Easington miners appear in Strike an Uncivil War, Netflix

The documentary, titled 'Strike: An Uncivil War' tells the story of before, after, and during the miners strikes and workers' experiences outside a coking plant in Orgreave near Rotherham at the height of the unrest.

Released to coincide with the 40th anniversary of one of the most violent confrontations during the 1984 miners’ strike, director Daniel Gordon’s feature-length documentary revisits events leading to bloodshed on June 18, 1984.

The miners strike in Easington, 1984. Combining previously unseen archive material, government documents and personal testimonies, Strike: An Uncivil War focuses on a clash between striking miners and the police dubbed The Battle of Orgreave.

Following the ugly and shocking scenes, sections of the media appeared to blame the miners for the outrage.

Gordon’s film examines the role of Margaret Thatcher’s government in a dispute that divided working-class communities and saw neighbours standing shoulder to shoulder on the front lines.

During the film, footage was shown of the village of Easington which was overtaken by thousands of police officers.

Helen Wood of the Easington Women's Strike Supporter Group shared her memories of the village being "invaded" 

"I remember we had to pass our village green which was a big area. I had my two sons in the car, and one said 'mam, look at the green, it's black'.

"I looked and it was - it was black by police. We turned the corner, and the street was cordoned off."

The miners strike in Easington, 1984. Later in the film, she spoke about her experience in helping miners who were struggling.

She said: "It was so hard watching people who you love and think so much about getting worse. We then had to become an advice centre as well as a food centre.

"One man, he waited until his wife went to bed and said he was going to kill himself because he couldn't pay the electric bill."

Another North East miner, named Beau, was featured in the documentary and spoke about his time at Orgreave.

He admitted he had "never felt pressure like it" as thousands of workers across the country created a picket outside the plant.

Recommended:

• Easington Colliery marks 30th anniversary of Miners' Strike
• Officer shares experience of Miners' Strike in Easington

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He said: "I went straight to the front - I wanted to be where the action is. I was young and impetuous. I've always believed the working class could rise up against the system.

"This system tried to oppress us and I thought, we could do something about this here. We are united, we are all together."

To watch the full film, click here.