'We came away without a victory': South Yorkshire miners 40 years on after year-long strike

It comes as on March 3, 1985, the National Union of Mineworkers voted to end industrial action - a year after it had begun. A wave of pit closures followed and almost all of Britain's deep coal mines were shut within the next 20 years.

The closures paved the way for privatisation of nationalised industries and utilities, including steel, railways, gas, telecoms and water.

Paul Levick, 63, was just 16 years old when he started work as a coal miner. He told GB News: "We voted to strike and we thought he might be on it for a few weeks or something like that.

"Obviously, a year later, we came away without a victory. We just went back and we just had to build up our lives again.

"It's a shame that it's had to come to an end knowing that there's still coal down there to be mined. I mean, Renishaw Park, I don't know if I've heard it right, but there's about 14 years of coal left down there, so that's 14 years of coal just lost."

Mining is in the family with father of Paul Leverick, Gordon Levick, 84, spending 30 years working in the mines, but says he does not regret a moment of it.

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Speaking to GB News, he said: "If they asked me to go back, I'd go back, but well, now it's gone, and, you know, it's a faint memory of sorts, but you do have good memories of who you worked with and whatnot.

"Yeah, it's sad that it's closed, but we have to start another, you know, you can't dwell on it. You have to start to get on with what you've got."

Former miner Alan Kinsey, 72, worked in the pits for 25 years from the age of 16. He told GB News: "Our parents, and our grandparents, it's what people were brought up with, you know.

"I don't think you get that sort of camaraderie now. I mean, I've had a lot of jobs since in foundries, iron ore and gas areas and it's not the same."

With the mines came the miners clubs, and as it stands, there are still at least 230 miners' welfares still operating in England.

In Renishaw, the Miners Welfare is still thriving, and although coal mines eventually closed, the community spirit in former pit towns is here to stay.

Sam Farnsworth is a trustee at Renishaw Miners Welfare. She told GB News: "It was very hard at the time and whilst we've got no mining in the village now, and not for a very long time, we do all we can to keep that community spirit going.

"We recognise the importance of keeping the heritage alive, and we want the younger generation to know where they come from."

Former coalfield communities have on average 57 jobs per 100 working age residents, compared to 73 in 100 nationally, and 88 in 100 in other regional cities.

Last year, reports into former coalfield communities by Sheffield Hallam University showed that even though some growth had been seen, it is at a far slower rate than other areas in the UK.

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