During the strike, there were many different ways to control the work place. In September 1935, miners at Nine Mile Point colliery in the village of Cwmfelinfach tried to stop the blacklegs from working. They would go to work but at the end of the shift they would not move. This was then called a ‘stay-down strike.’ Workers from Parc and Dare colliery heard about what the workers in Nine Mile Point and then decided to join in with the strike. So did the men at Fernhill Colliery. The Stay-Down lasted 200 hours (8 and half days.). But the men who stayed down for this time suffered permanent damage to their eyes. But they represented the courage of the community.
But with courage, there was also bitterness in the community’s. Friends who had been friends for years became enemies. The wives of the husbands who were part of the strike would not sing with the wives of the husbands who were scabs. They felt that the whole community should stick together.
Usefulness and reliability of source B6
B6 is the most reliable because it is a picture taken at that time of all of this. The other sources could just be opinions but this picture shows worker coming from the Stay-Down covered in dirt. The picture is taken when the worker has come out the mine. So the ‘stay-Down’ did occur. The picture shows the courage of the man who has just spent 8 and half days in the mine. In those 8 and half days, he is covered in black soot but his wife still recognises him or he recognised her. But one of the other sources suggests that the men suffered from permanent eye damage. So the wife should’ve recognised her husband even though he was covered in soot just like the other men. There is only one couple shown in this picture. The other females are not shown. The community are looking at the wife and husband with their baby. The picture shows the strength of the community but it doesn’t show the bad things of the community. They are all looking in amazement but they don’t show any worry. This might be because they are not worried about anything apart from what they believe in. the only person who looks upset in the picture is the wife of the man who was in the Stay-Down. But this is something that can happen when you are away from someone you love for a long period of time.
The man is holding the baby and putting his arm around his wife showing that he still has his strength and his family are still together. The people in the back show the whole community together and the husband with his wife with their child shows they are all working together as a family. The picture shows the community as a family working together.
The effects of the depression years on coalminers and their families
The effect of the depression on miners and their families was shocking. Miners who had not been working for months or even years had a very hard time. Their children had a limited amount of money to spend on with clothes. Men who were unemployed could only afford a thin jersey for their son to wear to school with. The boy had no other clothes, not even a shirt or a vest. The thin jersey would not protect him from the cold air.
The miner’s daughter’s shoes were something that was not worth thinking about. The shoes would’ve been all ripped apart with holes in the soles. But the clothes the girls would wear would not be just hers. The clothes she wore to school were not even clothes. What the girl wore to cover herself on the way to school would be a cloak. This would have to last until the father of the family would get paid, but without working, his daughter and wife would have to share the cloak. So when the daughter came home from school, she would then have to give the cloak to her mother so she would be able to go out.
The families with employed workers would be able to live a lavish lifestyle compared to the families who had a low income.
In 1930 it was revealed that Wales supplied the even counties, which headed the list for the England and Wales TB; there were also many other diseases including diphtheria. Diphtheria is a bacterial infection caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae (C. diphtheriae), transmitted from person to person through close physical and respiratory contact. It can cause infection of the throat, which may lead to obstruction of the breathing and then death. Like other respiratory infections, transmission is increased in over-crowded and poor socio-economic conditions. In temperate climates, prior to vaccination, respiratory diphtheria commonly affected pre-school and school age children, and deaths occurred from exotoxin-induced damage to other organs such as the heart. Large epidemics occurred in Europe during and after the Second World War, with an estimated one million cases and 50,000 deaths in 1943. Nasal diphtheria may be mild and chronic carriage of the organism frequently occurs; asymptomatic infections are common. A cutaneous form of diphtheria is common in tropical countries, and may be important in transmission. Recently, large epidemics have occurred in Russia and the Newly Independent States.
There was also a disease called scarlet fever. In scarlet fever, a skin rash appears on a child who has an infection caused by streptococci bacteria. The infection usually
takes the form of a strep throat infection, which is a skin infection that can be caused by streptococci. Or more rarely, as impetigo, (skin infection caused by bacteria)
The rash of scarlet fever usually begins like bad sunburn with tiny bumps (papules), and it may itch. The rash usually appears first on the neck and face, often leaving a clear unaffected area around the mouth. It spreads to the chest and back, then to the rest of the body. In body creases, especially around the underarms and elbows, the rash forms classic red streaks called Pastia's lines. Areas of rash usually blanch (turn white) when you press on them. By the sixth day of a strep infection the rash usually fades, but the affected skin may begin to peel.
Rash is the most striking symptom of scarlet fever, and there are usually other symptoms that help to confirm the diagnosis. Scarlet fever often begins with a reddened sore throat, a fever above 101degrees Fahrenheit (38.3 degrees Celsius), and swollen glands in the neck. The affected child looks ill. The tonsils and back of the throat may be covered with a whitish coating, or appear red, swollen, and dotted with whitish or yellowish specks of pus. Early in the infection, the tongue may have a whitish or yellowish coating (a "furred" or "strawberry" tongue), but later in the infection it may turn red, and its surface may begin to peel.
Children with strep throat infections also commonly have: chills, body aches, and loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. When, rarely, scarlet fever occurs as a result of impetigo there are areas of infected skin along with the rash, rather than a sore throat.
Many people thought malnutrition was the cause of these diseases. Many people were not getting what they needed to eat because of the lack of food supplies.
Usefulness and reliability of source C7
C7 is seems to be the most reliable as it is from a newspaper. The newspaper was written in February 1936. This was the lowest year ever for coal exports for quite some time. The coal export went from 19,109 in 1935 to 16,366. There were only 16,366 coal exports so we know that the search for coal was more needed. The source reports of the deaths and the accidents for the search for coal. The newspaper reports the tips and the outcrop levels were reaping an increasingly heavier toll of life and limb. The people in the area were horrified to hear about the death of a man who went on a search for coal. This was not the only person to die on the Tylorstown tip; many other young men had died there. It was also known as ‘Death Tip.’
The source is very good because it is from a newspaper from the time. It also gives information on what men did to look for coal. The coal would then be to keep their children warm. All these men would be the unemployed. The ones who were on strike and had very little to live on. By 1936, many families must have been desperate for things like coal and food. The food given to them at the beginning of the strike would now have run out. If they got the coal themselves they wouldn’t need to pay for it. Many men died according to the newspaper. They had been horribly mutilated and killed on the Tylorstown tip. It was a scene of many tragic deaths.
Were the depression years bad for everyone in the south Wales coalfield?
Many writers do not agree that the depression years were bad for everyone. Those who were on strike could’ve done other work rather than not do anything. If they were on strike and not doing any work, what were they doing? They must have had some sort of income to live on during the strike with the coalfield. There was also the problem of a hollow-eyes nation in permanent procession to the soup kitchen. If the soup kitchen was the main source for everyone, wouldn’t it of run out sooner rather than later.
In the 1030’s there were new consumer items. E.g. a gas water boiler for washing and an electric fire. These items would not of been bought by families with no income. Another item was a vacuum cleaner. It was advertised from a welsh newspaper. The cheapest was £2 2s 0d. This would be just over amount of money spent by an employed miner with a wife and 2 kids. So the people who had no income would not buy this. So if there were a large amount of people unemployed, the prices would not be that high or not advertised until the depression was over. So the depression could not of been that bad for everyone if a newspaper is advertising something that would be too expensive for everyone to buy.
If the depression were so bad, the parents of children would not be able to go to school without clothes or shoes. Many schools opened in the inter-war years. School life improved during the war times so why didn’t the income of miners become better? Or why weren’t there other things to do? There must have been other jobs for the unemployed to do besides work in the mines.
In America there was the first ever-silent movie in 1902. But in 1926 there was a film with sound called the ‘Talkies.’ Millions of people in Britain went to see the film. Millions went every week to the pictures to watch different films. Due to everyone going to the cinema, there was a demand in more cinemas. In 1934m there were 4305 cinema in Britain alone and by 1938 another 667 were built-in every town had several cinemas and even small villages had cinemas. Most people went twice a week to the cinema; some even went 3 times a week. The cinema then made enormous profits. So the people who worked in the mines could’ve got jobs in the cinemas. If so many across the U.K were bring built why was there so much unemployment. If people went twice or three times a week, there needed people to work in the cinema to put the film on. The people, who went to the cinema several times a week, must have had some income to go to the cinema. Families with no income would only dream to go to the cinema more than once a month let alone two or three times a week. If the rate of unemployment was so high why was everyone in the cinema and not looking for a job? To go to the cinema cost money, so when you are unemployed and no regular income it would be almost impossible for you to go to the cinema.
When families had radios, they would all sit around the radio and listen to the football games. They would all dream about winning money in the football pools. But if they were betting money on the games, where did they get the money from if they were unemployed?
Not everyone was unemployed; some lucky families would have someone working as a miner. At first they were paid 50p when they started to work in the mines. These families would be able to afford and bathroom unlike the men who were unemployed who had to take a bath in a tin bath in front of the fire. The unemployed would not take holidays once a year unlike the miners who could afford holidays. The people with jobs could go to the cinema and to the snooker hall. In the snooker hall there would always be unemployed men. The men at the snooker hall would be playing snooker so they would have some money on them. If you were unable to go to the cinema or even the snooker hall, you would meet someone and go for a walk. A special treat was a visit to the market in Pontypridd.
Not everyone had a telephone and communication wasn’t that good. The only way of communication was the radio or the newspaper. There would also be newsreels for people to watch about the latest news. Many people with money or without accept life the way it was.
Usefulness and reliability of source D4
D4 seems to be the most useful and reliable source. It gives statistics of the amount of people going to the cinema in the U.K. this source gives the total number of cinemas opened around the U.K, this means that the owners of the new built cinemas would need people to work for them. With the opening of 4305 cinemas opened in 1934 the unemployment list must of cut down by a great deal if there were this many cinemas opening. The cinemas would give the miners who were on strike something to do. This would then result in them having money for their families to live on. So even the small villages in south Wales had cinemas.
With the opening of the cinemas and the crowd of people going to the cinema, there must have been some type of income for the people who were going to watch the films. The source tells you about how many times people went to watch films but this could not be true for all people. Some people might not of gone to the cinema because they had no money. But if they had no money or a job, what were they doing?
The cinemas started to make a large profit, so this must have created more jobs for other people, as the cinemas would need more help.
The source explains about how many people went to the cinema and how much money the cinema made. It also even says that every town or village had a cinema; this would then imply that the majority of people had some type of income. But the source does not say which people went to the cinemas. It does not say anything about the people who had jobs and who didn’t. It is likely that after you have read this source, you think that the majority of people had some type of income and not everyone struggled in the depression years, as there were other jobs to do.
Conclusion
How difficult was life for Welsh miner and their families during the inter-war years?
After read the sources from the booklet I find it very hard to believe that every Welsh miners struggled during the inter-war times. This is because families would all have a radio to listen to. They would all sit down around it and listen to the news. The radio would be very expensive and not all families would be able to afford one, but the widely held of people had one.
In source C1, the Price of Wales talks about a family who would need to share their clothes and how little they had. The mother would have to share her clothes with her daughter and the son of the family only had 1 thin shirt. This seems to be false information because the next source is of a boy who looks as if he has more than one shirt. He if fully dressed and it looks as if he has a thick jumper, just like the other children around him. The picture of the boy standing with a smile indicates he is not unhappy. There is also a little girl in the picture who has clothes that fit her, not her mother. All of the children have shoes on, so they could afford to repair them or buy new ones. After the miners went on strike, most of them would do odd jobs around the house, e.g. fix the shoes. The picture was taken in the 1930’s, so the strike must have been on, so where did the miners get money for clothes for their children to wear. They wouldn’t get enough charity money to completely cloth their children. They would only be given small amounts of food, and probably by the 1930’s, the food was very short. When the food started to run out from the soup kitchen, most men would then realise that they would need a job and then look elsewhere. They couldn’t afford to do nothing, they needed some income for their family and according to the picture is C2, all of the children are well clothed and don’t seem too miserable. The school children were also very lucky as the education became much better. The amount of money spent on primary schools rose by 44 percent. More schools were opening him. In-between 1919 and 1938, 37 new schools had opened. Over 30 percent of children rose to go to school. There was no doubt that the education for the children did improve. The children were not badly affected as they seemed to be clothed and the education seemed to become better.
The miner’s wages were cut down in 1926. If they didn’t accept the cut, they would then be locked out the mines. This would then resolve the miners going on strike. When the miners first went on strike, it was hard for them because they would only get food from the soup kitchen. But this was enough to last them. But eventually the food started to run out and the miners must of realised it was not going to last. The mine owners started to employ the unemployed people so they could have jobs. So if you were on strike, your neighbour was unemployed when you were employed could just take your job. This would make it very hard for the neighbour as the union wanted to stick together. This would cause problems, as the miner working would then need to be escorted to work by the police. These miners would be able to afford a holiday for their family once a year unlike the unemployed miners. They would also afford a bathroom, not a bucket to have a bath in.
When the cinemas opened up, many people would go and watch films. There were so many people going to the cinema, more cinemas needed to be opened. This proves that many people went to the cinema. So the people who regularly went to the cinema had some sort of income. So the miners who were unemployed must have had a job. If they could cloth their children and go to the cinema, why did it seem so bad for the unemployed?
I find the source about the radios and other household items very useful. This is because it was put in a newspaper. Everyone needed to read a newspaper to know what was going on outside the world. When they would read the newspaper they would see little adds about household appliances. The newspaper would not put in an add for something that was too expensive for the miners and they know it would not sell. They would have to sell it at a very low price but they would probably not make any profit. They would sell the product at a price that is reasonable to the consumer, so the miners could afford it. For the miners to afford radios or even a vacuum cleaner, they would need money to buy them. When the vacuum cleaners first came out, there must have been a high demand for them as they were a new product. And the companies making these products would need people working in their factories.
I would also like to investigate the amount of people going to the cinema to watch films. If I had the number of people going and how often they went, it would be easier to recognise if life was that bad for all miners. Going to the cinema still is a luxury to some people now, so back in the 1930’ you must have been rich to go to the cinema, but many people went and many new cinemas opened. The amount of people going to the cinema in each town or village would make it clear if people had problems not working in the mines.