The third of seven camera rolls filmed by Trade Films of the 1984 Durham Rally featuring an announcement made by Betty Heathfield, Chairwoman of the Women Against Pit Closures and the first part of the speech made by Dennis Skinner, MP of Bolsover. On the speaker’s stage at Durham Racecourse, part of the 1984 Durham Miners Rally a compare introduces Betty Heathfield who comes to the podium to a round of applause. She salutes the women and banners in the crowd and announced a Women’s National...

The third of seven camera rolls filmed by Trade Films of the 1984 Durham Rally featuring an announcement made by Betty Heathfield, Chairwoman of the Women Against Pit Closures and the first part of the speech made by Dennis Skinner, MP of Bolsover. On the speaker’s stage at Durham Racecourse, part of the 1984 Durham Miners Rally a compare introduces Betty Heathfield who comes to the podium to a round of applause. She salutes the women and banners in the crowd and announced a Women’s National Rally taking place in London on August 11th. Next to the podium comes Dennis Skinner MP for Bolsover who receives a round of applause from the audience when his name is mentioned by the compare. Dennis comes to the podium and gives a speech on the lead given by the miners in winning the strike to the general attack on the Tory government which he sees as being 'in retreat'. He also compares the strike to the Falklands conflict causing the audience to erupt in applause and agreement. He is also critical of opencast mining as well as the police which he sees as Mrs Thatcher’s private army.