Miners’ Strike should ‘never be forgotten’, says mineworker 40 years on

It never crossed Shaun McLoughlin’s mind that the strike would last for a year when he walked out with thousands of other mineworkers in March 1984.

Mr McLoughlin was 22, had been working in the industry for five years, just got married and done what he had been advised, bought a house with the biggest mortgage he could afford.

When he signed up to work at the pit at the age of 16, following his dad and older brother, he was told it was a “job for life”.

But, even though he was, Kellingley, near , the mood had changed by 1984 to one of fear for the future of every colliery.