clemo

Does anyone have any information on a play for today film made in the 70s called The price of coal, i have been told it was in 2 parts, 1 about a royal visit and the other about a pit disaster using the same actors, any idea which colliery it was made at and can it still be purchased from anywhere, i have been told the colliery in the film was milton colliery but that was a made up name and not the real colliery name. Being an ex miner i would love to see such a film if its still out there.

Thanks.

dylan

More info here:

The Price of Coal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Play for Today" The Price of Coal: Part 1 (1977)

"Play for Today" The Price of Coal: Part 2 (1977)

You could post a message here about the location of the colliery:

Coal, Colliery and Mining Forum. - Home

I'm an ex-miner too from the NCB East Midlands Division.

D.

clemo

Hi Thanks for that info, have you seen the films yourself?
Thanks for the mining site link.
Have you seen my mining site, YORKSHIRE MAIN COLLIERY | AND OTHER LOCAL MINES

Steve Crook

The films were made with a largely amateur cast but that gives it some additional power in that you don't think it's actors playing a part but is more like a documentary.

The original book, by Barry Hines, is well worth reading and goes into more detail about the true price of coal.

They have been offered for sale on eBay every so often. If they're not on offer at the moment, set up an alert and it'll email you when someone offers a copy

Steve

winsfordtown

It's available on ebid

Search for the price of coal

clemo

Many thanks, just got the two films on ebid for 9.99.
cannot wait to see them.

cheers.

716Jones

Both films are well worth watching, particularly if you're an ex miner. If I remember rightly it was made at Thorpe Hesley Colliery near Rotherham. The disaster in Part Two was based on the Houghton Main Colliery disaster in 1975. That's on your webside, clemo, as well as the colliery open day. I remember both well, Houghton Main was my old pit.

clemo

Thanks for the information, Thorpe hesley colliery is a new one to me, i will have to do some research on that now.
cheers.

ThorpeHesley

I live in and am currently building a website for Thorpe Hesley Village (thorpe-hesley.co.uk). The Colliery was demolished in the late 70's and all that is left is a few building foundations and fenced-off and capped mine shafts. Please feel free to view the gallery at the site and I will be adding more photographs over the coming weeks. I would appreciate any contirbution of photographs, particularly of the production of the Price of Coal and Thorpe's other Claim to fame, Disney's 'Escape from the Dark' (aka 'The Littlest Horse Thieves').

clemo

Hi, I have been put in touch with the man who played the manager on the price of coal, it turns out his daughter works with my wife, he is now in is late 80s.
He is going to send me lots of pictures that where taken during the filming of the price of coal, if I get them as promsed I will pass some on for your site.

cheers.

ThorpeHesley

That would be much appreciated. Thankyou

Carmel

Talking about the price of coal it has went up £3 a bag its now £13 i know its nothing to do with the topic but it has went up so quickly and i have coal fires so it makes it a lot more expensive to heat the house now.does anyone else have coal fires and have noticed the price hike. I have oil heating as well so its costing me double the price now.

Live each day to the full because one day it will be your last.

batman

We don't have central heating but use free standing radiators and coal fires. The average cost of a bag here is £12 at the moment. I hope it doesn't go up again!

Modular

Damn! If only I'd read this thread earlier, I could have advised you that I have both plays on my hard disk at the moment, and would have done you copies for nowt (and saved you from lining another bootlegger's pocket with your ten quid).

winsfordtown

I uploaded them to The Box for the same reason.