When British Coal Was King - BBC Mining Part 3

Timeshift explores the lost world of coal mining and the extraordinarily rich social and cultural lives of those who worked in what was once Britain's most important industry. It's a story told through a largely forgotten film archive that movingly documents the final years of coal's heyday from the 1940s to the 1980s. One priceless piece of footage features a ballet performance by tutu-wearing colliers.
Featuring contributions from those who worked underground, those who lived in the pit villages, those who filmed them at work and at play and those - like Billy Elliot writer Lee Hall - who have been inspired by what made coalfield culture so unique.
Narrated by Christopher Eccleston

[@thespeckler1]

An island made of coal and we buy from abroad. This film epitomises why the coal industry was destroyed, to destroy communities, bonds and the spirit of the British nation to usher in the new era of self gratification and selfishness. Good vid mate.

[@gcfcos]

Very true. The amount of coal we still burn every week would have kept many miners and communities in work until at least the last coal fired power station was closed and even after that we could surely have kept one or two pits open for the other coal we use in heritage railways etc. We didn't have to make a profit on it just break even to power our own power stations and to pay OUR men wages, it could have been subsidised by our government for our use

[@kialaitakari9041]

Hello ModifiedMethod! I would like to use a few seconds of this video for Billy Elliot the musical in Finland. Please contact me about the license fees/rights asap. Thank you!

[@raypitts4880]

my drift on this if we use all our coal we have to import last war we had a job to import surely best to import now and have these resources available at home for later

[@andrewh5457]

But do you think any government thinks that far ahead.

[@JROC2112]

My husband didn't know what shopping was? Bet he'd have rather done that than go down a coal mine. Thanks BBC for that one.