Bristol Miners Support Campaign – 1984-85

The 1984/85 miners strike was arguably the most significant labour dispute in British history. Before the strike began, Arthur Scargill (President of the 200,000 strong National Union of Mineworkers) told his members and anybody else who would listen, that the future of the coal industry, and the people and communities whose futures depended on it were at stake. This was perfectly summarised in the strike slogan COAL NOT DOLE. The Tory Government used a combination of starvation, police brutality and bribes to defeat the strike. Scargill’s predictions all came to pass and the former British coalfield communities are still suffering the consequences.

The strike lasted exactly one year and was sustained by the solidarity of the miners and their own communities, supported by a national and international campaign of solidarity. Across Britain, miners support groups sprang up almost as soon as the strike started. Hundreds of thousands of people contributed money, food and other kinds of support, the best known of which may be Lesbians and Gays
Support the Miners, as celebrated in the film Pride.

This display celebrates the work of Bristol Miners Support Campaign. Throughout the last year, BRHG has sponsored a project to collect and preserve documents and other materials from the campaign. The display shows some of the materials collected to date. The Bristol Miners Support Campaign Archive is still open for further deposits, and during 2025 these will be placed in the Bristol Record Office which is located in the Create Centre at Cumberland Basin.