I first moved to a Nottinghamshire ‘ex-mining village’ fifteen years ago, where the proud mining heritage remains an inherent part of the community.
However, it was only when researching this book that I discovered the ongoing impact of the national miners’ strike in 1984–5. During the strike, whole towns and villages were split into strikers and the ‘scabs’ who crossed the picket line.
For some, this divide has never been bridged, and they still avoid certain pubs or shops because ‘that’s where the scabs went’. At the time, people travelled miles to avoid meeting someone from the ‘wrong side’ in the supermarket.
Those who went on strike weren’t entitled to benefits. Many relied on handouts. Others were reduced to burning shoes in an attempt to heat their houses once all the furniture had gone. Tensions often ran high on the picket lines, resulting in violence and destruction of property. Across the country, 20,000 were injured or taken to hospital, three men died and over 11,000 were arrested.
While the village of Ferrington and all that happened there is a work of fiction, it was inspired by the true story of a mining village in Nottinghamshire that is divided in two by a river. Here, one side went on strike while the other side remained working. In recent years, an award-winning community orchard was established to help bring local people together in creating a place of beauty and peace that will help heal the wounds of the past.