This Radio York documentary was made just before the closure of the pit
| The Selby Coalfield Superpit |
 Many miners lost their jobs in the 80sSelby Coalfield is one of the largest deep mining projects in the world.The miners working there in the early 80s thought they’d have a job for life, but now after years of winding down, production is to cease. |
WATCH & LISTEN Listen to the ‘Superpit’ documentaryMORE Coast: Whitby Walk & Coastguard diariesFrom New York to North YorkshireNY climber in the record booksFlying Scotsman – What’s the fuss?NY Artists QuarterSpring galleryMinster FireThe opening of the Selby Coalfield from On This DayIn 2004 BBC Radio York produced a special programme on the Selby Coalfield. This documentary tells the story of the Selby Coalfield through its high’s and lows.From the opening of the so called “superpit” to the miner strikes of the 80’s and now it’s ultimate demise.The programme tells the story of the Selby Coalfield through the Draper family.Listen to the Superpit documentaryPhil Draper has been working as an electrician at Wistow mine for the past 22 years having moved there after the pit closure at Allerton Bywater. Now he faces unemployment again, but this time hes decided to make a more radical move – he’s emigrating to Canada.HISTORYIt took 20 years to plan and put the Selby Coalfield into production. The project included the sinking of 10 shafts and the construction of 124 miles of underground roadways at a cost of £1.3billion. It was a pioneering project of its time and one which attracted miners from all over the region. Ken Capstick, former Vice Chairman of the National Union of Mineworkers was amongst those who migrated to Selby. He started work at Stillingfleet mine in 1982. |
Like most mines Selby was appointed its own industrial chaplain.
Canon Gwynn Richardson was the first person to take up the post.
In the documentary he recalls the local communities scepticism of the coalfield.
Ken Capstick has been in mining all his working life. He’s moved around a number of Yorkshire collieries and ended his career in Stillingfleet as an NUM rep. He played a big part in the miners strikes of 84/85, standing on the picket lines of collieries throughout the country.
And one key player in the Selby womens movement was Anne Richards. She stood alongside her husband on the Selby picket line.
Before the strike Anne described herself as “just an ordinary housewife”. But little did she know that this would be such a turning point in her life.
It was an experience which was to change her life. She says she became politicized through it and went onto get herself an education and now is a regular speaker on the subject.
Brian Wood has worked in mining for more than three decades and hes been a union official for twenty of those years. Hes currently the branch delegate at Wistow Colliery. Like many miners Brian believes the industry should never have been privatized.
THE MINERS STRIKE
The National Coal Board announced it wanted to close 20 pits with the loss of 20,000 jobs. This caused outrage amongst the National Union of Mine Workers and its president Arthur Scargill called for strike action.
It was a move which rocked the industry and has gone down in history as one of Britains most bitter industrial disputes.
It took some miners years to rebuild their lives after the strikes of 84 and 85. A decade later Selby Coalfield was privatized, the news came as the final blow to many miners who saw this as the end of the industry.