Mining Review (1954)

This film is included as part of 'King Coal', a major exploration of Britain's coal mining industry as seen on film, launching September 2009. Further details at http://www.bfi.org.uk/coal.html

The coalmining industry was one of the biggest employers in the UK, and the cinemagazine 'Mining Review' was shown in half the cinemas in the country - and not just in mining areas.

This edition is a window into working-class life in the 1950s. A young family moves into a new house in the Midlands, one of thousands built for miners; the 16-year-old Coal Queen is crowned at Tamworth Gala; coal cutting and lifting equipment is in use at Plean Colliery, Scotland. And stealing the show, eight husky miners from the West Riding Colliery, resplendent in tutus, perform Delibes' 'Coppélia' for charity at Normanton Central Town Club. (Ros Cranston)

You can watch over 1000 other complete films and TV programmes from the BFI National Archive free of charge in the Mediatheque at BFI Southbank, London and at the new QUAD centre for art and film in Derby -
http://www.bfi.org.uk/mediatheque
http://www.derbyquad.co.uk/bfi-mediatheque

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• BFI
• NCB
• coal
• mining
• miners
• housing
• Yorkshire
• Plean
• Stirling
• Scotland
• Tamworth
• Atherstone
• Warwickshire
• west
• midlands
• ballet
• dancing
• crossdressing
• drag
• babies
• sports

[faenor]

Shame Thatcher came along in the 80s and craped on the once respected miners

[vanshma]

Oh, bfi films, you have entertained me with your classic footage once again.

[MrJackthebiscuit]

No doubt this estate is riddled with crime has a serious drug problem and most of the tenants are on benefits - well let's hope not eh!

[agaichapter25]

@MrJanesaddiction ...What Thatcher did to the mining industry was madness and will cost our country dearly in future years...desperately we need to get the mining industry back up and running again to ensure that we have power in yrs to come which we control and not be held to ransom by other countries who currently supply inferior fossil fuel.No one can forsee the future but we need our independence back and fast.Her actions will prove to be total economic suicide.

[hifi44sdad]

Wow ...West Riding Colliery. Altofts West Yorkshire , I rembember it from my childhood and even some of the faces and names mentioned in the film

[grandslam1998]

@goldkhw  well said

[farr64]

fantastic condition for the year ....

[goldkhw]

God. What a horrible job. Poor guys digging under the ground. I'm sure the announcer has never been near a mine or even touched a lump of coal. (except, perhaps, in his Christmas stocking?)

[tvfilmglamdirector]

About 10 years later the Aberfan disaster, I remember the morning after the head teacher of my primary school telling us the news.

[hwntwww]

My "Uncle" Albert left South Wales to work at the Bedworth colliery. He lived in a house like this, much nicer than the grey S Wales valley town he left. I visited him in Bedworth last in 1972

[bulgebaby]

Thanks for a fascinating glimpse of our coal industry and for releasing these films