steel converters kept the works going through the 1880s. The last act of expansion was the rebuilding of the two Victoria Furnaces in 1882. The four furnaces of Ebbw Vale were rebuilt in 1871-72, increasing production to 800 tons per week per furnace In 1866 the "Darby" blast furnace blowing engine was installed, the largest in the world. Sir Henry Bessemer paid the Ebbw Vale Company £30,000 for their patents on steel making (George Parry received £10,000) and in 1866-68 the company erected six Bessemer Converters to make steel, one of the first two installations in Britain. One of George Parry, the works chemist, inventions was the "cap and cone" to close the top of the blast furnace to retain heat. It was briefly lowered during charging. Much of the company's pig iron production was converted to wrought iron in 100 puddling furnaces. Abersychan Ironworks shown here in 1866 was bought by the Ebbw Vale Company in 1852. The company's other works probably resembled it, although their buildings were not as ornate. Ebbw Vale experimented with locomotives from 1829 and was one of the first South Wales ironworks to do so. This is the Tredegar Iron Company's locomotive 'St David' in 1854. The Ebbw Vale Company built many rows of homes for its workers, Gantra Row, intended for colliers, accommodated one family in the upper two floors of each house and another in the basement. No. 6 pit, Victoria, sank in 1838 provided coke for the Victoria Ironworks. Women were prohibited from working underground in 1842 but a small number continued to work on the surface until the early twentieth century. The earliest coal and ironstone mines were "patches" or small opencast pits. The early iron industry of South Wales was small scale and rural; blast furnaces at Clydach Ironworks, 1813. Holing in the Gwern Y Cae Seam, Sirhowy No. 7 Pit, 1898. Ebbw Vale Open Hearth Furnaces, 1960s.
Working Abroad - Welsh Emigration 9 February 2010 Welsh industrial emigration: The legacyIn the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, millions of people across the world moved to different countries looking for work. They wanted to improve their lives, try new working practices, or have adventures in different lands.Many people left Wales and took traditional Welsh industrial skills with them. Some helped create continuing economic success in the countries they moved to. Some made huge fortunes, finding fame. Others led more quietly successful lives, settling down and raising families. Some returned to Wales after time abroad, others were never to see this country again.Here we look at the various industries from Wales that supplied workers and expertise around the world. What were those industries and skills? Where did the workers go? What values and traditions did they take with them? What impact did their leaving have on the country they left behind? Welsh coal mine, Kentucky Coal"Wales experienced a spectacular boom in coal mining in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The world looked to the Welsh mining industry for expertise and advice."[see more] Burra Burra copper mine, 1874. Copper"The world of copper smelting was led by Wales in the 19th century. The works around Swansea and Holywell supplied over 50% of the world's copper."[see more] John Davies of Talsarnau, Gwynedd, with his brother and friend. They are seeking gold in Queensland, Australia in the 1880s Gold"Gold has been mined intermittently in Wales for thousands of years, but the industry never employed huge numbers of workers. Despite this, many Welsh emigrants joined the famous 'Gold Rushes' of the 19th century."[see more] Welsh workers in the ironworks at Hughesovka, John Hughes is second from the right in the front row Iron"Wales was at the forefront of the development of the iron industry in Britain and it is therefore not surprising to find Welsh people leading the industry across the world in the nineteenth century."[see more] Bangor, Pennsylvania Slate"Slate was used in Europe as a roofing material. Welsh slate was exported across the world for prestigious building projects. The discovery of slate deposits in different countries became one of a number of economic factors that influenced Welsh workers to move to those areas."[see more] Lithgow Steelworks, New South Wales, Australia, 1920s Steel"Iron working centres often adapted themselves to the creation of steel, a stronger, more versatile material. Unsurprisingly Welsh workers played an important part in this change."[see more] Metropolis built for William Thomas in 1887 Shipping"Wales has a 1,200km (750 mile) coastline and a long tradition of seafaring. Welsh sailors travelled around the world, exporting Welsh goods and importing raw materials for industry. Welsh shipping lines were among the best-known in maritime trade and the company owners were amongst the richest."[see more] Quarrying stone, Randolph, Wisconsin Metal Mining"Wales has a 1,200km (750 mile) coastline and a long tradition of seafaring. Welsh sailors travelled around the world, exporting Welsh goods and importing raw materials for industry. Welsh shipping lines were among the best-known in maritime trade and the company owners were amongst the richest."[see more] John Williams Tinplate"The manufacture of tinplate was another area where Wales held a virtual monopoly in the world. South Wales accounted for over 80% of world production in the early 1890s."[see more] Morgan C. Jones, (on the right), nephew of Morgan Jones and working for the same company Other Industries"Not all Welsh people worked in the 'traditional' heavy industries of Wales of course. Many worked in other industries and many transferred the skills they learnt in mines, foundries and works to other places of work."[see more] Cartoon from the Western Mail, 1928 Migration Patterns"Not everyone who left Wales for a new life abroad stayed away. Many people returned home for various reasons. This is called back migration."[see more] Breaker boys in Pennsylvania. Many Welsh boys in the USA began work in this way at an early age. Radicalism"Welsh industrial workers came from areas that had well organised unions. They had a reputation for standing up for their rights, safe working conditions and decent pay."[see more] Old Saron Church, the first Welsh church in Minnesota, 1856 Welsh Culture"Like many emigrants, Welsh people took their culture with them to the new countries. In a strange, new place, keeping the songs, stories, languages and traditions of home alive helped emigrants to deal with the unfamiliarity."[see more] Preparing food for a Gymanfa Ganu (singing festival), Peniel Church, Pickett, Wisconsin,1946. Women"The majority of industrial workers were men but women of course formed an important part of migrant communities."[see more] California, USA Place names"It was common for emigrants of all nationalities to name their new settlements after places in their home countries. This provided a sense of identity and a link with home."[see more]
The Quilt Collection 17 April 2009 The collection of quilting and patchwork at Amgueddfa Cymru contains examples of bedcovers from the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries, together with smaller items such as cushion covers, linings from christening baskets, eighteenth-century petticoats and a christening gown worn by Peter Morgan of Golden Grove in 1722. The quilt collection at the Museum dates back to the 1930s. Although a few examples of quilts had been donated to the Museum in 1914, no systematic collecting had been undertaken prior to the establishment of the Department of Folk Culture and Industries in 1932. The collection is available to view by appointment. If you would like further information, please contact the curator using our Email Form. Scroll down through our collection of quilts which are listed in the following categories: Commemorative quilts Patchwork and appliqué quilt made by Mary Lloyd of Cardigan in 1840. A marriage quilt made by Mary Miles of Berthlwyd Farm, Quakers Yard, in 1886. Detail of a wholecloth marriage quilt made by Mary Miles of Berthlwyd Farm, Quakers Yard, in 1886. A sateen quilt decorated with printed signatures. It was sent to the Welsh War Relief Committee in 1942 from Edmonton, Canada. Detail of a sateen quilt decorated with printed signatures. It was sent to the Welsh War Relief Committee in 1942 from Edmonton, Canada. Detail of a marriage quilt made in Maesteg in the 1920s. A wholecloth wedding quilt made in Maesteg in the 1920s. A quilt made from a range of printed cottons. The central panel contains a portrait of Caroline of Brunswick, consort of King George IV. Made in Brecon in about 1820. An unlined patchwork bedcover. Made by the Richards family of Darowen, possibly to commemorate the building of their new parish church in 1863. Detail of a wholecloth quilt from Abergwawr made to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887. A wholecloth quilt from Abergwawr made to commemorate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in 1887. Hexagonal patchwork A patchwork table cover used at Llwyn Onn Hall, Wrexham. Made from cotton dress fabrics and chintzes which date from about 1780-1820. A cotton patchwork bedcover made by a dairy-maid at Llanharan House, near Llanharan, in 1886. A bedcover of predominantly red and lilac cotton prints. Made mid-to-late 19th century by Esther David of Llanfabon. A 19th century patchwork bedcover from Cardiff. Mostly made from cotton chintzes. A bedcover of hexagonal cotton prints arranged in cables. Given as a wedding present in 1874 to A. C. Humphreys-Owen of Glansevern House, Welshpool. Detail of an unlined patchwork bedcover. Made in Llantrisant in 1886. An unlined patchwork bedcover made in 1886 in Llantrisant. A 19th century patchwork quilt from Wick. Made from a range of printed cottons. A quilt of red and white hexagons arranged in diagonal bands. Made by Elizabeth Edwards of Cardiff in 1870. Patchwork: Work in progress Detail of a 19th-century patchwork bedcover from Cardiff. Mostly made from cotton chintzes. An unfinished late 19th century patchwork bedcover from Port Talbot. Made from plain and printed cotton hexagons. The paper templates remain in parts. Detail of an unfinished late 19th century patchwork bedcover from Port Talbot. Made from plain and printed cotton hexagons. The paper templates remain in parts. An unfinished late 19th century patchwork from Cardiff. The 'log cabin' pattern has been achieved by dividing strips of cotton into light and dark shades. An unfinished late 19th century crazy patchwork of satin, velvet and ribbed silk. Oversewn with feather stitches and French knots. Made in Maentwrog. The reverse of an unfinished patchwork. The paper templates and tacking remain in position. Made in Mountain Ash in 1880. An unfinished patchwork of hexagonal printed cottons. The paper templates and tacking remain in position. Made in 1880 in Mountain Ash. An unfinished early 19th century patchwork from Dinas Powys. Made from printed cotton pieces arranged around an oval central panel. Prize-winning quilts A programme containing details of events and exhibitions held at St Fagans in conjunction with the Festival of Britain in 1951. A programme containing details of events and exhibitions held at St Fagans in conjunction with the Festival of Britain in 1951. A quilted bonnet made by Jane Davies of Pontardawe for the 1951 quilting competition held at St Fagans. A prize-winning poplin quilt made by Jessie Edwards, a quilting teacher from Merthyr. Exhibited at the Fagans during the 1951 Festival of Britain. Detail of a poplin quilt made by Jessie Edwards of Merthyr. The quilt won first prize at the 1951 quilting exhibition held at St Fagans. Quilts for children A silk cot quilt made by Miss Mabel Owen of Aberdare. It won first prize at the Royal Welsh Show held in Aberystwyth in 1933. A cot quilt made in 1987 at St Fagans National Museum of History by Katy Lewis of Caerphilly. Peach coloured cotton with polyester filling. A red and white patchwork cot quilt. Made and used in Carmarthen in 1914. A patchwork cot quilt from St David's, Pembrokeshire. A patchwork cot cover used in about 1850 by the infant William Hely Llewelyn of Cwrt Colman, Bridgend A cot quilt made from printed cotton and chintz squares. Made in 1856 for William Hely Llewelyn of Cwrt Colman, Bridgend, as a seven year old child. A cot cover of plain and ribbed silk patchwork arranged in the 'falling blocks' design. Made and used in St Asaph in 1870. Quilts: Earning a living Village quilters from Solva posing with a frame in 1928. Central motif of a wholecloth quilt made in 1933 by a group of quilters from Porth, Rhondda. A cream cotton poplin quilt with carded wool filling. Made in 1933 by a group of quilters from Porth, Rhondda. A notebook filled with notes, pencil drawn patterns and payments for quilting. Complied by Irene Morgan (nee Davies) of Abderdare in the 1920s-30s. A notebook filled with notes, pencil drawn patterns and payments for quilting. Complied by Irene Morgan (nee Davies) of Abderdare in the 1920s-30s. A notebook filled with notes, pencil drawn patterns and payments for quilting. Complied by Irene Morgan (nee Davies) of Abderdare in the 1920s-30s. A reversible wholecloth quilt of pink and green cotton with a flounced edge. Made by Phoebe Walters, a professional quilter from Bancyfelin, in about 1906. Detail of a wholecloth quilt of pink and green cotton. Made by Phoebe Walters, a professional quilter from Bancyfelin, in about 1906. Quilts: Make do and mend A 19th century geometric patchwork quilt made from off-cuts of flannel from Ogof Woollen Mill, Drefach-Felindre. Probably made by the weaver Benjamin Jones, or a member of his family. A quilt made by the Borth based artist Becky Knight in 2006. Constructed from recycled Guinness cans, machine stitched to form the traditional 'drunkards path' design. Detail of a quilt made from recycled Guinness cans. Designed and made by Becky Knight of Borth in 2006. A 19th century patchwork quilt made from off-cuts of flannel from Ogof Woollen Mill, Drefach-Felindre. Probably made by the weaver Benjamin Jones, or a member of his family. An early 20th century bedcover. Made in Blaenau Ffestiniog from scraps of tweed and worsted suits worn by quarrymen. A patchwork quilt made from a range of printed cottons. Made by an unknown quilter from Rhydlafar in about 1850. A mid 20th century quilt from Cardiff. Made from rouched up silk ties. Lined with larger pieces of silk, possibly suit lining. A reversible late 19th century quilt from Llangamarch. Made from two recycled woven and printed paisley shawls. A patchwork quilt made from multicoloured printed cotton squares. The filling is probably an older quilt. Made by Esther David of Llanfabon. Mid to late 19th century. A bedcover made by James Williams, a tailor from Wrexham, between 1842-52. Made from 4,525 pieces of woollen cloth, mainly off-cuts from military uniforms.
The Miners Strike of 1984 12 March 2009 National Coal BoardOn 1 March 1984 the National Coal Board announced that it planned to close 20 coal mines with the loss of 20,000 jobs. The year-long strike that followed changed the political, economic and social history of Wales forever."The miners in south Wales are saying — we are not accepting the dereliction of our mining valleys, we are not allowing our children to go immediately from school into the dole queue — it is time we fought!"Emlyn Williams, President, NUM, South Wales AreaPicketing and demonstrationsThe majority of Welsh miners initially voted against a strike but later played a major part in picketing and demonstrations. Miners' wives rose to the challenge of supporting their men by raising funds and organizing food distribution, but were also active on picket lines and marches.Although Wales did not suffer the picket line violence seen in some other British coalfields, Welsh miners were killed on picket duty and carrying out colliery safety work and a taxi driver was killed as he took a strike-breaker to work."We had to fight the enemy without in the Falklands, but we always have to be aware of the enemy within, which is much more difficult to fight and more dangerous to liberty."Margaret Thatcher, Prime MinisterCollecting storiesThere were rights and wrongs on both sides of the dispute and great pains have been taken to try to collect stories from each side. The passions aroused by the strike have made this a difficult task, for even now some participants are reluctant to allow their stories to be told.This, and the fact that the majority of the stories were collected from Wales, where only a small percentage of the workforce returned to work during the strike, makes it inevitable that one view should seem to predominate. If stories had been collected elsewhere it is quite possible that the opposite view would dominate.An objective and balanced history of the miners strike will one day be written but the pages that follow present the stories of some of the men and women whose lives were touched by what today has simply become known as... The Strike.This article forms part of a booklet in the series 'Glo' produced by Big Pit: National Mining Museum. You can download the booklet here
