STRIKE! The village that fought back (BBC2, Thursday) is the story of the Polmaise miners, the first to go on strike and the last to return to work, in the miners’ strike of 1984. This documentary includes interviews with the former miners, who recall what ended up being the most violent industrial conflict in British history. They had no idea of this when they first made the decision to strike, in response to the National Coal Board’s plan to close the pit. Long-term strike action led to immense hardship for the miners and their families; but it was more than just a point of principle which prompted the pickets: it was about the future survival of their way of life.
The footage of the wider protest during the strikes contains ugly scenes of violence between the police and the strikers, resembling a civil war rather than industrial strife. The strikers were vilified by Margaret Thatcher, who called them “the enemy within”; but the impression given in the programme is of decent, hard-working men, who wanted only to protect their livelihoods and their community.
They appeared to have won when the Coal Board reversed its decision to close the pit; but it was a temporary reprieve. Polmaise Colliery closed for good in 1987, leaving in its wake massive unemployment and an end to life as the locals had known it. This is a moving piece of social history, which is worth remembering.
Steven McRae: Dancing back to the light (BBC2, Friday) is the story of the principal ballet dancer Steven McRae and his battle to return to fitness after a horrific Achilles-tendon injury threatened to end his career. MacRae, a real-life Billy Elliot (albeit Australian), exemplifies the kind of courage, stamina, and fortitude that extraordinary athletes seem to possess in abundance.
Displaying the mental and physical strength that helped him to achieve principal-dancer status at the Royal Ballet, this biopic is further proof that ballet dancers are a different breed of human. McRae’s contortions and stretches are incredible, as well as eye-watering. Also, note for the squeamish: there are a couple of graphic surgical shots of his Achilles repair which made me wince and reach for a cushion. This is a beautifully shot and sensitive portrayal of a hugely talented artist.
And finally, for those of us who know how to party on Friday nights: Gardeners’ World (BBC2, Fridays) has returned with spring content, to mark the beginning of the gardening year. Monty Don is back, with support from Adam Frost, Frances Tophill, and others — but, most importantly, from Ned the golden retriever. Let the mulching commence.