Yorkshire's Flying Pickets in the 1984–85 Miners' Strike

Based on the Diary of Silverwood Miner Bruce Wilson

Brian Elliott

• Publisher: Wharncliffe Books
• Year: 2004
• Print ISBN: 9781903425510
• eBook ISBN: 9781783409556
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: British History
• Index: History

Bruce Wilson's diary is an honest and action-packed account of what life was like for five young men on picket duty during the longest and most bitter industrial dispute in modern times: the 1984-85 miners' strike. Bruce and, younger brother Bob, along with mates Shaun, Darren and 'Captain' Bob crammed themselves into an old car or 'battlebus' and, despite police barriers and blockades, journeyed into Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and elsewhere in order to express their views and support their union in a country which they thought was free. We are able to experience at first-hand and day by day events, which were often frightening, occasionally humorous but never dull; and also gain insight into major conflicts at Orgreave, Brodsworth, Rossington and Maltby as well as at locations further afield. Towards the end of the strike our flying pickets found themselves on home ground, demonstrating at Silverwood and nearby collieries, including Cortonwood where many observers consider the great strike began. Any former striking miner will find the book compulsive reading and despite the passage of twenty years the journey will seem like yesterday. But there is a great deal for us all to appreciate from this remarkably frank and moving testimony.

III

Bloody Orgreave

JUNE 1984

‘Shortly after the first push the long shields parted and out rode 14 mounted police straight into the pickets. As they did so police beat on their shields with truncheons creating a wall of noise which was meant to intimidate and frighten. It was more than simply a noise, it was a declaration that we were facing an army, an army which had declared war on us’ : Bernard Jackson, Wath Main picket, The Battle for Orgreave

‘In a movie I would have thrown down my helmet and shield, stripped off my police tunic and walked away over the horizon … But this was real life, and, for better or worse, there was no escaping it. It’s hard to have ideals in the heat of battle. That … was the tragedy for everyone who was there who had any connection whatsoever to a mining community’ : Mac McLoughlin, from The English Civil War Part II. Personal Accounts of the 1984 – 85 Miners’ Strike by Jeremy Deller

Police charge a group of young pickets at Orgreave, 18 June 1984. Note the cavalry in the background. P J Arkell/News Line

EDITOR’S SUMMARY

By 1 June the number of miners arrested exceeded 3,000. Bruce and his small team managed to avoid the roadblocks – and, somewhat remarkably, arrest, despite increasingly frequent police encounters. Nottinghamshire pits continued to be the priority for the early morning excursions, with a ‘fall back’ to the Orgreave coking plant as a secondary instruction. After a morning at Welbeck on 6 June Bruce describes an assault against a convoy of Orgreave coke lorries, when spiked potatoes and home-made smoke bombs were used. There was no prospect of a settlement to the dispute, talks between the NCB and NUM breaking down after a few days on 13 June. Tragedy struck again two days later when Joe Green was killed by a lorry when picketing outside Ferrybridge Power Station.

The greatest confrontation between pickets and police took place at Orgreave on Monday, 18 June, the one hundredth day of the strike. A mass assembly of miners from all NUM areas had gathered, faced by a formidable army of police deployed from many counties. The pickets were strategically herded into a field near the plant where they were able to be flanked by the police on all sides bar the south where the Sheffield-Worksop railway formed a barrier. Good humour prevailed to begin with, some of the pickets playing football, but the tension increased along with the build up of pickets and police forces, commanded by Assistant Chief Constable Tony Clement. A cordon of long-shielded police were placed in front of the police ‘troops’. The usual ‘push’ forward by the pickets took place when the convoy of lorries arrived. The most dramatic scenes took place when the long-shielded police parted, creating a gap for their mounted colleagues to charge through. Police short-shield squads and police dogs were also used to pursue and disperse the relatively disorganised miners. Some pickets fled in the direction of the railway, having to scramble down the embankment and across the rails whilst others made for the railway bridge. Eventually the miners were forced into the village where charges and stone throwing continued through the streets. Further ‘cavalry’ charges dispersed the remaining pickets, though some did try to counter this by building barricades. Bruce and his crew managed to escape arrest or injury and he was able to describe aspects of the Orgreave events at first-hand, an experience he likened to a scene from the film, Spartacus. Bruce recognised himself on the evening television news footage which included several sequences shown out of order, therefore favouring the police’s actions on the day. Jeremy Deller’s remarkable re-enactment, staged by Artangel and Event Plan in 2001, was a recreation of most of the actual events, resulting in a film directed by Mike Figgis for Channel 4 television.

Recovering from the Orgreave battle, Bruce and his team continued their picketing of Nottinghamshire pits, a light-hearted and unforgettable moment taking place on the 26th when ‘Captain’ Bob gained a soaking and lost his cap in a stream, a situation that made him a worthy recipient of the Deed of the Day medal.

THE DIARY

Friday, 1 June

Orders for today – Calverton, Nottinghamshire. Nearly got there but was pressed for time and had to get back to Orgreave. We slowed down a bit today. When the lorries went out we decided not to join the big push and the chanting etc which may have been a good job since several of the lads were injured, one suffering a fractured skull. It was much quieter in the afternoon. We were lucky today not to get injured.

‘Opposite forces’ assemble and face each other in the large field opposite the Orgreave coking plant where the miners had been placed by the police, on a warm morning, 18 June 1984. Arthur Wakefield

Many pickets were forced to scramble down the railway embankment at Orgreave to escape from police charges which included the use of Alsation dogs. This remarkable and historic scene was captured on film by Arthur Wakefield, the veteran South Kirkby picket, 18 June 1984. Arthur Wakefield

Realistic scenes from the 2001 re-enactment of the Battle of Orgreave. Brian Elliott

Saturday, 2 June

Set off for Orgreave but found out that the lorries were not turning out today, or on Sunday. Went home early.

Monday, 4 June

Babbington pit, Notts, then fall back to Orgreave. Set off down the M1 and called at Tibshelf services. At the back there is a little country road, all of the pickets know about it but so do the police. As we got through about a hundred police came towards us, they had just arrived to seal the road but we managed to get to the pit. It was fairly quiet but we had a little push when a lamp post went over and one bobby was hurt. Several others went down an embankment. Made our way to Orgreave but it was quiet today which was how we liked it anyway.

Tuesday, 5 June

Cotgrave pit, Notts. Set off about 9.30 am for the afters shift. Police must have known our destination. All the roads were blocked. Those lads that set off earlier than us got through. Back to Baggin for some snap, then to Orgreave but it was quiet again today.

Wednesday, 6 June

Big day today. Orders were for Welbeck Colliery, then fall back to Orgreave, 4 am start. We planned to ambush a convoy of coke lorries. The previous night, Shaun, Daz, Captain Bob, our kid Bob and myself – and a few lads from Treeton – had a scrounge around. We found old tins of paint and potatoes; and also made some smoke bombs. We poured the paint in bread bags and spiked the spuds. I overlaid, woke up with the clock in my hand at 8 am! Got up, picked the lads up and set off direct to Orgreave. Missed the first convoy. Climbed up to the top of our favourite embankment, overlooking the road that came off the Parkway. Checked our stash of ‘ammunition’, hidden in some bushes. We waited until they came again which happened about 11.30 am, after only 20 minutes. As the convoy came off the Parkway they had to slow down due to a bend in the road. We were in the trees at the top of an embankment, ready for action. We really gave it to them, and their police fucking escort, who were on motorbikes. One of our lads got carried away and fell down the steep embankment. When we ran out of ammunition there was always a few bricks and stones to throw. Some of the police on bikes tried driving up the embankment – one of them toppled over and nearly fell on top of its rider. It was hit and run today. Daz was overtaken by a truncheon following a skirmish with a fallen policeman. We got away as fast as we could, into the village and mingling with the locals. Made our way back to the front line at Orgreave, bottom end. Hadn’t been there long when the police charged. One picket who was just sat on a wall was knocked off and broke his arm. As I was running away I overtook Jack Taylor, the Yorkshire NUM President. I said to him ‘Come on Jack, they are not taking prisoners today!’ The lorries had been more or less stopped under our missile barrage, drivers ducked beneath their steering wheels. When we reached the car we made a point of driving down the Parkway to have a look at the scene of the ‘ambush’. The police vehicles, including their transits, had tried to drive up and over the embankment, you could see all the track marks on the grass. We shared the medal today!

Thursday, 7 June

Orgreave again, 7.30 am. Had a little push and there was some ‘Zulu’ but fairly quiet today.

Friday, 8 June

Went for a drink tonight in the Titanic WMC at Rawmarsh and got talking to ‘Chick’ (Stuart) Traquair, a Manvers Main miner. He wanted to come picketing, like a lot of others, especially the older end and was incensed as to what he had seen on television, pickets being badly treated by the police. I informed Chick that new recruits would be always welcome.

Sat/Sun 9 – 10 June

Wife and kids coming home from visiting her mother in London. Her grandad gave her £100. Didn’t go out, though some lads did go to Scunthorpe in the afternoon.

Monday, 11 June

Welbeck Colliery, Notts. Set off at 4am but didn’t get through. Turned back to Worksop and was followed out of Notts by a police car. Fell back to Cresswell. One little push but very quiet, so made our way home.

Tuesday, 12 June

No Orgreave. Mansfield Colliery this morning. Set off at 10am. Got through OK. At Pleasley there is a little alleyway at the back of some terraced houses. Used this route now many times. Driving down the alley where they hang their washing etc, arrived about 11.30 am. Weather dull and heavy. A fair turn out for South Notts, about 500 of us, although a lot didn’t get through. Some of the scabs smile at you as they are escorted in to the pit. We were a full team: myself, Bob Wilson, Bob Taylor, Shaun Bisby and Darren Goulty.

Police asking a local (Harworth) householder if they can have permission to stand in her garden, 13 June 1984.

Police at Harworth move quickly to block a snicket that Bruce and his crew had ‘sneaked through’. 13 June 1984.

A line of police ‘guard’ the lower entrance at Harworth colliery and a police dog patrol van moves towards the pit, 13 June 1984.

Wednesday, 13 June

Harworth Colliery, Notts. Weather dull and humid. Set off at 10.am Got about a mile and a half from the pit and then had to walk. About 1,000 to 1,500 pickets were there. We had two little pushes. I took some photos. Right bastards the police – one minute they are talking nice to you and the next they pull a picket from the crowd. They did this twice. Didn’t like that. Brian Lonsdale started picketing today (underground locomotive driver from Silverwood Colliery). HM’s police today came from:

Worcester
Thames
Nottinghamshire
and Hampshire

Friday, 15 June

Set off this morning for Cadley Hill, NCB South Midlands area. £10 petrol money. Got throug...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Dedication
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Foreword
• Introduction
• Setting the Scene
• Picket Profiles
• I - Forming my Crew and Mobilising the Battlebus
• II - Nottinghamshire and Orgreave
• III - Bloody Orgreave
• IV - Pits, Power Stations and a Police Cell in Scunthorpe
• V - Fighting the Drift Back to Work
• VI - Battling at Silverwood
• VII - Cavalry Charges and Riot Squads at Brodsworth and Rossington
• VIII - A Bleak Midwinter and a Not So Happy Christmas
• IX - Snowmen at Cortonwood
• X - Return to Work and Redundancy and the Last Shift
• Appendices
• Index