Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Aidan Crawley looks at the state of the British coal mining industry. The coal industry is frequently cited by critics as the prime example of everything that is perceived to be wrong with Britain's nationalised industries. Is there any truth to their claims?
Aidan visits the coalfields, to see how mechanisation is transforming mining. He speaks to Jim Bowman - a former miner who is now the Chairman of the National Coal Board - about how all this mechanisation is being paid for. Will customers have to pay more for their coal in order to fund this major investment in mechanisation? Is there really an epidemic of absenteeism in the profession?
He meets miners working at the 100-year old West Riding colliery - too old for complete modernisation - where absenteeism is high and production is low. What do the workers there think is behind the absenteeism? Do they resent the men who don't turn up for work? How do they feel about the criticism the colliery gets in the press? How has mechanisation changed the job for them? Would they want to see their children follow in their footsteps? How do they feel about the prospect of foreign workers being brought in to work in the mine?
Aidan then looks at miners' accommodation. First he visits an old mining village, where he speaks to a miners' wife about her hopes for the future - she is particularly looking forward the prospect of electrification of her home in the near future. At a modern housing estate for workers at the new Ledston Luck Colliery, the miners' homes are already fitted with running water and electricity, and many have all manner of modern conveniences. How do the women like living in these new homes? Do their husbands ever stay away from work? What do they think about absenteeism?
How about the miners working at Ledston Luck? What do they make of the new colliery?
Clip taken from The Edge of Success, originally broadcast on BBC Television, 23 October, 1956.
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Aidan Crawley looks at the state of the British coal mining industry. The coal industry is frequently cited by critics as the prime example of everything that is perceived to be wrong with Britain's nationalised industries. Is there any truth to their claims?
Aidan visits the coalfields, to see how mechanisation is transforming mining. He speaks to Jim Bowman - a former miner who is now the Chairman of the National Coal Board - about how all this mechanisation is being paid for. Will customers have to pay more for their coal in order to fund this major investment in mechanisation? Is there really an epidemic of absenteeism in the profession?
He meets miners working at the 100-year old West Riding colliery - too old for complete modernisation - where absenteeism is high and production is low. What do the workers there think is behind the absenteeism? Do they resent the men who don't turn up for work? How do they feel about the criticism the colliery gets in the press? How has mechanisation changed the job for them? Would they want to see their children follow in their footsteps? How do they feel about the prospect of foreign workers being brought in to work in the mine?
Aidan then looks at miners' accommodation. First he visits an old mining village, where he speaks to a miners' wife about her hopes for the future - she is particularly looking forward the prospect of electrification of her home in the near future. At a modern housing estate for workers at the new Ledston Luck Colliery, the miners' homes are already fitted with running water and electricity, and many have all manner of modern conveniences. How do the women like living in these new homes? Do their husbands ever stay away from work? What do they think about absenteeism?
How about the miners working at Ledston Luck? What do they make of the new colliery?
Clip taken from The Edge of Success, originally broadcast on BBC Television, 23 October, 1956.
You have now entered the BBC Archive, a time machine that will transport you back to the golden age of TV to educate, entertain and enlighten you with classic clips from the BBC vaults.
Make sure you subscribe so that you never miss a single stop on our amazing journey through the BBC Archive - youtube.com/c/BBCArchive?sub_confirmation=1
You can also dive into plenty more BBC Archive on our website - bbc.co.uk/archive
