Anna B Posted June 18 Share Posted June 18 Today is the 40 year anniversary of the Battle of Orgreave, arguably the turning point in the Miners' Strike, when the Thatcher government sent the Police in on horseback to break up a peaceful demonstration, which turned into carnage. I'm aware there are several debatable points in that sentence, so what do you think now, with the benefit of hindsight? Have we (and Sheffield) moved on, or have we moved backwards? Were you there? Did it change your opinions? It certainly changed mine. I think that was the time I became aware that we were being spun a line, and all was not as it was being reported in the media. I became interested in politics for the first time and have been ever since. Some people never recovered. It split familes with a rift that still hasn't healed even to this day. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewalk Posted June 18 Share Posted June 18 35 minutes ago, Anna B said: Today is the 40 year anniversary of the Battle of Orgreave, arguably the turning point in the Miners' Strike, when the Thatcher government sent the Police in on horseback to break up a peaceful demonstration, which turned into carnage. I'm aware there are several debatable points in that sentence, so what do you think now, with the benefit of hindsight? Have we (and Sheffield) moved on, or have we moved backwards? Were you there? Did it change your opinions? It certainly changed mine. I think that was the time I became aware that we were being spun a line, and all was not as it was being reported in the media. I became interested in politics for the first time and have been ever since. Some people never recovered. It split familes with a rift that still hasn't healed even to this day. Well I was there on the day but bizarrely didn’t see any trouble I believe it had all kicked off and finished before I got there. As someone from a mining community I was already pretty radicalised. The Thatcher era and the miners strike is already well documented. Your opinion of that era and the miners strike will differ according to your political awareness, class consciousness, and beliefs. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YorkieontheTyne Posted June 18 Share Posted June 18 I was there but not there sort of. I was driving the 221 Swallownest service at sometime after 7:00 ish from Pond St. I received a radio message not to use Orgreave Lane as the police had closed it, and to divert direct to Swal via the A57, missing out a large chunk of the route. Orgreave, Treeton and Aughton to be exact. I stopped at Handsworth top and told the passengers what was happening. A few wanted to be dropped on the now closed section of route, one bloke got quite abusive with me. (If you recall, relations between the public and bus drivers wasn’t great at that time). As we passed the top of Orgreave Lane you could see it was blocked off. My reactions when I saw the news reports on the telly later in the day were of shock and disbelief. The following day the bloke who had gobbed off at me the day before wouldn’t even make eye contact with me! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post geared Posted June 18 Popular Post Share Posted June 18 The police were abit heavy handed, but given the behaviour of striking miners at the time you'd be hard pressed to claim either side as innocent. Total waste of time trying to run an inquiry, far too much time has passed for any kind of meaningful outcome. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geared Posted June 18 Share Posted June 18 Subsequent attempts at prosecution and trials were completely unnecessary, these collapsed as the evidence was rubbish and compensation was paid out. They would have been much better having their dust up, and calling it done at the end of the day. No-one ever accused SYP of competence though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna B Posted June 18 Author Share Posted June 18 I see another thread regarding the possibility of an enquiry into the Miners' strike has been started on Sheffieldforum. Maybe this one could be merged with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewalk Posted June 18 Share Posted June 18 2 hours ago, YorkieontheTyne said: I was there but not there sort of. I was driving the 221 Swallownest service at sometime after 7:00 ish from Pond St. I received a radio message not to use Orgreave Lane as the police had closed it, and to divert direct to Swal via the A57, missing out a large chunk of the route. Orgreave, Treeton and Aughton to be exact. I stopped at Handsworth top and told the passengers what was happening. A few wanted to be dropped on the now closed section of route, one bloke got quite abusive with me. (If you recall, relations between the public and bus drivers wasn’t great at that time). As we passed the top of Orgreave Lane you could see it was blocked off. My reactions when I saw the news reports on the telly later in the day were of shock and disbelief. The following day the bloke who had gobbed off at me the day before wouldn’t even make eye contact with me! If the action was around 7am that explains how and why I missed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ridgewalk Posted June 18 Share Posted June 18 2 hours ago, geared said: The police were abit heavy handed, but given the behaviour of striking miners at the time you'd be hard pressed to claim either side as innocent. Total waste of time trying to run an inquiry, far too much time has passed for any kind of meaningful outcome. Class war wasn’t it ? I was at an event a couple of weeks ago where incidents of the time were described in which the Police had dished out punishment and then received it in good measure. If the police were caught out they were given a good hiding. I’ve no reason to doubt the allegations As you suggest perhaps it might be best left in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YorkieontheTyne Posted June 18 Share Posted June 18 12 minutes ago, Ridgewalk said: If the action was around 7am that explains how and why I missed it. Please understand it was 40 years back. I can’t be completely accurate with the timings. I do recall that each morning that week the 221 service which went down Orgreave Lane and turned left down the hill towards Catcliffe was diverted, in both directions, sometime around or maybe before 8:00. There was a decent article on the BBC News website on Sunday, depicting what went on today, 40 years ago. Titled The Battle of Orgreave: The fight for survival. Remarkably neutral for the BBC. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
butlers Posted June 18 Share Posted June 18 The Orgreave Justice group say there's important news to be released tomorrow . Its currrently embargoed on their site 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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