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How coal war led to university

Mar 1 2009 by Michael Kelly, Sunday Sun

FOR Dave Wray the end of the miners strike led the way to a new career path as a university lecturer studying the dispute.

During the 12 months of picketing and fundraising he met a variety of people from all walks of life including academics who encouraged him along his new career path.

Dave, 63, explained: “If the strike hadn’t happened, university would never have really been on my horizon. People from my class, my background, didn’t go to university.”

At the end of the dispute he had returned to work at Sacriston colliery in County Durham then accepted a redundancy package at the end of 1985 when the pit was closed.

He explained: “When I worked at Sacriston I didn’t particularly like it. After the strike having got through a year without money I decided I wouldn’t work anywhere I didn’t like again.”

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