John Lowe, chairman of Clipstone Colliery's strike committee, was at the forefront of the fight for jobs of the twelve months' 1984/85 miners' strike at a time when most Nottinghamshire miners preferred to work. The now well known 'dirty war' fought by the Thatcher Government against the National Union of Mineworkers transformed him from a passive family man into a political animal. Lowe was witness to many disturbing events, recording his experiences and thoughts in a diary so that they would never be forgotten: read about a pensioner friend beaten at a police roadblock, a bleak but unifying Christmas, the slow trickle back to work; and finally the the dreaded day the strike ended - and the first harrowing weeks back at the coal face among people he despised. With the scars of the dispute still fresh, John Lowe reflected upon both local and national events to produce pieces of writing from the heart, illustrated via a huge collection of documentation and memorabilia. Although a tale of sorrow it is also a testament to the unquenchable spirit of men and women fighting for a just cause during the most significant industrial dispute in modern history. AUTHOR: Sheffield born Jonathan Symcox is the grandson of John Lowe and has long been fascinated by the 1984/85 miners' strike mainly through his grandfather's prolific writings. A novelist and a ghost-writer in his spare time, he works as a journalist and chief sub-editor on the Yahoo! Sports website in London. 60 b/w photographs
