The first of five camera rolls in which Ingrid Sinclair from Trade Films joins women from the Wearmouth Miners Wives Support Group as they march from Gateshead to Newcastle protesting against the cutting off by the North-Eastern Electricity Board (NEEB) of power supplies to their homes. Ingrid watches as those taking part prepare for the day before beginning their journey to Newcastle by coach. Ingrid speaks with several women taking part in the march about why they are taking part. In the...

The first of five camera rolls in which Ingrid Sinclair from Trade Films joins women from the Wearmouth Miners Wives Support Group as they march from Gateshead to Newcastle protesting against the cutting off by the North-Eastern Electricity Board (NEEB) of power supplies to their homes. Ingrid watches as those taking part prepare for the day before beginning their journey to Newcastle by coach. Ingrid speaks with several women taking part in the march about why they are taking part. In the entranceway of a hall Ingrid Sinclair speaks with Julie Ross, a miner’s wife, as she prepared a banner for the upcoming march. Around her other people, mainly women, organising for the day. She attaches a poster that reads ‘People not Profit’ to her banner before being asked how the support group is going, she says it is growing quicker than she expected. She is asked where the support for the group was coming from, the public in general she replies, with only a few negative comments with some not wanting to be involved in a political dispute. Julie continues working on banner, another banner reads ‘The Police State’ and ‘Coal Not Dole’. Another woman watches over two small boys while at the back of the room beside a large tray of sandwiches a woman uses a large marker pen to write another poster. Outside a group of women stand chatting, one of them speaks with two men about what will be happening that day. Another woman walks past carrying a small girl. Banners are brought out, one reads ‘Victory to the Miners’. Everyone makes their way into the car park where a Bleanch’s Travel coach is waiting for them, they all climb aboard carefully watching out for the banners. At the back of the group Ingrid speaks with a mother and daughter, one of whom carries a poster that reads ‘No More Money for the Police. Give it to the Miners Families’. The mother is asked about the route of the march which she doesn’t really know and where she is from. Although her accent is clearly not local, she says she is from the Sunderland area and they are marching to the ask the NEEB to stop cutting off families of striking miners. Onboard the coach Julie sits behind the driver next to a bundle of banner. She speaks with someone off camera about the journey. Around her other seated women many with small children. With the coach now on the move Ingrid interviews two women sitting together asking how far they’ve come from and why they are marching today. Both have come from Sunderland and are marching to get the electricity board to become more sympathetic to miner’s families. So far other utility companies (gas and water) have being sympathetic, but as the strike goes on this is likely to change. She is asked what she thinks the strike is about, she replies to its about jobs due to the lack of work in the north-east. She and her friend both believe that Britain is built on coal, and it is the future being safer than nuclear. They are asked where they get their information from. Still at the front of the coach Julie holds open a page from a local newspaper featuring herself in an article about today’s march, everyone cheers. Ingrid speaks with the daughter of the woman interviews earlier asked if she has ever been on a march before, she replies no. Her mother says she’s been on a few. Sitting in front of the mother and daughter another woman who is asked about how she became involved with this group, because her husband in a miner and this is her third strike. She believes in his fight to save his job. She is asked what the support groups do, take care of the children who don’t qualify for free school meals she replies. The support from the men has been ‘smashing’ as is the support from her neighbours who all live in the same mining community. There has been little negativity from people she’s met. On being asked about how the miners have been portrayed in the media, she replies that she ignores it all as it is all one-sided. Another woman comes over asks her why she things the village and local shop keepers are supporting them? She says because they know if the pit closes them they will all go out of business, our fight is their fight as well. She is asked if she has any experiences of villages closing once the pit goes and how has that affected the community. She remembers the three pits at Washington now gone with the men having to travel to Wearmouth for work. With the interviews over the three women who have been interviewed relax and a laugh about the experience over a cigarette