The Last Miners

This documentary series captures the experiences of the last deep coal miners in British history. With exclusive access to Kellingley Colliery in North Yorkshire, we travel over 800 meters underground to follow the men of the mine as their careers end and their way of life becomes extinct.
This series was filmed over the last five weeks before the last mine in the UK closed, and all of its 450 workers lost their jobs. Following characters from young to old, miner to management, we see how they survived the end of their proud industry with an uncertain future beyond the pit.
Revealing a hidden world of life at the coalface, the strength of a band of brothers with global pressures pushing them to their limits, this is the first all-access film on modern mining - and the last.
Episode 1
00:00 Documentary following the workers at the last deep coal mine in Britain. As preparations are made to close the mine for good, mechanical breakdowns put the team behind schedule.
Episode 2
55:35 Documentary following the workers at the last deep coal mine in Britain. The machines are switched off for the last time, and emotions are running high as the workers say goodbye.

[@chrisackerley1842]

A well-done documentary. Thank you. You caught my attention and kept it by providing an unbiased look into the lives of men whose gender and social class has rendersed them invisible in the eyes of modern media.

[@user-nj4no9py6p]

Уважение мужчинам.

[@russ6362]

I’m an ex miner and when the pits closed I left to go to Uni. A couple of guys I worked with moved to this pit under private ownership. Being a miner was the best job I’ve ever had due to the comradeship.

[@azambresonia5056]

@russ : direktly went in my mind. "because of the comradeship" Greetings from Hamburg Germany

[@user-gm6lc7py5x]

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Aye it's a sad fact our coal mining industry is all but gone ⚒️

[@BestUserNameUK]

I was a fitter at Agecroft (North Western Region).. Now a mental health nurse.

[@Welato30]

I think these people are heroes because they do the hardest job in the world to take care of their families.

[@-FreeMiner-]

Beat job in world

[@staceyd7986]

Brought a tear to my eye! Many of my ancestors were miners in various Nottinghamshire pits ❤️ hope everyone in this doc is happy and healthy 8 years later!

[@LizzyFerretOfficial]

I remember when this was on the BBC at the time and feeling so sad for this band of brothers, loosing their way of life. I wonder how the chaps got on and where they are now some 8 years later 🤔

[@Kingsgardful]

Great movie...I'm an ex miner in Ruhrgebiet and coal-mining were and is my life❤. Best job and great buddies

[@greglinder286]

Fascinating story but sad in many ways

[@Britcherbrianjr]

Best documentary I think I’ve ever seen. What a relationship these men have. I can’t stop thinking about how damn old you British age though my god. 54 looking 70

[@suebowman7258]

Awesome history/documentary! Thank you!

[@elizabethkent9647]

Fabulous documentary. I loved the commaraderie among the lads. Change sucks!

[@J03Y27]

I wish I had friends this close and a job that rewarding. Happy to see this.

[@rebeccahale4673]

One of the best documentaries I've ever seen....thx.

[@lisacunningham5786]

My dad was a miner from Wigan. He loved that job. So proud to be a miners daughter ❤️

[@BestUserNameUK]

I worked at Agecroft.

[@lisacunningham5786]

@@BestUserNameUK my dad roy was also a fitter at Agecroft 🫶

[@azambresonia5056]

Thank you for sharing. Very interesting. Respect for all those "MEN"

[@vincetoo6870]

I really love the way you guys cover the documents.ill always be your fun❤❤❤

[@FraserCheyne]

I can understand this and I'd love to have been a miner. I've worked with my best mate for 30 years as a chef. It's a friendship beyond normal and if thevwork shut we'd be absolutely lost and devastated

[@Hush505.4]

Amazing

[@nick_ddr]

nice and sad to see sadly, Is al the equipment and machinerie still there?

[@austint7533]

I think they could go to surface mining and get familiar with the job rather quickly but I definitely feel for them. That must fuckin suck.

[@brendanmeadors3099]

Good on ya fellas

[@benchippy8039]

Breaks my heart to see this. All those generations of struggling and toiling, the history of the communities and now it’s all gone in favour of cheaper imports.

[@SOFISINTOWN]

Britain will regret giving up on the coal industry.

[@MisterKatz]

Our planet will regret it if we carry on like this.

[@idhatemet00]

@@MisterKatz tell that to china, vietnam, taiwan, india, etc. i suppose you think recycling is good for the planet too, eh? solar? do you know how much e waste modern electronics produce? why don't you support banning those? oh, because it's inconvenient for you you say? .....

[@byteme9718]

The coal is still there.

[@project182r3]

RIP Sheldon

[@alexandramacleod5610]

has me CRYING BUDDY HUGGING ALOL HIS MATES'

[@chriscars3578]

I am a ex notts miner and I was on strike. It was the best job I ever had till the strike. Then hatted it after the strike working with udm scabs they were getting overtime and we was punished for being on strike. But it came back to bite them when thatcher started closing Notts pits. And Pete is 100% right should have been fighting to keep it open

[@project182r3]

Didn’t come back to bite them though😂 - the Notts lads had the last pits going 😂. In the villages around me when the pits did close in Notts the lads were so wealthy on their packages they’ve all been retired 30 years. Economically the industry was always gonna be closed down by the green sectors of government, the strikers just accelerated the process,and we’re already regretting the day.

[@byteme9718]

All these years later and you still can't see the reality. Just how did striking achieve anything?

[@evangiles4403]

So does England have any open cut mines

[@skitzochik]

Miners in the States always gripe about it being the WORST JOB they've ever had and they're all mean grumpy fuckers. So it was endearing to see this group of fellas who loved their jobs and they love each other too.

[@markbeale7390]

? DId kellingley have a pipe band?

[@ostritch5519]

Sheldon will be swinging from rafters 😂 good northern humour in hard times

[@alexandramacleod5610]

tough Men CRYING SHOWING THEIR loVE 4 EACH OTHER,

[@gymrat9072]

I wonder what they’re wages where.

[@popsasylumbukkshitshamen3583]

I personally think the coal mines should continue for now.

[@scotabot7826]

Four Million Dollars in coal is only several 100 car unit train loads. It's a good doc, I just hate it when the show tries to pump in extra, and unwarranted drama.

[@michaelwadsworth8595]

Sheldon griffiths ever do any manual work ..??

[@carrot5610]

I moved out to Australia once I graduated as a mining engineer, I would have loved to have been able to work in the UK instead but theres just not enough mines and theres better prospects out here..

[@Bgo909]

There’s no mistaking who real men are, it’s these guys! Imagine all the noise, dust, and danger. No way in hell I could be down there. But I will say one thing, my chewing tobacco is far from effeminate! And I’ve never washed another man’s back either. U big puff.

[@joelmonkley6177]

When was this doco made. are all the pits closed i know they open cast mine coal in the uk

[@user-ml4gf5eq5i]

❤❤❤

[@user-qu5gi7ls5m]

👍

[@Zuraimaruj]

❤

[@swynty5767]

Closing the coal to buy power from Russia made from coal

[@Geoplanetjane]

Really? What about wind machines?

[@sicks6six]

haha, wind produces next to nothing, and when it's not windy it produces nothing, could you only use your washing machine when it is windy, remember you can't store electricity, you have to make it when it is needed, UK coal was the cheapest deep-mined coal in the world but we buy electricity from Russia made from Russian coal, do you know why, its about removing power for the working classes and nothing else, it actually costs the UK more to import than to mine its own coal@@Geoplanetjane

[@joecummings1260]

​@@Geoplanetjanethose things put out very little power, the capacity Factor sucks

[@lownsbrough22]

The power station which this pit use to supply the coal too is now burning biomass (wood chips) but the whole process off getting the stuff there from USA/Canada and burning it is actually more worse for the environment than the coal use to be 🤷‍♂️ bonkers

[@Jurornumber5]

Them UK boys enjoying those showers entirely too much. 🚿I hope the cameraman got a bonus for having to go in there that day, or every day. Then again, he's probably British and enjoyed himself.

[@project182r3]

Your mums enjoyed lots of UK boys

[@alexandramacleod5610]

U had to have Big BALLS to even consider being a Miner let alone B 1.

[@dgod62]

decent hardworking people cast aside and thrown out with rubbish. not right, really felt for them.

[@gradyrm237]

I'm confused and American. Union workers are well paid here. I believe these guys are too? 65 years old and needing a job? Help me understnd.

[@ShermanT.Potter]

50:58, then she needs to get off her arse and work. This is the modern age with modern household appliances. Unless you homeschool or have 5+ kids, both parents should work.

[@michaelwadsworth8595]

Sheldond were a deputy whos never done a manual days work in his life ffs ..man hes a joke

[@stigsimo]

loosing jobs, but the owners earns millions

[@mnpd3]

Damn, how long do the Brits have to work before they retire? How do you lose a job after 35 or even 45 years only to have to look for another one?

[@ceciliahayward2239]

Currently state pension starts at 66, will soon rise to 67 then 68, for men and women. You can,t live on state pension so many of us carry on as long as we can. Its currently difficult to make a decent living doing manuel work, not sure about mining though, i work in agriculture.

[@idhatemet00]

sheldon could've retired, some people prefer to keep busy as to not shrivel up and die by 65. he looked older but in this film they said he was 50 or so

[@michaelmccormack2460]

Go for a tree change immigrate to Australia heaps of minds around Chin up think positive

[@stevent9179]

Suicide of the West ☠

[@iiadamastam]

من فضلكم ترجمو لنا الصوت باللغة العربية العريقة

[@falloutprojekt]

English is easy language

[@mirlan7571]

Can l translate it into Maya's language? Please.

[@rizzao_br]

Please, translate sound in portuguese

[@noahingram8052]

Por ya ma geez

[@ciararespect4296]

Northern soul is such an oxymoron 😂

[@roaddog6201]

Still a miner 😂 we have plenty mines left I do real mining tho coal is for dumb miners

[@Wayne55231]

wtf are you on about?

[@roaddog6201]

@janomacky6292 there are plenty of mines left to go to. Idk what this is going on o the last miners going to pack up their bags and the trade is lost. Lol it happens all the time after the mine you like shuts down. You are known as a tramp miner they are the ones who go from town to town looking for a place to call home. The difference between hard rock miners "real miners" and coal miners/salt miners, is we use explosives. They use a continuous mining machine. Then you have surface miners who well they stay up top for a reason.

[@BruselskySluzebnik]

Is this a place where Jimmy Savile started his career?

[@577buttfan]

No coal miners no America