129. Friday December 14th, 1984.

Last night I went to the London Records Christmas Party and got totally and utterly pissed! I probably made a complete fool of myself. I do remember having a heated row with a Radio One DJ about the strike and calling him an arsehole, and leering at Bananarama (must’ve been really pissed!) I found a straw boater on the floor this morning and I vaguely recall someone telling me it belonged to Elton John, though I’m certain he wasn’t there last night.Perhaps I can raffle it to raise funds for the kitchen?

I caught the train to newcastle from Kings Cross, ticket paid fpr by Chris. My welcome home was a huge improvement on the last time, and I’m beginning to hope we can sort out our problems.

We went out together tonight and spent most of it talking about the future and when the strike ends. I told Kath it’ll go on for a long time yet because we’ve come too far to give in now. At least Kath and the girls are living much better without me because they’re getting proper support from the DHSS, such as it is. Anyway, lets see what the new year has in store.

119. Friday November 16th, 1984.

I have spent the week visiting colleges and factories from Kilburn to Croydon but the best meeting happened this morning at the Central Middlesex Hospital, near Neasden. I had been invited to speak by the NALGO shop stewards and my audience was a group of female office workers who I was warned were very hostile towards the strike. They stopped work and listened to me for about ten minutes as I told them about my own experience of the strike, and how I saw picket line violence, about being jailed and banned off picket lines, and how I was trying to collect funds for the kitchen. I told them how the families of striking miners got next to nothing off the state, and single miners got nothing at all. They fired all the usual questions at me, i.e why should taxpayers keep uneconomic pits open. I asked them how much they thought the electricity bills would go up if we end up relying on foreign coal? I felt really good when we’d finished, with them agreeing to pay a weekly levy to the Westoe kitchen. Not only that but a woman who had asked the hardest questions gave me a fiver from her purse. This has shown me yet again that even the most hardened of critics can have their views changed by hearing our side of the story.

The Redskins have gone on tour but Chris has let me stay until he gets back. Kath hasn’t returned my calls so I guess our marriage really is over. Can’t take it in somehow. Unreal.

Bloody hell!! Just had a phonecall telling me 30 scabs have gone into Westoe, straight through the picket line in a ‘battlebus’, all silvered windows and steel mesh. I can’t believe it, though they reckon most of them are from affiliated unions, not the NUM. How do they know? As far as I’m concerned its the union officials at Westoe who are responsible for this because they did nothing to encourage men to get on the picket line, even after the disgraceful attack on the community by the pigs. We must get to these passive men somehow because if we don’t, 30 will soon turn into 300!

I did a paper sale at Dollis Hill tube and was shown the site of Grunwicks. It’s a pity we can’t get the same support! Sold 5 papers and got almost £10 in a bucket collection.

118. Monday November 12th, 1984.

Today is Jennifer’s 12th birthday and it’s the first one I’ve not been there for her. I spoke to her on the phone and promised to bring her a present when I get home, but its not the same and I felt really depressed today. Sorry sweetheart, I really am!

Chris took me along to his record company, London records, so that the bands press officer, Eugene Manzi, could put together a press release about ‘The Tube’. It was a novel experience for me and I was surprised they could get a photo off tv to use with it. Best of all, I was allowed to help myself to as many records as I could carry. I got a pile of old Rolling Stones stuff, and some records I thought the girls might like, The Fine Young Cannibals and others. I think Chris was a bit embarrassed as we left with me struggling to carry my booty. It was excellent!

This afternoon a London comrade took me to a DHSS office in Harrow and the workers there have agreed to support the soup kitchen, which is brilliant.

Norman Willis, the new fat bastard in charge of the TUC, spoke at a miners rally in Wales and had the bloody nerve to condemn picket line violence! What planet are these people on? The miners responded by booing loudly until some enterprising lads lowered a noose in front of him. They should’ve lynched the fat bastard! I thought Len Murray was a disgrace but this bugger makes him seem militant.

The NCB have offered a £650 Christmas bonus to anyone who scabs before November ends. Bastards!

117. Friday November 9th, 1984.

What a great experience, and a very controversial one! I arrived at the and was given an ‘artistes’ badge for security by Adrian Collins, the Redskins manager. I was really, really nervous, and rehearsed my speech in the toilets to try and get it word perfect. I kept a low profile as the studio began to fill up with the audience. I was really surprised at how small it is because on the telly it looks huge. I watched the Alarm and Billy Bragg before joining the band for their bit. I had to satand at the back between the drums and the brass section, clutching a tambourine for the first song, ‘Hold On’, then came out for my bit after being introduced by Chris.

I was literally shaking with fear as the song closed and the lights went off briefly as Nick played the drum intro. Chris spoke into his mike and introduced me by saying,’On extra percussion, tambourine, and on strike for 35 weeks, a Durham miner’, at which point I stepped forward to the mike. I can’t honestly remember speaking, I only noticed the audience applauding loudly when I’d finished. Then I walked to the back of the stage as Chris sang the song, ‘Keep On Keepin’ On’.

As soon as the band finished we all headed backstage to the ‘green room’ to recover. It wasn’t green but Martin told me that’s what they called the place where you get free drinks and within seconds I’d downed a pint of lager. Billy bragg came over and said no one heard a word of my speech. I was really disappointed because all that worry and nerves had been for nothing. I got a triple Southern Comfort with ice but was called outside to see Jools Holland and he said if I’d told them what I was going to do they would’ve made sure I was heard. A load of bollocks! Loads of people spoke to me and expressed their support for the strike, including The Tube’s press officer, who wanted to know what I’d said so I told them.

‘There’s been six miners killed in this strike, five miners on life support machines, three miners with fractured skulls, over 2,500 serious injuries and more than 7,500 arrests. we’re told we’re out on a limb, we’re on our own, and that no one supports us, yet hundreds of thousands of pounds have been collected for us by ordinary working class people – miners support groups have sprung up all over the country, in towns, factories, offices and colleges. They’re supporting us – you should be supporting them!!’

 

Anyway, I got pissed on free booze, met the stars and enjoyed the rest of the show.

I travelled down to London in the van with the roadies and am now comfortably settled on Chris’s settee in his flat in Willesden Green. At Cortonwood there has been an invasion of over 1,000 pigs to get one scab into work. Anyone who can try to justify that needs their head looking at! Majority rules and the majority are still on strike, ballot or no fuckin’ ballot. That’s a fact.

116. Thursday November 8th, 1984.

I spent the morning helping out in the kitchen, then headed off up to Newcastle to meet the Redskins in the Tyne Tees Television studios in City Road. I watched the band rehearse, then we got together to plan what I should say tomorrow. Chris reckons it’ll only take 20 to 30 seconds for them to work out what is happening so we worked out exactly what I could say in that time. I was thrilled to meet Rik Mayall because I loved ‘The Young Ones’ but I was a bit disappointed that he talks quite posh and is not like his character. Daft I suppose but there you go.

This evening we went for a lovely Chinese meal in Newcastle and I got to know Martin and Nick better, and Adrian, the bands manager. Chris said that I’m welcome to spend some time at his flat in London after I told him Kath and me have split up. I think that’s what I’ll do because it will get me away from Kath, and I can perhaps do some fundraising when I’m there. Xmas is only a month away and we need to give the kids a good time if we can. I really enjoyed myself tonight.

I spent the night on Paul McGarr’s couch in Newcastle.

115. Tuesday November 6th, 1984.

I really enjoyed the Redskins gig tonight at the Bunker Club, a miners benefit, and the band were brilliant. They played with passion and the lyrics were excellent. I loved the music as well, great brass section. My favourite was ‘Keep On Keepin’ On’ because I can really relate to the line, ‘I’m not down but I’m feeling low’. Kind of sums me up just now. Mind you, I did feel a little out of place amongst the fashionable Sunderland crowd.

Afterwards Chris told me the band are appearing live on TV on Friday, on the ‘Tube’ and asked me if I would make a brief appearance. I didn’t need to be asked twice and I’m visiting them for rehearsals on Thursday in Newcastle. I’m excited.

114. Monday November 5th, 1984.

Well, the strain has finally caught up with Kath and she has suggested that we split up. I didn’t argue because home life has become unbearable and it was starting to affect the girls. We’ve agreed that a seperation will be best for all of us and I’ll leave as soon as I can find somewhere to live. 12 years down the pan! Thank you Thatcher! Perhaps when the strike is finally over we can get back together, though I doubt it because there is no way I am ever going back down the pit again. I’ve been saying it for months, win or lose, and I can’t really see Kath wanting to be with me when I’m unemployed. Que sera sera.

Chris Moore phoned to say the Redskins are playing the Bunker club in Sunderland tomorrow night and has invited me and Kath along. Kath doesn’t want to go so I’ll go on my own. I need something to cheer me up.

Kinnock has refused to attend a series of planned rallies. Just proves where his true loyalties lie, and it aint with us miners!

The Delegate Conference has voted unanimously to continue the strike, which is heartening in the light of concerted efforts by the NCB to bribe men back to work. The bastards are trying hard to get NUM funds but they aren’t finding it easy. Let’s hope it stays that way.

92. Tuesday September 11th, 1984.

We got up early this morning to travel down to Easington, a two bus journey via Sunderland, so Chris and me had loads of time to talk.

We had a brilliant time in Easington. First of all we visited Tommy Ashurst in his house. God, poor Tommy has suffered and lives in a threadbare house. He’s a single miner and gets no help other than the support he gets from the local community yet he’s as active and militant as he was on day one. He told Chris about how the village was totally surrounded by riot police when the scab went back, and how the pigs insulted and abused the local people. Shocking, and something I hope we never experience at Westoe. The visit renewed my faith in the strike and made me realise how lucky I am in comparison to Tommy.

At the soup kitchen we met the most inspirational woman I have ever met, Heather Woods, one of the women behind SEAM (Save Easington Area Mines). She actually has nothing to do with mining, her husband is a plumber, but as she says, it’s her community and she will fight for it to survive. Heather helps to run ‘The Miner’s Kitchen’ and they are serving 500 to 600 meals a day and doing a fantastic job. We need something like this at Westoe because it really brings people together.

Chris went to Wearmouth picket on his own this afternoon because it was too risky for me to be making an appearance. He told me the picket was sold out by Lodge officials and Bob Clay, left wing Labour MP and ex – revolutionary. Apparently over 300 pickets took the pigs completely by surprise and some of the men barricaded the front entrance whilst others started to rip up the barrier around the car park. They had the opportunity to occupy the whole pit and get at the scabs but that bloody stupid rumour about police horses and riot police started again, and Bob Clay appealed to the pickets to leave, saying,’We’ve achieved what we came to do’, and he was supported by the officials! Chris is disgusted, as are most of the other militants I’ve spoken to on the phone. It was a wasted opportunity to stop the scabbing and send out a message to all those other bastards sitting on their arses at home thinking of joining them.

Chris has left for Yorkshire, and I really hope he finds them a lot more organised than we are in Durham.

Kath is on a real downer and keeps going on about losing her job. I’ve told her we’ll cope if she does but it hasn’t made any bloody difference.

91. Monday September 10th, 1984.

We woke up early and I took Chris down to the Westoe picket line and introduced him to some of the lads. No one tried to go in so still 100% solid.

We went around to Gary’s house near the pit and had tea and toast. Chris interviewed Gary, but only after politely telling me to shut up because I was answering all the questions. We also visited Dave Farham who lives just down the road, and Chris made sure I didn’t interrupt by doing his interview in the kitchen whilst I looked after Leah, Dave’s baby daughter.

This evening I took Chris down to the ‘Shack’ in Boldon Colliery. The pit shut down years ago and the land is now used to stockpile coal, thousands of tons of it. We tried to find some striking miners but were unsuccessful, not surprising really as buying food is more important than buying beer. Chris did manage to talk to two old men who remembered 1926 but their memories were mostly about the poverty in those days. One of them did mention a scab who had died in the 60′s and no one came to his funeral bar the vicar! That’s what’ll happen to anyone who has the gall to scab at Westoe!

We visited John McIvor, who had been really active at the start of the strike but then had just stopped coming. He seemed the perfect person to start oour policy of getting more men out on the picket line but when he told us he’d just spent £300 buying a dog I had grave doubts. However, he sounded keen and promised to come to Wearmouth tomorrow so we’ll see, The picket there has been set for 2pm, so perhaps something has been organised.

Chris and me were talking for ages before I left him to get some sleep. Early star tomorrow. I like his music because it’s all political, no love songs.

90. Sunday September 9th, 1984.

I had intended staying at home today with Kath but we had a blazing row so I went to Doncaster for an SWP miners meeting instead. I’m glad I did because it gave us the opportunity to discuss how the strike is going in our respective areas. There was general agreement that the strike is now firmly on the defensive, with all of us mainly concerned with stopping scabs breaking the strike. To ensure this we need to get more men out onto the picket lines, and as Ian Mitchell from Silverwood told us from his own experience, the way to do that is to ‘go on the knocker’ and visit every striking miner we can to argue why they should be active. At the very least it could prevent men from scabbing, which will be important if we are to go on the offensive in the winter.

There was also agreement that there is a big danger of the new talks between MacGregor and Scargill leading to a sell out, and further demoralisation if they break down,which seems inevitable because the NUM has nothing to bargain with. We haven’t got the bastards by the balls, nowhere near it.

The importance of us selling Socialist Worker was stressed again because that is how pickets can be kept informed of exactly what is happening in the strike. We must always try to sell the paper on picket lines, inminers welfares and strike centrex because it’s vital we are identified with the paper. That’s how we get our ideas across and we can have important arguments at the same time. At Westoe, Gary, Ian, John, Keith and myself have built a good reputation as active militanys and we need to continue being identified with the SWP and put forward constructive suggestions at union meetings. The first one is to get a list of addresses and use all the men banned from picketing to go out and visit men who are not active and try to persuade them to join us.

When I got home I had a phonecall asking me to meet the journalist at the bus stop near our house and I set off in the dark, expecting to meet some hippie type with long hair and flares because I used to read the NME regularly up until a few years ago and that’s how I imagined he would look. I was shocked when a tall skinhead with a red Harrington jacket, jeans and red boxing boots loomed out of the darkness. He introduced himself as Chris Moore and we walked back to my house. I was relieved to hear he’s an SWP member and not in the National Front, as I’d always irrationally thought about skinheads.

We sat up talking about the strike and about music. He’s in a band himself called ‘The Redskins’, whom I’ve never heard of, but he’s brought me a record and a tape of their stuff which I’ll listen to tomorrow.