EMOTIONAL memories of the 1984 miners' strike have been relived by councillors from across East Ayrshire.
Jim McMahon, William Crawford and William Lennox all shared their recollections of their personal involvement the bitter dispute as East Ayrshire Council marked 40 years since the start of the national strike.
Thousands of Ayrshire miners downed tools in March 1984 to support the National Union of Mineworkers' efforts to protect jobs and preserve generations of local history amid the threat of pit closures across the UK.
They believed Margaret Thatcher's government, supported by the National Coal Board (NCB), wanted to destroy the industry.
Councillor McMahon, who now represents Cumnock and New Cumnock for the SNP and is the local authority's depute leader, was arrested when miners picketed North Ayrshire's Hunterston ore terminal in May 1984 to stop "scab coal" being brought in to Ayrshire from overseas.
Asking council colleagues to back his motion remembering the strike, he said: "The year-long strike was an extremely difficult period in my life, as you can imagine.
"Trying to raise my daughter, scrounging for coal in old pit bings, risking life and limb mining old coal along river banks, living off the land, stealing potatoes and turnips.
"I even had to snare the odd rabbit or hare to take home to feed.
"No TV for months, struggling through Christmas. Fortunately I had the support of my wife and, like many other miners, was backed 100 per cent."
The strike ended without success after 12 months, and within a few years all of Ayrshire's deep coal mines had closed, with the last two in East Ayrshire, Killoch and Barony, shutting by the end of the decade.
With the closures that followed the strike came major depopulation as people moved elsewhere in search of work.
"With the loss of the jobs followed the depopulation of the villages," Cllr McMahon continued.
"New Cumnock went from 7,000 residents to 2,800. Streets of families moved away to find employment.
"It’s no slant on my Conservative colleagues here today, who work tirelessly, the same as we do, to serve our communities.
"My thanks to the chamber for the way the motion has been received."
Councillor Crawford, who also represents Cumnock and New Cumnock, in his case for the Labour party, said: "It was a lifetime ago. I hope some of you never have to fight the way we had to fight.
"I got my redundancy notice in 1986, on a Sunday morning. I was out of work and I was 40 years old.
"I thought then that I was never going to work again.
"I was proud to be fighting for our jobs and for my family and my community".
Councillor William Lennox (SNP, Ballochmyle) also worked in the local mines at the time, including spells at Sorn and Killoch.
Cllr Lennox said he believed the strike was "entirely justified".
"Jobs were being lost at an incredible rate," he said, "and there wasn’t any alternative work.
"Mining was the heart and soul of the communities.
"My fondest memories during that time are the hours spent on a peaceful and good-natured picket line.
"No words can express the debt of gratitude that I owe to my own family and friends for their unwavering support during that period.
"Not once did they question our action and convictions."
Memories and personal stories were also shared by councillors Elaine Stewart, John McGhee, and Barry Douglas, as well as leader Douglas Reid and Provost Jim Todd.
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