Durham Coal Miners BBC Documentary

Originally broadcast 12 January 1972
This film depicts various scenes, interviews and references to the Durham coal mines and lives of the miners and their families/ communities including Wearmouth Colliery, Sunderland.
Norman Dennis - Presenter
George Bestford - Contributor
Edward Cowen - Contributor
Gertrude Robson - Contributor
Lady Helen Walsh - Contributor
It features two of my relatives, hence why I am sharing it for my family to enjoy.
This film is shared for educational and historical reference - I do not own the rights and also if anyone has a relative interviewed in the film and would like me to remove this film/ edit them out, please leave a comment below.
Thank You

[@ianshaw2321]

My grandfather was deputy at South Hetton and served in WW1. Hero to me.

[@andrewh5457]

Hero to us all.

[@garethwailes163]

Coming from generations of Durham miners, this was a very interesting take on the state of play. What was particularly telling was the difference between the quiet, considered and intelligent comments from the miners and their families and the cretinous Lady Walsh, mouthpiece of the Londonderry's, and her take on the great depression of the 1930's.

[@jankent5677]

I thought the same thing. She was totally nonchalant about the people around her, looked/sounded totally foolish and ignorant.

[@marystratford1312]

@@jankent5677 yeah and i was staggered with the comment that the Londonderry's were considered a reasonable employer by Durham miners- That's certainly not in keeping with what I have heard and read about them .

[@lauraelsymusic]

9:45 was my great great grandfather Alderman Ned Cowen, he was an author, fought for the rights of minors, has a street named after him near the Angel of the North (Cowen Gardens) and even a local hero’s plaque on the swing bridge. I’m very proud of all he achieved and as someone interested in genealogy it’s amazing that I can watch a video of an ancestor quite far back!

[@christhomson5377]

I have a short book he wrote "Of mining life and aall it's ways".

[@michaelroxby3937]

Hi Laura, was your dad Mark?

[@lauraelsymusic]

@@michaelroxby3937 Hi Michael, yes he was ❤️are you a relation?

[@michaelroxby3937]

@@lauraelsymusic no relation. I was a friend from Cresswell. X

[@lauraelsymusic]

@@michaelroxby3937 Ah lovely! My dad had the best care at Cresswell ❤️

[@ianbaker8225]

My mother's dad and 5 brother's were all all Durham miner's (Palmer family) in,i think,the West Auckland pit and lived in Gurney Valley. Does anyone know if it still exists? As a child they would tell me stories of life in the pit and my Grand da would speak in "Pitmatic". Tough people doing tough work in tough times. Respect to all those that worked underground.

[@jankent5677]

My Dad lived in Stanley, worked down the coalmines when he was a young boy, along with his brothers and Granddad. It was a dreadfully harsh existence. All of them died from cancer, black lung, from working down there. Anyone watching know the name Spinks?

[@keithmaddison6877]

Aye I am originally from Stanley family still up their me da and brother in law were miners but the younger generation all but forgot our past and they wouldn't know about the great Stanley mine disaster shame that you get people in county Durham voting Tory we should never forget

[@craigcullen28]

What a life for these lot

[@AbandonEarth911]

Workers of all lands unite.

[@janesmith9024]

I looked for my relatives but didn't see anyone. My ancestor's brother when he died in 1891 at the pit had a huge Roman Catholic funeral. The coffin was carried through the village shoulder high. The Framwellgate Moor Brass Band played with the Framwellgate Moor colliery banner going first in the procession. The Band played the dead march in Saul ( kzbin.info/www/bejne/aobFZ6h8hdWenaM ) from the village to the cemetery. About 400 people attended the funeral to pay their last respects, the road from Framwellgate Moor to the cemetery being lined with spectators. He was about 32 and left the 2 of his children who were still alive by then (and the 4th child who was on the way). RIP

[@lulusmith4877]

Aww so tragic about the young lad getting killed on his first day down the pit Wonder what happened to his poor widowed mother May he rest in peace. Poor lad. ❤❤❤❤

[@joradford7211]

Wonderful Video - would be nice to know names of people in this video. There must be relatives of these people in the video watching it - myself included.

[@Amber-md8ut]

Wonder if any of my relatives were in this video. All I know was my grandad was a miner in Durham, and not much else about him.

[@stimpgimpson1206]

Aye, mine was too.

[@grahamrobson5954]

great video, it would be great to find out what year this was filmed, any names? location?

[@JIMBAINBRIDGE]

Originally broadcast 12 January 1972 This film depicts various scenes, interviews and references to the Durham coal mines and lives of the miners and their families/ communities including Wearmouth Colliery, Sunderland.

[@bassman1ism]

It must have been a hard life for Londonderry,poor buggers

[@garethmoore8007]

Londonderry what you talking about

[@llortbkwardsbmudtunc]

Bearpark😉

[@JonathanLeech-bo2vo]

oh wow - don't know what to say

[@MaxandKalisAdventures]

my family member j evans ,welsh man ,just been told this info

[@lauraelsymusic]

G

[@lauraelsymusic]

H

[@benchippy8039]

Nothing but respect for all the men of heavy industry who helped build this country. Apologies for what we’ve allowed to happen to it! Somehow, with all the technology and advances in efficiency and speed, us working men are still living pay check to pay check. With the tools and methods I have I can produce 3x the amount of work my counterparts would of yet I can’t afford my own house and in the end my wife had to start working part time yet the parasite class are richer than they’ve ever been in history. I’m no socialist and I’ve nothing against a productive businessman becoming filthy rich off his own back but there’s something seriously wrong with today’s society

[@MrSoldierperson]

First broadcasted in 1972, and no color? Why is it in black and white?

[@satyakisil9711]

Broadcasted does not mean recorded.

[@MrHarryHewitt1983]

Colour film was expensive and in 72 most people still only had black and white tellys anyway.

[@wordforever117]

County Durham is black and white in real life!

[@MrSoldierperson]

@@wordforever117 lmao

[@wordforever117]

@@MrSoldierperson I was being a bit harsh. I love County Durham. It is not black or white...it is entirely shale red which is a glorious sight.

[@mehcol]

the woke people will say there are full of white privilege but these people gave a land for these people to live here and the right to complain about white privilege. Mind numbingly mad. God Bless.