In 1926, thousands of miners in Fife went on strike against plans to reduce their already meagre wages and worsen their already grim working conditions. Though doomed from the outset, their inspirational fortitude was tapped into during the miners’ strike that followed a generation later, when Margaret Thatcher ultimately crushed the unions. Now residents of former mining towns are being invited to take part in a community-led film about the 1926 strike.
The Labour Party has been beaten out of power by the Conservatives and Liberals. It is a time of deep economic hardship. The Prime Minister is telling the country everyone must tighten their belts. As is usually the case, the belts of the poor seem to have several more notches than those of the rich. Is this the UK in 2011? It could be. But we’re actually looking at the country in 1926.
“The circumstances then were remarkably similar to those today,” says Theatre Workshop Scotland’s artistic director Robert Rae. “We had a Lib-Tory alliance, under Baldwin, and were coming off the back of a financial crisis as a result of the gold standard. Just like now, you had a government saying ‘you’ve all got to tighten your belt’. At the top of the list of people who had to tighten their belts were miners.”
Already badly paid and with harsh working conditions, Britain’s miners were ordered to work longer hours for less pay. They rebelled, going on strike for six months. The odds were hugely stacked against them. Their pay was already low, and the mining companies had the government of the day in their pocket.
The miners found themselves portrayed not as hard-working men trying to secure fair pay, but as revolutionaries intent on destroying the country. They had allies, though, and achieved the occasional small victory, such as when printers refused to print copies of the Daily Mail because of an editorial that thundered, “A general strike is not an industrial dispute. It is a revolutionary move which can only succeed by destroying the government and subverting the rights and liberties of the people.”
Now an Edinburgh-based charity that helps get those on the margins of society involved in the arts, Theatre Workshop Scotland is delving into this fascinating dispute. Robert has been commissioned to make a film about the Fife mining communities’ experience of the strike. The award-winning director is looking to track down relatives of the strikers, former miners, and involve the Fife community in general.
“It’s going to be set in a fictional town Cardengelly, a name most Fife residents shouldn’t find too hard to unravel but we want to make it as authentic as we can,” he explains.
Robert has been pulling the project together for the last two years, but its roots go back much further than that.
“This is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” he continues. “I’ve always been a big fan of (coal miner and poet) Joe Corrie. Years ago I read his play about the miners’ strike, In Time o’ Strife, and was strongly affected by it.
“I worked for a production company called 7:84, so-called because at that point seven per cent of the population owned 84% of the wealth. We made two plays about the 1984/85 miners’ strike. One of them, Six Men of Dorset, was premiered at the Sheffield Crucible to an audience of striking miners. Newsnight were there to cover the event, and it caused quite a stir.”For more information and to take part in the project call producer Helen Trew or community co-ordinator Fiona Jackson on 01592 826 313, email talkto.tws@hotmail.co.uk or visit www.theatre-workshop.comNow Robert is putting together a film about Fife’s experience of the 1926 strike, one that will have the Kingdom’s community at its heart. His first move was to approach Fife historian Lillian King and Ballingry councillor Willie Clarke, who gave their backing to the project.
Speaking in Kirkcaldy Library where, along with Lillian, he’s poring over boxes of original documents from the time of the strike, he outlines the bones of the project.
“Really, we’re doing it inside out compared to how you would normally put a film together. We’re organising our actors before we’ve got the script written. We want the community to drive this project.”
Robert’s promise is that everyone who wants a role in the film whether behind or in front of the camera will get a chance to be involved. He’s set up two writing groups, one to work on the script and the other to work on background literature and poetry for the Joe Corrie character and groups to look at costumes and artefacts, locations, photography, and music.
The groups will write scenes around the people who come forward and the resources they have. So far, items at their disposal include everything from a train to a pit pony. The project has been financed by Creative Scotland.
“They’re providing two lots of funding,” he explains. “The first part is until the end of March and will enable us to get the project up and running. In order to get the second part, we have to demonstrate that we’ve successfully engaged the community.”
It doesn’t sound like that’s going to be a problem. “At the last count we had 256 people signed up. We’ve been holding weekly get-togethers on Sundays at Bowhill.
“Our first one was just after all the snow had fallen, when stories about the bad weather were all that was on the news. We thought we might get a dozen or so people along, but 85 made their way through the snow to get there. The next week we had 110 people.”
The miners’ strike began as part of the UK-wide General Strike in May 1926. Mine bosses wanted to make the same returns every year, and during times when the coal industry was not performing well they tried to achieve this by taking from their employees.
“In addition to reducing their wages and increasing their working hours, they wanted to take away their right to national negotiations,” explains Lillian. “This meant that each local area’s mining company would be able to set their own wages. Fife was already among the most low-paid areas and had a lack of industrial muscle which meant they couldn’t fight changes in the way other areas could.”
The mining industry attempted their raid on their employees’ earnings in 1925. The Miners’ Federation of Great Britain responded with the combative “not a penny off the pay, not a minute on the day” and the stage was set for confrontation.
Stanley Baldwin’s government waded into the fray, promising a nine-month subsidy to maintain the miners’ wages. “They used the age-old tactic of setting up a committee to look into ‘fair pay’ and kick the issue into the long grass for a while,” Robert explains.
The announcement of the subsidy was announced on “Red Friday” and was seen as a victory for working class solidarity and socialism. In reality it was anything but. The Samuel Commission’s report in 1926 recommended that the government subsidy be withdrawn and miners’ wages reduced by 13.5% to protect the industry’s profits.
“So the miners went on strike,” Robert continues. “But the nine-month delay had allowed the government to stockpile coal and money to see them through the strike and they were able to wait the miners out. It’s the same tactic Thatcher used in 1984 and ’85.”
The General Strike began with railwaymen, engineers, steelworkers, transport workers and others. Thanks to the Government’s careful planning, the Trades Union Congress had a weak hand, and after a mere nine days they called the whole thing off having wrung virtually nothing in the way of concessions from the Government.
The miners pressed on alone for six more months but the odds were stacked against them and in November they accepted the longer hours, lower wages and district wage agreements, and returned to work.
“It’s difficult to overstate how serious it was for the miners,” Lillian says. “Their wages were already extremely low. Most of them were tied to the mining company. Their houses were provided by the company, so by striking they weren’t just risking their jobs, they were risking losing the roofs over their family’s heads.”
So far people from Crosshill, Windygates, Oakley, Valleyfield, Windygates, Glenrothes, Methil and Cowdenbeath are among those who have signed up to be part of the film.
“We’ve got people from five months to 92 years old involved,” says Robert. “The film is going to follow the fortunes of three families throughout the strike. Although each of the families are fictional, their stories are drawn from real events.”
One of the people involved in the strike who Robert is determined will make it into the film is known only as the Grey Seal. “No- one will tell us what his real name was, but he seems to have been quite a character. He became known for sneaking up to the houses of scabs (picket line crossers) at night and taking out their windows with small amounts of explosives.”
Another episode saw thousands of women march to Lochgelly poor house and demand to be let in.
“They were led by a Dixieland jazz band,” Robert says. “A Dixieland jazz band. In Fife. During a strike! It seems quite amazing. They were going through terribly hard times but they still found ways to have fun and bring a bit of lightness into their lives. I don’t want to underplay how hard their ordeal was, but at the same time I’m determined to get some of these moments of humour into the film.”
Currently in pre-production, Robert aims to shoot over the summer, with post-production taking them through to next year.
“We’re aiming at a date of May 2012 for the premiere,” he says. “BBC2 screened the last film I did (the BAFTA-winning Trouble Sleeping) and they’ve sounded positive about this one. It would also be great to have the film screened at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
“I’d love it if all of the people who’ve taken part got to go to the premiere and got to take a bow for their efforts.”
All photos courtesy of www.theatre-workshop.comFor more information and to take part in the project call producer Helen Trew or community co-ordinator Fiona Jackson on 01592 826 313, email talkto.tws@hotmail.co.uk or visit www.theatre-workshop.comThe miners’ strike began as part of the UK-wide General Strike in May 1926. Mine bosses wanted to make the same returns every year, and during times when the coal industry was not performing well they tried to achieve this by taking from their employees.
“In addition to reducing their wages and increasing their working hours, they wanted to take away their right to national negotiations,” explains Lillian. “This meant that each local area’s mining company would be able to set their own wages. Fife was already among the most low-paid areas and had a lack of industrial muscle which meant they couldn’t fight changes in the way other areas could.”
The mining industry attempted their raid on their employees’ earnings in 1925. The Miners’ Federation of Great Britain responded with the combative “not a penny off the pay, not a minute on the day” and the stage was set for confrontation.
Stanley Baldwin’s government waded into the fray, promising a nine-month subsidy to maintain the miners’ wages. “They used the age-old tactic of setting up a committee to look into ‘fair pay’ and kick the issue into the long grass for a while,” Robert explains.
The announcement of the subsidy was announced on “Red Friday” and was seen as a victory for working class solidarity and socialism. In reality it was anything but. The Samuel Commission’s report in 1926 recommended that the government subsidy be withdrawn and miners’ wages reduced by 13.5% to protect the industry’s profits.
“So the miners went on strike,” Robert continues. “But the nine-month delay had allowed the government to stockpile coal and money to see them through the strike and they were able to wait the miners out. It’s the same tactic Thatcher used in 1984 and ’85.”
The General Strike began with railwaymen, engineers, steelworkers, transport workers and others. Thanks to the Government’s careful planning, the Trades Union Congress had a weak hand, and after a mere nine days they called the whole thing off having wrung virtually nothing in the way of concessions from the Government.
The miners pressed on alone for six more months but the odds were stacked against them and in November they accepted the longer hours, lower wages and district wage agreements, and returned to work.
“It’s difficult to overstate how serious it was for the miners,” Lillian says. “Their wages were already extremely low. Most of them were tied to the mining company. Their houses were provided by the company, so by striking they weren’t just risking their jobs, they were risking losing the roofs over their family’s heads.”
So far people from Crosshill, Windygates, Oakley, Valleyfield, Windygates, Glenrothes, Methil and Cowdenbeath are among those who have signed up to be part of the film.
“We’ve got people from five months to 92 years old involved,” says Robert. “The film is going to follow the fortunes of three families throughout the strike. Although each of the families are fictional, their stories are drawn from real events.”
One of the people involved in the strike who Robert is determined will make it into the film is known only as the Grey Seal. “No- one will tell us what his real name was, but he seems to have been quite a character. He became known for sneaking up to the houses of scabs (picket line crossers) at night and taking out their windows with small amounts of explosives.”
Another episode saw thousands of women march to Lochgelly poor house and demand to be let in.
“They were led by a Dixieland jazz band,” Robert says. “A Dixieland jazz band. In Fife. During a strike! It seems quite amazing. They were going through terribly hard times but they still found ways to have fun and bring a bit of lightness into their lives. I don’t want to underplay how hard their ordeal was, but at the same time I’m determined to get some of these moments of humour into the film.”
Currently in pre-production, Robert aims to shoot over the summer, with post-production taking them through to next year.
“We’re aiming at a date of May 2012 for the premiere,” he says. “BBC2 screened the last film I did (the BAFTA-winning Trouble Sleeping) and they’ve sounded positive about this one. It would also be great to have the film screened at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
“I’d love it if all of the people who’ve taken part got to go to the premiere and got to take a bow for their efforts.”
All photos courtesy of www.theatre-workshop.comFor more information and to take part in the project call producer Helen Trew or community co-ordinator Fiona Jackson on 01592 826 313, email talkto.tws@hotmail.co.uk or visit www.theatre-workshop.comThe miners’ strike began as part of the UK-wide General Strike in May 1926. Mine bosses wanted to make the same returns every year, and during times when the coal industry was not performing well they tried to achieve this by taking from their employees.
“In addition to reducing their wages and increasing their working hours, they wanted to take away their right to national negotiations,” explains Lillian. “This meant that each local area’s mining company would be able to set their own wages. Fife was already among the most low-paid areas and had a lack of industrial muscle which meant they couldn’t fight changes in the way other areas could.”
The mining industry attempted their raid on their employees’ earnings in 1925. The Miners’ Federation of Great Britain responded with the combative “not a penny off the pay, not a minute on the day” and the stage was set for confrontation.
Stanley Baldwin’s government waded into the fray, promising a nine-month subsidy to maintain the miners’ wages. “They used the age-old tactic of setting up a committee to look into ‘fair pay’ and kick the issue into the long grass for a while,” Robert explains.
The announcement of the subsidy was announced on “Red Friday” and was seen as a victory for working class solidarity and socialism. In reality it was anything but. The Samuel Commission’s report in 1926 recommended that the government subsidy be withdrawn and miners’ wages reduced by 13.5% to protect the industry’s profits.
“So the miners went on strike,” Robert continues. “But the nine-month delay had allowed the government to stockpile coal and money to see them through the strike and they were able to wait the miners out. It’s the same tactic Thatcher used in 1984 and ’85.”
The General Strike began with railwaymen, engineers, steelworkers, transport workers and others. Thanks to the Government’s careful planning, the Trades Union Congress had a weak hand, and after a mere nine days they called the whole thing off having wrung virtually nothing in the way of concessions from the Government.
The miners pressed on alone for six more months but the odds were stacked against them and in November they accepted the longer hours, lower wages and district wage agreements, and returned to work.
“It’s difficult to overstate how serious it was for the miners,” Lillian says. “Their wages were already extremely low. Most of them were tied to the mining company. Their houses were provided by the company, so by striking they weren’t just risking their jobs, they were risking losing the roofs over their family’s heads.”
So far people from Crosshill, Windygates, Oakley, Valleyfield, Windygates, Glenrothes, Methil and Cowdenbeath are among those who have signed up to be part of the film.
“We’ve got people from five months to 92 years old involved,” says Robert. “The film is going to follow the fortunes of three families throughout the strike. Although each of the families are fictional, their stories are drawn from real events.”
One of the people involved in the strike who Robert is determined will make it into the film is known only as the Grey Seal. “No- one will tell us what his real name was, but he seems to have been quite a character. He became known for sneaking up to the houses of scabs (picket line crossers) at night and taking out their windows with small amounts of explosives.”
Another episode saw thousands of women march to Lochgelly poor house and demand to be let in.
“They were led by a Dixieland jazz band,” Robert says. “A Dixieland jazz band. In Fife. During a strike! It seems quite amazing. They were going through terribly hard times but they still found ways to have fun and bring a bit of lightness into their lives. I don’t want to underplay how hard their ordeal was, but at the same time I’m determined to get some of these moments of humour into the film.”
Currently in pre-production, Robert aims to shoot over the summer, with post-production taking them through to next year.
“We’re aiming at a date of May 2012 for the premiere,” he says. “BBC2 screened the last film I did (the BAFTA-winning Trouble Sleeping) and they’ve sounded positive about this one. It would also be great to have the film screened at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
“I’d love it if all of the people who’ve taken part got to go to the premiere and got to take a bow for their efforts.”
All photos courtesy of www.theatre-workshop.comFor more information and to take part in the project call producer Helen Trew or community co-ordinator Fiona Jackson on 01592 826 313, email talkto.tws@hotmail.co.uk or visit www.theatre-workshop.com