Story of 1990s pit closures told in new version of book by Upton author

The story of how thousands of jobs were lost after the Government announced a wave of pit closures in the 1990s is told in an updated version of a book in mining history.
The front coverThe front cover
The front cover

A new edition of Shafted: The Media, the Miners' Strike and the Aftermath includes the events of 1992 which saw more than 30,000 colliery jobs put at risk.

The first version of the book came up in 2009 on the 25th anniversary of the 1984-5 miners' strike against pit closures.

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Author Granville Williams, of Upton, West Yorkshire, said, "So much has happened since then that this is virtually a new book. One new section is on the events after October 1992 when the government said it would close 31 pits with the loss of 31,000 jobs.

"It led to the creation of seven pit camps organised by Women Against Pit Closures."

The front cover of the book uses a painting by the former miner Harry Malkin.

Mr Malkin said: "The painting is really about my father. He was a ripper at Fryston when I was growing up and when I started there he was working his way out, as was the thing with mining.

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"You worked towards the face for the money, then worked out as you got older."

Mr Williams and Mr Malkin will be at a public meeting from 6.30pm at Ackworth Community Library on April 12 to discuss the book.

Tickets are available on the door or by calling 01977 646580.

A further meeting will be held at Wakefield Labour Club, known as the Red Shed, on April 27 from 1pm.