Mining Review (1954)

The coal mining industry was one of the biggest employers in the UK, and the cinemagazine 'Mining Review' was shown in half the cinemas in the country - and not just in mining areas.

This edition is a window into working-class life in the 1950s. A young family moves into a new house in the Midlands, one of thousands built for miners; the 16-year-old Coal Queen is crowned at Tamworth Gala; coal cutting and lifting equipment is in use at Plean Colliery, Scotland. And stealing the show, eight husky miners from the West Riding Colliery, resplendent in tutus, perform Delibes' 'Coppélia' for charity at Normanton Central Town Club. (Ros Cranston)