Wednesday December 14th, 2011.

Because of all the crap going on here in the UK I feel moved to say something on this blog.

Here we are, almost 30 years on from the events described in my blog and what has changed? Absolutely nothing! Cameron is Thatcher’s bastard son, and Corporal Clegg and his pathetic cronies prop him up while he destroys our country! There are millions on the dole and not surprisingly, it’s young people and women who bear the brunt and still they keep cutting  and forcing us to pay while their rich friends get richer. That smarmy git Osbourne really makes me want to smash his smug face in!

What about ‘New Labour’? Well, Tony Bland and Gordon Clown had 13 years to make a real and lasting difference to the people of this country, especially the working class, and all they achieved was to ban fox hunting and fiddle their expenses. Oh yes, and they abolished Clause 4 and any pretence at being socialists. Now we have the laughable ‘Red Ed’ who has all the charisma of a slug, and a smarmy, slimy one at that. He refuses to stand up for those who feel forced to take strike action and even slags them off as good as Toff Cameron and chums. I really do despair because there seems no end to the terrible depression us poor people have to suffer. I know first hand because I’ve been signing on for a year and once a fortnight I get a grilling at the laughably named ‘Jobcentre’ and have to keep a written record of what I’ve done to find work! It makes my blood boil and I long for the day when the whole evil system of capitalism collapses. One thing I do know is that one day strikes will achieve nothing except those lucky enough to have a job losing a days pay. I say ‘lucky’ but I don’t really mean that. Working conditions these days seem to be worse than ever and everyone is scared they will lose their jobs. Of course I could be smug and say that if people had listened to us back in 1984 we might not be in the position we are in now. However, I won’t say that. What I will say is the working class people of this country need to realise that if they don’t take action the Tories will continue to crush them under their jackboots. The gap between rich and poor is greater than it has ever been and I don’t blame the people who chose to riot in August. I think there will be more riots next year because people are angry, and hungry. They can’t lock us all up.

To finish let me have a rant at football players getting more money per week than a lot of us can earn in a lifetime. It is WRONG, and I wish people would boycott matches and force the bastards to sort it out. I can’t take my 10 year old to matches because there is no way I can afford it. I can’t afford £50 and more to go and see a group or singer. What kind of society are we living in that allows all of this to go on. Why can’t people realise they have the POWER to change things? End of rant, for now!

112. Tuesday October 30th, 1984.

Gary and me attended a meeting in Gateshead organised by the NALGO Support Group. It was a very constructive meeting, though we had some tricky questions to answer about Scargill and his alleged visit to Libya, as revealed by the Sunday Times. All we could think of to reply was the fact that because the Tories are trying to starve us back to work then we must have the right to accept money from wherever we can het it from. We also said that the Tories themselves have bought oil and other good from Libya so they were hypocrites. Anyway, we have been promised support and that’s the important thing.

Privately I think Scargill has made a stupid mistake in giving the Tories and their media even more ammunition in their campaign to totally discredit him. He should’ve sent someone who couldn’t be linked to the NUM. That’s what the Tories do.

The situation between Kath and me is growing worse. We can’t even talk to each other and she is still very bitter about losing her job. She blames me for it because of being active and getting arrested. Things can’t go on like this because the strike gives me enough hassle without her adding to it.

70. Saturday July 14th, 1984.

Today should have been the 101st Durham Miners Gala but because of the strike it’s been called a rally instead. I fail to see the logic behind the name change but there you go.

The Westoe contingent, two bus loads, left the Armstrong Hall at 8.45, half an hour late due to another cock up by our Lodge officials. It was pissing down with rain, and on a normal Gala day this wouldn’t have dampened our spirits but 18 weeks into a strike it did. Everyone seemed quiet, though a few of the pickets were in a very optimistic mood due to the dockers having come out on strike earlier this week and they talked enthusiastically about Thatcher not being able to fight on two fronts. Admittedly the dockers have the power to really damage the Tories but the bastards are clever and I can’t see them letting it happen. They’ve come too far and will find any way to compromise, just as they did with the railway workers. I hope I’m wrong, but the TV and the papers are doing all they can to stop a dual front.

The rain was still pouring down when we arrived in Durham and we tramped onto a wet field to get ready for the march. I had brought Jennifer and Sasha along with me and they were just enjoying the whole experience. Kath had refused to come, choosing to go shopping instead. I wasn’t too surprised when it was discovered that the poles for our lodge banner had gone missing, and when they were finally found and fitted, we were almost last in the procession.

There were banners from every coalfield, including Scotland and Wales, and it was a really colourful spectacle. We lined up behind the Cortonwood banner and there were ‘Victory to the Miners’ and ‘Unite to Fight’ placards everywhere. Some people had even turned them into rain hats. The brass bands were playing and we set off to march through the city, down towards the racecourse by the river where the rally was to be held. Jennifer and Sasha’s faces were glowing with pride as crowds of people lined the streets and cheered us on, and I was proud as well, proud to be fighting back against Thatcher and the Tories.

Scargill gave his usual defiant speech, full of passion and anger at those unions not supporting us. Dennis Skinner was excellent, equally full of passion and fire, and one of the few true Socialists in the Labour Party. A low point for me was Betty Heathfield, wife of Peter, General Secretary of the NUM, who was appealing for Women’s Support Groups to come down to London so they could hand a petition to that champion of the working classes, the Queen! I hope no one turns up!

The real moment of magic came when Kneel Kinnock stepped up to the microphone and made most of the crowd disappear, but not before they’d booed him loudly for his traitorous lack of support for miners and their families. The bastard is more concerned about getting Labour elected than he is about his core supporters, and he even had the nerve to criticise violence on the picket lines. I was glad to see people turn their backs on him and walk away, especially as this was the same man who only a year ago had got a standing ovation. Miners at least now see him for the soft reformist he is.

Anyway, despite the rain it was a good day out and the girls enjoyed playing with other kids whose dads were also on strike. I’m glad I took them.