National Coal Strike battle buses

47 years of bus photography

National Coal Strike battle buses - 1984

1st May 2005

The confrontation between the British Government and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) led by Arthur Scragill still brings bitter memories for those that were involved more than 20 years after the action.
Margaret Thatcher split the union. The Nottingham mineworkers formed their own union and continued to work - for the time being.
But to get to work they had to run the gauntlet of the Yorkshire and South Wales mineworkers. They turned out in force to stop what they saw as

Alexander Midland MPE107 (UMS 117J), a 1970 Leyland Leopard PSU3.3R with Alexander Y-type C49F bodywork 640x414 109.1486C_470.jpg 1985-03-04 00:00:00	Cheshire Police OMB 80V, sporting a Lex Tillotson 0605 body and plenty of protective wire 640x405 072.121C_470.jpg 1985-03-04 00:00:00	East Midland C 95 (SVO 95L) and C 96 (SVO 96L) were Bristol RELH6G/ECW DP47F 640x421 svo_95___96L.jpg 1985-03-04 00:00:00	East Midlands C 3 (NNN 3M) 640x405 109.1485C_470.jpg 1985-03-04 00:00:00
East Midlands C2 (NNN 2M) 640x405 109.1484C_470.jpg 1985-03-04 00:00:00	GYK 472J, a former Samuelsons Leyland Leopard PSU3B.4RT/Plaxton Elite C51F of 1971 vintage, AMS 514K (ex Alexander Midland MPE 114) and GYK 473J, another of the former Samuelsons battle buses 640x411 109.1759C_470.jpg 1985-03-04 00:00:00	Trent 346 (SJA 346J), a former North Western Bristol RELL6L with Marshall B49F bodywork 640x414 052.691C_470.jpg 1985-03-04 00:00:00