Packing Up and Moving Out
First transmitted in 1967, two mining families make the decision to move from Northumberland to Nottingham.
First transmitted in 1967, two mining families make the decision to move from Northumberland to Nottingham.Bevercotes Colliery in Nottingham is one of the most modern in Europe, and the National Coal Board wants to recruit its workforce from pits that are due for closure in the North East. One of the communities affected is Ashington, a traditionally close-knit mining village with its roots in the 19th Century that is home to generations of mining families. How will life compare for those uprooted to the brash new housing estates of the Nottinghamshire coalfields?
Last on
Did You Know?
One of the deepest mines in Britain, Bevercotes Colliery opened just a few years before this programme was filmed and remained a working mine for three decades until its closure in 1993. It is now the site of a nature reserve managed by the Forestry Commission.
Many miners from the North East made the same choice as Alan Norman, inspiring pit poet Jock Purdon's song Farewell to 'Cotia: 'But leave your picks behind you / You'll not need them again / Off you go to Nottingham / To join Robin's Merry Men.'
About Archive Programmes
Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Reporter | Jim Douglas Henry |
| Participant | John Kirkup |
| Participant | Alan Norman |
| Participant | Shirley Norman |
| Producer | Julian Jacottet |
| Series Editor | Bill Morton |
| Series Editor | Desmond Wilcox |
Broadcast
- Wed 20 Dec 1967 20:35
Featured in...
![]()
Coal Mining in Britain
The story of mining, from the coal face to the strike.
Coal Mining in Britain Collection
This programme is available online as part of the Coal Mining in Britain Collection
