Mr and Mrs Lamer
Describe history of Horden, from coal found, Horden Coal Company, first roads and railways. Pigeons and pitch and toss. Men dividing their money in the club and separating “keepie back” (not given to wives, where usually all was). Was on compensation for injury, had to have regular fitness checks, some considered fit for work too early, doctors paid to say so. Most houses double-tenanted. Union men then real fighters for rights, but not educated. Political career of Fred Peart. Only entertainment omen got was if men took them for a walk on Sunday evening. People lived in caves and allotment sh...

Mr Belcher
Gradual development and expansion of Horden streets and amenities. Steam wagon brought in bricks for new houses. People living in allotments, some had been evicted from pit houses. Tap in the street, but no facilities in the allotments. Not much money to go around. Community, everyone went to church. Obeyed parents. Not much to do, watched others play billiards. Some joined up to get out of putting in the mine. Brother fined for joining up instead of going to pit. Went to court as a child because had no boots to go to school in – Colonel on the bench mistook six man pay note for one man’s pay...

Mrs Young
Page 1 A housewife’s daily life: early morning breakfast, children to school or to work, daily shopping, dinner at 12 for the children and in the evening for working members of the family. Weekly rota of cleaning clothes, washing, bread baking, older widows cooked a few cakes for pence. Widows eked out pensions made toffee, knitted socks for miners; others helped her with coals and firewood, liked to stay in their own homes. Houses two rooms and back yard, bungalows or one up one down, rooms let for half a crown a week. People were content, first pensions 10-- a week Pag...

Kathy and Walter Nunn
Kathy's family. She moved to Shildon when married. Her aunt was a baker, her uncle the lamplighter. Cleaning and feeding a house full of miners. Brief -work in a canteen, brothers' work, poor area, mother threatened her with going into domestic service. Wash day, cottages with a slate by the door. Brief - accidents of brother. Brother Sid Chaplin, a writer. Sounds of buzzers. Playing in pump floodwater. Relationship between miners and railwaymen. Family finances. Brief - The General Strike. Persistence of bad feeling towards blacklegs of 1912 and also those of 1984. TB especially in overcrowd...

Barry Wood
Memory of the 1972 "Gormley" miners' strike. Compares to the more antagonistic 1984 strike. Things initially quiet on the picket lines, but gradual shift. Hard as many policement from mining families or had been miners. Had to be careful leaving police vehicle when visiting mother. Increased violence, stress caused by police brough from outside. Trying to rebuild relationships with community. Own opinion on inevitability of strike. Once had to bring dogs to the scene in case they were needed in a riot - but as dog handler was never directly involved. Incident with bus load of miners taking sac...

Sheilagh Matheson
Industrial correspondent for Tyne Tees Television in the 1980s, followed the growing strike from its local roots in Sacriston. Routine filming picket lines. Knew it would be a long strike. Police were violent but always off-camera. Filmed attack on Ian MacGregor and subsequent interview, captured the spirit of the moment. Relationship with miners, some camaraderie but got harder over time. Provocative behaviour of southern police. Sadness of return to work. Long term effects on communities. Reported a little on women's role. People sceptical of a female industrial correspondent, but actually a...

David Wray
Miners' strike