91Èȱ¬

As the miners and their families celebrate Christmas, desperation is setting in. South Wales NUM leaders are seeing some of their members close to cracking up, and they fear the union will collapse if the drift back to work continues across the British coalfields.

They are now barely on speaking terms with their national president, and they begin to manoeuvre behind the scenes to get an organised return to work. They have the moral authority to do that – even in mid-February, 97% of South Wales miners are still on strike. Nowhere else comes close, not even Yorkshire. George Rees, South Wales NUM secretary said later that some of the other smaller English coalfields who still advocated staying out "were willing to fight to the last drop of South Wales' blood". But some of the South Wales women who have put so much into the NUM’s struggle want to carry on and are furious at the leadership for what they see as caving in.

The men go back after voting on a motion proposed by South Wales in early March. Across the coalfield, it’s a bittersweet moment, which is marked in many communities with bands playing and flags flying. In their heart of hearts they know they are beaten, but having fought the good fight means something to many of them.

Meanwhile, Secretary of State Peter Walker urges his Conservative cabinet colleagues not to gloat, a plea which falls on deaf ears in some quarters. Prime
Minister Thatcher gets a frosty response from South Wales Police to her invitation to a drinks party to celebrate the end of the strike. And Coal Board South Wales boss Philip Weekes is in a dark mood about the future of the industry.

Presenter: Jonny Owen
Series Producer: Clare Hudson
Executive Producer: Steve Austins
Assistant Producer: Ffion Clarke
Development Producer: Branwen Davies
Sound Designer: Meic Parry
Sound Editor: Adam Whalley
Composer: Richard Llewellyn
Series Consultant: Dr Ben Curtis

Strike is a Bengo Media Production for 91Èȱ¬ Sounds