40th Anniversary of the Miners strike 

This year , 2024 marks the 40th anniversary of the miners strike which took place from 1984 -1985. Miners have always had hard lives but in Victorian times they had no right to strike. Even in the most difficult conditions they had to 'like it or lump it' as the saying goes.

In Victorian England, mines were dark and dangerous places. These deep holes, dug into the earth were important during the industrial revolution, to produce precious things such as coal and metal. But the conditions in these mines were very, very bad.

Imagine being a worker, a miner, in those times. You'd have to go down into the deep, dark tunnels, sometimes crawling through narrow spaces. It was dusty, dirty, and often very hot. The air was thick with coal dust, making it hard to breathe. And there were dangers everywhere - like cave-ins, where the ground could collapse on you, or explosions from gases trapped underground.

People worked long hours in these terrible conditions, and they were paid very little. They had no rights, no say in how things were run, and no one to speak up for them.

But then something important happened. Miners started to come together and form groups called unions. These unions were like big teams of miners who joined forces to fight for better conditions and fair treatment. They wanted safer mines, shorter hours, and more pay for their hard work.

It wasn't easy, but these brave miners stood up for themselves and fought for their rights. And little by little, things started to change for the better. Thanks to their efforts, miners began to work in safer conditions, with fairer pay, and more respect. The mining unions were the start of a big change that helped lots of people live better lives. Read all about it in the new edition of Children of the Mine now available for pre order.