The Happy Lands

This programme contains some strong language.

They have sort of like instilled in us the - how can I put it? -

the desire to, like, just get out there

and stand up for what you believe in as a person.

It's all the lessons that I've learnt in the past

is for the future.

It's to benefit you in the future.

You've been there, you've done it, it either worked or it didnae work.

And hopefully you'll pass it on to your own children

-and your grandchildren.

-Mm-hm.

I really do, you know? And I think you do.

-I think you do pass it on.

-Uh-huh.

Because that's how you've received these same feelings.

-Mm-hm. That...

-A sense of loyalty and...

-Mm-hm.

Fairness.

I used to hear the stories of the old boys doon in the corner,

and they would talk about what happened in '26,

and about the soldiers and the police and...

And that got...

That was my father's generation that heard that,

but he must've picked it up off of his father, eh?

Cos it was his father that went through that in 1926.

And, of course, I picked that up fae them.

And I still believe to this day,

what happened in 1926 made me the man I am.

-MAN SHOUTS:

-This side. Man down!

Joe! Joe!

MAN GROANS IN PAIN

Lie down on your face.

Where are ye? Where are ye?

MEN SHOUT

MUSIC: "I'm Sitting On Top Of The World" by Al Jolson

# I'm sitting on top of the world

# I'm rolling along... #

-MAN:

-'The nature of the job down the pit, you work close,

'you socialise close with them, you live close to them.

'You look after one another.

'It made people depend on one another,

'and I think that bred its ain Socialism, if you like, eh?'

# ..I just called the parson

# "Hey, Par, get ready to call

# Just like Humpty Dumpty... #

Mind you girls dinnae put your mucky fingers on my nice clean claithes.

-WOMAN:

-'There was always somebody there if you needed help.

'It was a really, really happy childhood.

'The doors were never locked.

'You felt safe. Friendliness, neighbourliness.

'You know, a woman was your granny and I'd so many grannies,

'you know. And everybody was the same.'

Are you going oot to the dancing tonight?

You'll need to go on your ain, I'm being taken.

WOMAN: 'You grew up knowing that you were gonnae be living

'in that village for the rest of your life because you're happy

'and you're content there.'

Michael, come on!

Joe. Are you there the noo? Joe?

Are you all right, son?

MAN MOANS

Dae something for him. Dae something for him.

LOW RUMBLING

The fire man says there's a roof fall.

Says there's a man trapped in Bankead number two face.

He says there's water rising.

Put your back into it.

Right oot here.

Hey, come on!

Aye, where? You'd better get them a' oot.

ALARM BELL RINGS

The legs. The legs.

You've got to support his legs.

RUMBLING

MAN YELLS

MEN GRUNT AND MOAN

You're all right. You're all right. You're all right.

Go, go, go. Go, go.

RUMBLING AND THUDDING

ALARM BLARES

MEN SHOUT

I'm not paying you to gawp. Get on with it!

Are you all right, Rosie?

My faither's there.

Oh, my God!

-Mummy. Mummy!

-What is it?

BABY CRIES

Is Dad coming home?

Hurry up. Give me your hand.

Hurry up. Come on. Come on.

Get back in here this minute!

THEY COUGH AND SPLUTTER

Are we all done, lads?

Good job.

Gie's a look at that.

Pug! The bastard!

A broken heid? Let's pray it's a Communist.

Dan Guthrie's on that gang.

Dinnae get ma hopes up.

HE CHUCKLES

-WOMAN:

-'I was nine when my dad had his back broken.

'For four years, he wisnae able to work.

'He was laying in plaster, laying on boards in the bed.

'He never got any compensation. They said it wasn't a liability case.'

What's happening?

Bankhead number two. It was number two.

Hey, Harry Lauder's no' on stage. Clear aff.

Back him in there.

MINERS COUGH

Where's Daddy?

-WOMAN:

-'When anybody had an accident,

'they used to take drawings at the pit.

'When the men got their wages,

'they'd stand at the end of the pit road, you know, and then

'whatever anybody could afford, they would put into the tins.'

Hey, Pug?

Cheap timber. You're putting my men's lives at risk.

That's only good for firewood.

That's all it's good for.

You'd rather I laid men off?

There's nae profit in coal.

It's a game, Pug, and no matter o' the rules.

They're selling it to theirsel' at rock-bottom prices

for their factories and steelworks.

MEN: Aye.

Time for docking's o'er, Dan. You'd better read this.

Aye, they've cut the hourly rate. I telt yous.

We worked long and hard to reduce the working day,

-and noo they want to put another bastard hour on it.

-ALL: Aye.

I've been doing a man's job since I was 14-years-old. I'm 19.

I'm no' having to dae wi' this wage till we're 21!

And I've got a wife and bairn...

Accept what the company can afford to pay you

or piss aff

and find work somewhere else.

-Need to see the national union about that, man.

-Local negotiations only.

I'll keep the office door open for yous though.

You'll be back in the morn, cap in haun.

You'll be crawling back through these gates on your empty bellies.

MEN SHOUT

Lads. Lads, this has got to be done right.

This is no' just a wee, local dispute.

This involves every miner in the country.

If 800,000 miners shout loud enough, somebody's gonnae hear us.

ALL: Aye.

MEN CHATTER

-MAN:

-'It was the boys they worked wi'.

'It was the camaraderie they had.

'You liked going to work every day, because you kent,

'although you were going to work, it was going to be hard,

'you were going to get a laugh doing it.

'And you were going to have boys

'that you would trust your life with.'

WOMAN: 'People then, tended to be more Communist-minded, because

'they had like so many let downs

'and nobody fighting in their corner.

'The leaders, like the Communist councillors, a Communist MP,

'they were like one of them.'

Is that out inheritance?

YOUTH LAUGHS

Ah...

It's the last fu' pay packet.

I'm glad you're no' hurt.

Aye, it was your faither to thank for that.

Aye.

Joe?

Do you ever think about getting married?

No' any mair.

HE SIGHS

-For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful. ALL:

-Amen.

Are you going to your work tomorrow?

What choice do I have?

The choice to say no.

I've done the sums, Michael.

HE SIGHS

Accept a reduced wage.

That's what our bairns'll eat every nicht from now on.

Aye, and if there's a strike, we might lose everything we have

and still get nothing mair.

How old do you think that one is?

Nearly 200 million years old.

It's 100ft high, 3ft thick.

Like a tree but wi' no branches.

Just a thick cluster of leaves on the top.

-STUMBLES OVER WORD

-...dendron.

A good miner is a good geologist, son.

-Just like Mr Baxter.

-Mr Baxter is ay crabbit.

-Aye.

But it was Mr Baxter who looked out for your daddy today.

APPLAUSE AND CHEERING

Comrades,

the coal owners say that if we dinnae work longer hours...

..for less money...

the industry will gang doon the side burn.

Aye, that's what they always say, Dan, it'll gang doon the drains.

Aye, but we a' ken why they're sayin' it.

MURMURS OF AGREEMENT

And we asked them anyway. "How come?" we say.

And they reply, "Because coal disnae pay its way."

LAUGHTER

-I bet you never kent that?

-Aye, we never knew that.

But are they telling us the truth?

They never tell you the truth.

They're liars, Dan.

Comrades, in the last three year, the poor wee Scottish coal owners...

..have made a profit of very near £8 million!

THEY SHOUT

An actual trading profit of £8 million!

-They're fiddling the books!

-Taken the words oot my mooth, comrade.

But when challenged on it, they changed their tune.

-You can hear them lyin'.

-Aye.

-It's because of the unprecedented debt.

-So it's a debt noo, is it?!

Aye, it's a debt. It's a big yin tae. £8,000 million!

-What?

-£8,000 million?

It's the Great War debt.

The same war that a million working-class laddies,

like yours, and like mine...

fought, aye, and died in.

ALL: Aye.

And noo they're saying we're the ones

that's to pay for it all o'er again.

Aye, all o'er again.

But what they've forgotten aboot is the £400 million a year

the working class in this country

hand o'er in tax to pay THEIR war debt!

Aye!

And where does that money go?

To the financers and to the bankers.

Never seen any of them die on a battlefield.

Aye, money goes to money.

Listen, us miners are brought up to think for oursel'.

-You all ken that.

-ALL: Aye.

Imagine this.

A chap on the door.

A nice chap.

LAUGHTER

Impeccable manners.

Eton educated.

WOMEN: Whoo!

And he say...

-(POSH VOICE)

-.."Sorry to bother you, old chap.

"But the bank account's a bit low.

"Some old fruits are struggling to pay back the interest

"on the lolly I lent them..."

LAUGHTER

"..Do you think you could eat a bit less?! What would you say?

ALL: No!

-Would you no' buy your weans shoes this winter?

-ALL: No!

The cheek!

-Would you work a little longer for a little less pay?

-ALL: No!

I tellye, I widnae tak' bets on them reaching next door still breathing.

I'd slam the door in their teeth!

Comrades,

we've a' got a chance to slam the door in their lying teeth.

Say "no". Withdraw your consent

and we'll take the whole country wi' us.

Not a penny off the pay and not a minute on the day!

THEY CHEER

THEY CHANT: No' a penny off the pay, no' a minute on the day!

No' a penny off the pay, no' a minute on the day!

No' a penny off the pay,

no' a minute on the day!

CHANTING CONTINUES

THEY CHEER

The Carhill branch of the Fife Miners' Reform Union

recommends its members not to accept the new conditions

and not to go to work tomorrow.

Can I speak here, please?

CHEERING

It's a bit irregular, hen.

Have you nae control of your woman?!

I dinnae care whether it is or whether it isnae irregular -

I'll have my say and be done wi' it.

Quite right, Mags.

Noo, a' the women have been talking...

MAN: Never(?)

Aye, well, because I tell you noo,

if this strike is going to be won,

it'll be us women that win it.

And by God, we're ready for a fight.

Noo, we cannae cope on what yous'll be bringing into the hoose

if yous tak' a reduction in wages

and gang back to work.

So there'll be nae tea on the table for yous comin' hame.

There'll be nae dry, clean claithes for yous to put on in the mornin'.

ALL: No.

And...

And...

there'll be nae increase in the population o' Carhill

onytime soon.

Ah, well, there you have it, lads.

You'll hae to make your ain minds up.

A simple majority will do. All those in favour.

MAJORITY: Aye!

CHEERING

-MAN:

-'We were actually backed into a corner. We never got a choice.

'The choice was you stand up to keep your village, your community

'going, if you want. Or you just roll over

'and let them dae what they want.

'That was oor life. It wisnae just oor job,

'it was oor life.

'Everything revolved around that pit.

'Oor family, oor money, oor social life,

'friends.

'And again it was mair than a job.

'So we had nae option but to fight.'

WOMAN: General strike?

Aye, in support of the miners.

My God. I didnae think they'd actually do it. Who's coming out?

Railwaymen, dockers, transport workers.

There'll be nothing moving.

Upstairs are worried there's gonnae be a revolution.

Revolution?! Chance'd be a fine thing!

You know as well as I do,

to work in the civil service, you have to be cleared.

Aye. And?

Oh, come on.

Your father is a well-known Communist.

So what? There's a Communist MP in Parliament.

You'll get a full month's pay - I've made sure of that.

-But my work's up to standard.

-Look, Molly,

-I had no say in the decision.

-"Exceptional," you said.

You're a Fifer, Walter!

I looked up to you.

I even liked you.

MUSIC: "My Mammy" by Al Jolson

# Everything seems lovely

# When you start to roam

# The birds are singing The day that you stray

# But wait until you are further away

# Things won't be so lovely

# When you're all alone

# Here's what you'll keep saying

# When you're far from home

# Mammy

# Mammy

# The sun shines east

# The sun shines west

# I know where the sun shines best

# Mammy... #

-Where are you going, hen?

-Carhill.

-Jump in.

-Are you authorised?

-Aye.

Oi, McGibbon!

Got a TUC ticket for your donkey?

Widnae be wanting a lift off a scab lorry.

# I'm a-coming

One donkey and two buckets of shit coming through.

Sorry, lads. Make that three.

JEERING AND LAUGHTER

DONKEY BRAYS

# ..I'd walk a million miles for one of your smiles... #

Tag.

STRIKERS CHUCKLE

Thanks, comrades.

All right, Joki?

Is that you, Molly Guthrie?

-No, it's Greta Garbo.

-It's Joe's sister.

-What brings you back home?

-Hear there's some fun to be had in Fife.

Aye, it's brilliant, isn't it?

Three million people supporting the miners, can you believe it?

-Have you seen my

-dad? Aye, he's down picketing the railway station.

A couple of posh laddies from St Andrews University

are playing train drivers. I heading there myself.

Is it all right if we get a lift, mate?

-Aye, climb aboard.

-Come on, lads.

-All right, Molly?

-Hello, Joe.

Cannae lose now, lads! Molly Guthrie's bak in Fife.

THEY CHEER

# ..I hope I'm not late

# Mammy, look at me

# Don't you know me?

# I'm your little baby

# I'd walk a million miles

# For one of your smiles

# My mammy! #

Dan!

-What?

-Isn't that your Molly?

BACKGROUND CHATTER

What are you doing here?

-They've sacked me, Dad.

-What did you say?

Nothing!

-Honest!

-Oh, well, it's good to hae you hame.

Comrade.

I cannae believe that I've taken to this.

Who are they, eh?

WHISTLE TOOTS

What the?

Fly bastards. They've changed lines.

Over here, lads.

MEN SHOUT

Cheerio, chaps.

SHOUTING CONTINUES

SHOUTING INTENSIFIES

ENGINE HORN TOOTS

Jesus!

BRAKES SQUEAL

Phew!

STRIKERS YELL

Go on!

Go on. Get the scab!

YELLING FADES INTO DISTANCE

DONKEY SNORTING

Shh!

BRASS BAND PLAYS: "I'm Sitting On Top Of The World"

PEOPLE CLAP IN TIME

Are you ready?

As I'll ever be.

PEOPLE SING ALONG

LAUGHTER

I captured this zebra when I was in Africa.

-That's no' a zebra.

-It's a donkey.

That's right. But why would a donkey pretend he was a zebra?

Do you come from Africa?

He's a miner. My mother told me.

You are both right. I am a miner and I am from Africa.

McGubbin!

CROWD JEER

Scab!

THEY CHANT: Scab! Scab! Scab!

Scab! Scab! Scab!

Right up then. Get a photograph all in your costumes.

Ladies and gentlemen.

Come on. Let's get moving.

CHILDREN GIGGLE

BAND CONTINUES PLAYING

Come on!

CAMERA CLICKS

# Would you have freedom from wage slavery?

# Then come join the grand industrial band

# Would you from mis'ry

# And hunger be free?

# Come on, do your share, lend a hand

# There is power, there is power in a band of working folks

# When they stand hand in hand

# That's a power, that's a power

# That must rule in every land

# One industrial union grand... #

-WOMAN:

-'It was just a really good, fun day.

'It was the main day of the whole year, actually.

'Racing and competitions and everything.

'But then, you were always like reined in

'when it was time for listening to what they had to say

'on the platform.

'The park used to fall silent,

'and, of course, when you're five or six,

'it was just a case of lying on the grass beside your mum and dad.'

# ..That's a power, that's a power

# That must rule in every land

# One industrial union grand

# If you like sluggers to beat off your head

# Then don't organise All unions disband

# If you want nothing before you are dead

# Shake hands with your boss and look wise... #

Dad said he'd put a bottle aside to mark the occasion.

What's with the South African man?

The one that was speaking at the gala today.

Organising a revolution.

I'm going to dance with my mum.

Is Dad all right?

Oh, he's fine. He's just tired.

Oh, did I tell you we got tickets to see Harry Lauder?

-Harry Lauder?

-At the Alhambra.

Oh, it'll be braw.

Seven year ago, revolution was spreading like wildfire.

Noo, Fascism is spreading through Italy, Spain,

Bulgaria, eastern Europe.

Aye, but the fight's on your doorstep, no' next door, Dan.

Och, Get off your feet from your ain doorstep.

You'll see what's happening elsewhere's happening here.

Fascism isnae think locally or nationally.

Aye. But you look out for your ain first.

Maybe that's what they're wanting you to think, Jim.

Hate and fear are powerful methods of manipulation.

-Who's feart? I've nothing against folk fae...

-I ken, son.

But you dinnae reach oot either.

I shook Jacob's hand when he come in.

Aye. And your eyebrows near went through the ceiling

when I telt you he was an engineer doon the pit.

-I thought...

-That's what's wrong, you dinnae think. You act.

You look at Jacob like the Capitalists look at us.

It's less than human.

Mind, our skin's all black when we come up the pit.

Miners in South Africa laughed,

when the government announced that a miner with a black skin

can no longer have a skilled job.

White only.

They would make us all slaves.

Just like your ancestors. Right, Dan?

Aye.

And no that long ago.

They had iron collars round their neck, chained to a wall.

Less than 100 year ago.

We've maybe got the iron collars aff noo,

they're still holding us back.

The bastards shift capital from one country to another,

without losing a night's sleep.

We'll lose mair than a night's sleep if we take up arms!

-Do you understand what such a war will cost?

-I'm ready for anything.

We've lost enough laddies as it is.

When I was your age, I thought I was ready for everything.

Then the police raped and tortured my fiancee.

She took own life. At least, that's what the police told me.

They killed her to get at me.

You pay a heavy price to be a Communist in South Africa.

Aye, well, that'll never happen here. No' without a fight, anyway.

You are a very passionate man, Jim.

One country cannot challenge capitalism alone.

HE SPEAKS IN OWN LANGUAGE

Coat of whit?

Ah, it's a nice change for you to not understand something that I say.

-REPEATS PHRASE IN OWN LANGUAGE

-It means "a spear of the people".

Now, tell me this. What does "neebs" mean?

THEY LAUGH Comrade. Comrade!

-Ah, neebs!

-ALL:

-Neebs.

LAUGHTER

MOTORBIKE ENGINE REVS

Dan, Dan! Come oot!

DOG BARKS

HUSHED MURMURS

RADIO NEWSREADER: 'This is the BBC.

'A message from the Prime Minister, Mr Stanley Baldwin.

' "The General Strike is over.

' "It has ended without conditions entered into by the Government.

' "To those who were confronted by such a menace,

' "it would involve treachery to the accepted

' "basis of our democratic constitution.

' "I realise that sympathy with the miners, that we all share, was

' "the dominant notion underlying the action of the trade unions.

' "That action, on whatever feeling it was based, was unconstitutional

' "in character and directly threatened the safety of the nation."

'The Trades Union Congress requested that

'we broadcast the following announcement.

'In order to resume negotiations, the General Council of the TUC

'has decided to terminate the General Strike...'

SHE RETCHES

'..in the confidence that the Prime Minister meant what he said

'when he called for an honourable peace.

'The mine owners, meanwhile, made it clear that they will not

'withdraw lock-out notices to the miners and in a statement said,

' "The impression that substantial economies can be

' "secured except by extended hours and lower wages is erroneous."

'The Prime Minister went on to thank those who had responded

'to his call to "resist the menace of the General Strike".

'In particular, he praised the thousands who responded

'as special constables, ready to run any risk in order that they may

'demonstrate that the home of our great grace...'

HE SWITCHES RADIO OFF

DISTANT SHOUTING

-That's your mother's gala dress.

-Aye.

Cannae let it go to waste.

-Rosie, this place is to look after lassies in your condition.

-No.

-Lassies...

-Tell me the laddie's name!

I'll see his faither.

Were you tellt to marry my mother?

-No, no. I courted her.

-Aye, and that's what I want.

Near three years on boys' wages. I don't ken if I'm sticking around.

I'm no'. Boxing will be my ticket out.

Get to travel and see the country.

Aye, you'll to see it through black eyes!

My eyes are black with soot as it is.

I ken you're gid, like, but are you no' a bit wee, Baxie?

Nah, my father used to tell me

stories by this champion boxer fae Wales, Jimmy Wilde.

"The Mighty Atom". I like the sound of him.

-Used to talk then, did he?

-Aye.

No been the same since Mother passed, though.

Girls, Pug Henderson's laughin' at yous!

-SHE GIGGLES

-Havin' a go?

Come on, have a go.

Nancy!

-Argh!

-Never take your eyes off your opponent! Never!

(SPEAKS BREATHLESSLY) Nancy, kill!

NANCY LAUGHS

-Wee Baxie's going professional.

-Aye.

-You could be his manager.

-Me?

A boxing promoter?! You're as bad as Colin is!

Butchers is all they are, and boxers, they're meat.

They just cut and carve you up and sell you for profit.

Eh, you're aw goin' to the meeting tonight!

ALL GROAN

Young folk these days!

You've nae appreciation for what yer faithers fought for.

This gym, for a start.

This is a fight you girls and boys cannae duck!

I cannae afford to hae nae mair money coming intae my hoose.

Up to my eyes in debt as it is.

I'm still clearing my debt and I mind how hard it was.

There was nothing to eat, there was nae coal for the fire,

and do you mind how hungry we all were?

And how are we going to feed the bairns?

You cannae soothe a bairn who's got an empty belly.

As long as there's food growing in the field

and fish swimming in the loch, naebody'll starve!

-Aye.

-But how are we gonnae win?

With the trains running and lorries moving again

and stockpiles of coal they've got, we're up against it.

With the good weather, naebody is burning coal in their hooses.

Aye, women need more watter to cook and wash.

Without our unions behind us, how are we going to win?

Aye, it wisnae the ordinary working folk that let us doon,

it was the leadership!

SHOUTS OF AGREEMENT

-I'll just never ken why you lost your courage.

-Go on yersel'.

It wasn't oor leaders, hen.

The miners weren't even present at the meeting that made the decision.

The TUC tellt them the decision!

That's right.

Listen, it was our decision to go out, not the TUC's.

It'll be OUR decision when we go back.

That's right, that's right! That's right, you tell them!

We'll open up the soup kitchens again.

We did it in 1921, we'll dae it again noo.

Aye, and we're no' gonnae fail this time!

That's right!

I'm going to say something on behalf of all the young miners.

I had 12 brothers. Robbie and James, they never made it to 21.

Both died in the trenches for King and country.

Robbie was 18 and Jimmy, 20.

They never told them they were too young

to do a man's job, to earn a man's pay.

Double standards!

-Why should we wait now?

-Aye, you're right, son!

Comrades, in South Africa, we were uprooted from our lands, sold

like commodities in slavery, herded like cattle into concentration camps.

But we, the people, endure.

Be strong and unite!

United we stand, divided we fall.

Stand firm, comrades!

# Arise, ye workers from your slumbers

# Arise, ye prisoners of want... #

Now, what are we going to do?

They've voted to stay out in Yorkshire, Lancashire, Durham

and Staffordshire.

So what say Fife? Are we going to join them?

-ALL:

-Aye!

APPLAUSE

# Servile masses arise, arise

# We'll change henceforth the old traditions

# And spurn the dust to win the prize

# So comrades, come rally

# And the last fight let us face

# The Internationale unites the human race

# So comrades, come rally

# And the last fight let us face

# The Internationale unites the human race. #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

-Morning, miss.

-Good morning, sir.

CHURCH BELLS CHIME

Hang on.

Now that the miners have been left isolated,

we'll be able to identify the ringleaders more easily.

You'll be gathering information - names, addresses,

places of work, crimes, and investigating the individuals named.

-Looking for?

-Anything we can use to stop them in your tracks.

Put them on the first Bolshevik boat back to their beloved Russia.

I know you're from a coal-mining area. Fife, isn't it?

Well, you'll be able to talk to these people. Blend in with the natives.

Nobody's going to ask you any awkward questions.

I see this as a great opportunity.

-Her father's a trade union man.

-It's not a crime.

-Not yet.

-But like a lot of miners, he's also a Communist.

-So what's the problem?

-Walter!

-I was at school with her.

CHEERING

The union's organised and ready to do the job if you'll pay the poor

relief money direct into the soup kitchen.

How many would be fed each day?

In Carhill? 500.

And across the whole of the Fife coalfields?

More than 12,000 miners, plus their families.

I would say about 50,000 or more.

As far as I'm concerned, you can all go back to work.

-Our obligations are to feed the deserving.

-The deserving?

And who decides that, then?

-The pit gates are open.

-Aye, for scabs!

For decent people who prefer to feed their families

than take government hand-outs.

Oor men aren't asking for mair money just to keep what they've

already got!

That was barely enough to keep a family on anyway!

Look, it's no' in oor nature to ask the parish relief.

You have a legal duty to feed all the destitute.

Not if they made themselves destitute!

You'll either need to feed them or bury them.

Plenty of spades lying idle!

Councillor, it sounds to me that many of the miners' families

are close to destitution already.

The soup kitchens will break up the family home.

What's a wife for if not to make some grub when it's in the house?

If the soup kitchen can feed more people for the same

amount of money, and keep them out the poorhouse,

it saved the parish council money.

Might I suggest a compromise?

The parish council issue food vouchers to individual families

and let THEM decide if they spend them in the shops or soup kitchen.

CHATTERING

What's on the menu the day?

Och, something fae Russia.

Again?! God help us, no' that soup!

Well, it's been soup once, I'm not sure what you'd cry it now!

LAUGHTER

-'The bairns loved going up there, eh?'

-'Aye.'

-'For their soup and things.'

-'The bairns were never oot it, eh?

'They thought it was just this great big adventure. It was superb, like.

'We started going round about shops locally.

'There were shops there that were very good.'

Tam, Tam! Hold on, hold on.

Maybe I shouldn't ask where that came fae?

Local Carhill butcher.

Baxter?

Michael, Charlie, can you phone the other strike centres

and get as many pickets as you can for tomorrow morning?

Big picket, 5am.

Hi...

'Some of them that got involved in the soup kitchen

'weren't even miners' wives, eh?

'They were just local women that wanted to do something

'and they done a superb job, like.'

#..Of the world

# I'm rollin' along

# Yes, rollin' along!

# And I'm quittin' the blues of the world

# I'm singing a song

# Yes, singing a song

# Glory hallelujah

# I just told the parson

# Hey, Pa, get ready to call

# Just like Humpty Dumpty... #

-Are you stealing my flowers?

-Only for the soup kitchen.

Did big folk send you?

Next time, chap on my door and ask,

and we can find some nice ones together.

# Don't want any millions

# I'm gettin' my share... #

Here. Tak' this for the pot as well.

Thank you.

# A bundle of money don't make me feel gay

# A sweet little honey... #

All that time, it's been the darkness. And now it's in the light.

-Oh, this is a massive piece of coal! Look at this!

-That's a beauty!

# ..Top of the world

# I'm rollin' along

# Rollin' along

# And I'm quittin, quittin' the blues, blues of the world... #

HORN BEEPS

# I'm singin' a song

# Just singin' a song

# Glory hallelujah

# I just told the parson... #

Can you no' get her aff the road?

# Just like Humpty Dumpty

# I'm going to fall Yeah!

# I'm sittin' on top of the world

# I'm rollin' along

# Yes, rollin' along

# And I'm quittin' the blues of the world

# I'm singin' a song

# Yeah, singin' a song

# Glory hallelujah

# I just told the parson

# Hey, Pa, get ready to call

# Just like Humpty Dumpty... #

I cannae be late.

That's mair than my job's worth!

# And I'm sittin' on top of the world

# I'm rollin' along

# Rollin' along

# Don't want any millions

# I'm gettin' my share

# I've only got one suit Just one!

# That's all I can wear

# A bundle of money don't make me feel gay

# A sweet little honey... #

-Soup kitchen?

-Aye.

How many mouths are we feeding?

500.

Could be six.

Aye. It's gonnae be a long day.

# And I'm quittin', quittin' the blues, blues of the world

# I'm singin' a song

# Yeah, singin' a song

# Glory hallelujah

# I just told the parson

# Hey, Pa, get ready to call

# Just like Humpty Dumpty

# I'm going to fall Yeah... #

BOYS SHOUT AND LAUGH LOUDLY

Hey! >

Ya wee bastards!

Left, right, left!

Left, left, left, right, left!

Left, left, left, right, left!

Squad...halt!

Squad...birl!

Quick, march!

Left, left, left, right, left.

Left, left, left, right...

Squad, halt!

And forward birl!

MEN LAUGH

At ease.

Keep up with it!

MEN LAUGH

Would you like to say a few words to the lads, Michael?

They look up to you. You're a war hero.

I've had my fill of war.

For Christ's sake, Michael, they'll send the army and polis against us!

We're nothing but a rabble!

Come in.

You wait there. I'll get you some bread and butter.

I thought you might like this. It's for a wee present.

-It's no' for the soup kitchen, it's just for you.

-Thank you.

I didnae ken it was a sin till the Cardinal said so, Father.

He stands by his, and we stand by oors.

-He says the strike's a sin against obedience.

-Obedience to who?

The coal owners, or to God?

Jesus said, "The poor shall inherit the earth."

Well, it's no' going to happen by itself.

Aye, but when, Father?

When is it going to happen?

My family needs fed today.

Michael, you're a gid man. Examine your own conscience.

-BOYS LAUGH

-Cross it!

Come on, then. Oh, come on, yous are crap!

Come on!

Yay!

-CHILDREN:

-Let's go, let's go!

SOFT MUSIC PLAYS IN BACKGROUND

BOYS SHOUT EXCITEDLY OUTSIDE

Gave it to the soup kitchen.

Aye? Well, we need it!

-You should get yourself down to the soup kitchen.

-I cannae.

-Was it the Holy Ghost, like?

-It's my business and nobody else's.

-Christ!

You're as stubborn as the old man.

-Give me his name. I'll sort it.

-With your fists? No.

DOOR OPENS

Wish my mother was here!

-Oi, you!

-This is the laird, you're on his land.

-How is it his land?

-My ancestors fought for it!

-I'll fight you for it now!

-Oi, you!

-Oi!

Come on, Pat, run!

Ah, you cannae catch me noo!

Run, Danny, run!

And out.

Again.

And out.

You're going to have to start doing less, Dan.

It's no' a gid time, Doctor.

-It's never a good time.

-Listen to your wife, son. She's right.

There's others that can run the union.

The bottom line is, Dan, it's anthracosis.

The black spit.

And you should know better than most, Dan, there's no cure.

I'll try and get somebody to tak' things over at the union.

I cannae gie up being a magistrate the now.

What'll happen if the men are up for picketing

in front of some of they Tory ban-bandits fae around here?

HE COUGHS

You cannae dae a thing, Dan.

But don't yous breathe a word about this to a soul.

Have I got your word?

What's he got you swearing to now, Mother?

Oh, you ken your faither, son.

DAN COUGHS

-So when you're no' on strike, you're a coalface worker?

-Aye, sir.

What's your conditions like?

Hot, wet. Dust is terrible.

Aye, stour, eh?

So you'll be better off on strike then, aye?

Worse, sir.

Nae money, nae food on the table.

Nae shoes for the bairns.

-So it gets on your wick?

-Aye, sir.

-Makes you angry?

-It does.

Angry with the coal company.

And angry with the government.

So why are you taking your anger out on your wife, ya eejit? Pair woman.

Are you sorry?

Aye, sir.

You mak' sure you never lift your hands to her again.

I'm going to bind you over, on one condition.

There's a march coming up, and I want you to be on it.

I want you to listen to the speeches about the Kingdom Coal Company.

And I want you to sing The Red Flag along with everybody else.

-Do you accept they conditions?

-I'm no' nae Bolshie, sir.

Do you know what a Bolshevik is?

You mak' sure you learn the words, cos I'll be marching alongside you.

Bind over.

Next.

HE COUGHS

So you caught him stealing the laird's coal?

Aye, red-handed.

Aye, it must be awfie for the laird, trying to keep that big hoose warm.

Especially in August, like.

LAUGHTER

Have you nothing better to do than chase laddies aff the bing?

-I do what I'm told.

-Oh, aye, I can see that.

LAUGHTER

Pat Brogan, you wouldn't have been on your own, like.

So how come you're the only yin standing there the day?

I was looking for fossils, Mr Guthrie, sir.

-My daddy collect fossils.

-Aye, I ken fine.

And he was doing wrong. He should be punished.

And what punishment do you think will fit the crime?

-Clip round the ear.

-Aye, well, gie him a skelp round the lug fae me tae.

Come here a minute, Patrick.

See when I was a laddie, I used to pray to God every night for a bike.

And then I realised God doesnae work like that.

So I stole one and prayed for forgiveness.

LAUGHTER

Case dismissed.

HE COUGHS

Michael. Come here.

You take the laddie to see that. I'll no' mak' it.

Harry Lauder? Are you sure, Dad?

Aye, I'm sure.

Thank you.

Agh!

-CHILDREN:

-I would not!

-You would!

-Would not!

-Yes, you would!

I've got a ticket anyway.

Oh, well, who cares!

I saw Harry Lauder in France just before my brigade went in.

Ken, will you no' wear them the nicht?

My laddie who fought and won.

ACCORDION MUSIC PLAYS

Support the miners?

Anyone against the strike? It was a pleasure meeting you.

Support the miners?

Ladies and gentlemen, anyone against the strike?

Support the miners? Support the miners?

Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, against the strike?

-Support the miners?

-Ladies and gentlemen, against the strike?

-Against the strike, for the strike...?

-Keep that.

Support the miners?

Support the miners?

ACCORDION MUSIC CONTINUES

Cheery, Fraser.

Cheery, Annie.

Thank you.

ACCORDION MUSIC PLAYS

# When the fightin' is over and the war is won

# And the flags are wavin' free

# When the bells are ringin' and the boys are singin'

# Songs of victory

# Oh, when we're all gathered round the old fireside

# And the auld mother kisses her son

# All the lassies will be lovin' a' the laddies

# Laddies who fought and won... #

LAUDER LAUGHS HEARTILY

It's great to see you enjoying yourselves, eh?

There's many braw Fife lads here today that went to fight for

the dear old lady, Mother Britain. Stand up and take a bow, eh?!

-Go on, Dad.

-There's nae braver soldier than a Fifer!

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

# When we all look back on the history of the past

# Will we all know where we are?

# We have pledged our worth and we'll not go back

# To the day away so far

# Until that time comes Let us fight and fight

# And fight till victory is won

# We will never give in We will fight to win

# Till the very last man and God... #

Come on, everybody!

# When the...

ALL: # Fighting is over and the war is....

CHANTING

# When the bells are ringin' and boys are singin'

# Songs of victory

# When we all gather round the old fireside

# And the old mother kisses her son

# All the lassies will be lovin' all the laddies

# Laddies who fought and won

SOLO: # The laddies who fought and won. #

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Haw-haw!

CHANTING

Thank you very much.

You know, on the way to the theatre today, a reporter asked me

what I thought about the industrial unrest here in the coalfield.

I said, "It's a shame. It's inhuman."

(CHANTING) Not a minute on the day, not a penny off my pay,

not a minute on the day.

I don't blame the miners.

I blame the agitators,

the scavenger unions.

Stick to singing!

The whole question is the agitation. Utopia of equality, eh?

BOOING

It's a dream. Huh? It's not possible. Nothing is equal.

I deplore the situation of a strike. Nothing has come from a strike

other than misery.

SMATTERING OF APPLAUSE

Thank you. And I hope the miners themselves will gather round

and settle their own affairs and not sit in the hoose

or stand on the corners, waiting for the agitators.

We've had enough agitation. Agitation is the curse of the nation!

-Yes, and in my humble opinion...

-You're just a traitor!

-You're a class traitor!

-..the working man is tired and sick.

In other words, he's fed up and so are the public!

You should be ashamed of yourself!

-Do you remember when you were once a miner?

-Calm down, lads!

Go on, play something, lads. Let's give them... Calm down!

Come on, here's one of your favourites.

Get aff!

# Oh, I'm courtin' a farmer's daughter

# She's the prettiest thing you've ever seen

# Oh, her cheeks they are a rosy red Her age is just sweet 17... #

SCREAMING

# When I put my arms around her neck and try to steal a kiss

# Oh, she'll wriggle and giggle and twist and twiggle

# And then you'll hear her shouting this

# Will you stop your ticklin', Jock! Will you stop your ticklin', Jock!

# Dinnae mak' me feel so hearty

# Or you'll make me choke... #

Come on, Mum, you'll be safe in here.

What's going on?!

Patrick, Patrick!

SCREAMING

LAUDER: Ha-ha-ha! Oh, my!

That's the official line - the miners are the enemy?

What's your assessment of the situation, son?

-Eh?

-What's your opinion?

-What do you mean?

What do you think? You do think?

We're your ain people, for God's sake!

-You're a bloody disgrace!

-I'm a disgrace? I'm a disgrace?

You're a disgrace. You're a disgrace wearing that uniform!

You miners, you're bringing the country to its knees!

Michael, come awa'.

I fought to STOP this country being brought to its knees.

-Fuck off!

-And what are you going to do, eh?

Are you going to shoot me? Going to shoot one of your ain?

Michael!

# Will you stop your ticklin', Jock!

# I wish you'd stop your nonsense

# Ah, ha-ha!

# Stop your ticklin' Tickle-ickl-ickling

# Stop yer tickling, Jock! Oh! #

SHE READS "THE LORD'S PRAYER"

Our Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done,

in earth, as it is in heaven.

-Give us this day our daily bread...

-Emergency Powers Act,

for the protection of the community, I am arresting you for acts

-likely to cause sedition.

-Dad!

COMMOTION

Dad!

METALLIC TAPPING

METALLIC TAPPING ECHOES

(OUTSIDE) Here, you! Get up!

METALLIC TAPPING

METALLIC TAPPING ECHOES

METALLIC TAPPING

Joe, it's the polis.

Stop it!

Get off!

OUTSIDE COMMOTION

You watch yourself, son.

Police! Police! Stay there!

SHE SCREAMS

-Get off him, you bastard!

-That's ma family, ya thugs!

All clear, sir!

The whole strike committee must be in here.

And more.

See that poor one there?

I made those marks, as a punishment for skelping his missus.

And he's went and got his heid a' bursted.

Maybe there is justice, after all.

-Aye, maybe so.

-Why did they lift you?

I spoke out at a public meeting. I said I didn't think the polis

battering folk was the best way to conduct negotiations.

Freedom of speech, eh, Dan?

Never mind freedom of speech. Will you two shut up?

I'm trying to get some sleep here. I need to make a good impression

-in the morning.

-It will take more than a night's sleep for you

to impress anybody.

LAUGHTER

It was a clear case of mistaken identity.

It wisnae me, it was the polis.

LAUGHTER

Silence! Guthrie, the charge is causing disaffection.

-Oh, disaffection?

-Right!

Any more rabble-rousing, you'll all be in the dock.

It was the polis that caused the disaffection.

Did you or did you not

criticise the police at a public meeting on Carhill,

with the intention of causing disaffection amongst the community?

Aye, I spoke up, but wisnae batterin' the community

with 100 truncheons more likely to cause disaffection...

GAVEL BANGS

..than a man sayin' a few words at a public meeting?

As an appointed magistrate, I would have expected you

-to have shown more restraint.

-Restraint? As an elected magistrate,

I would not have expected to see the polis behaving like a drunken mob.

CHEERING

Drunken mob? By your own admittance, you are guilty as charged.

A £10 fine or 60 days' imprisonment.

DISCONTENTED MURMURING

As long as there is a strike on,

any money I get will be going to the soup kitchen.

APPLAUSE

Very well.

-60 days.

-Shame!

-No!

-And another 30 for contempt of court,

with hard labour.

Take him down!

Hard labour? I've done 40 years' hard labour.

Another 90 days will mak' no difference to me!

APPLAUSE

SUPPORTIVE CHANTING

Any other cases today?

182.

Dickens.

Is this the man?

-Yes, sir.

-Michael Brogan, you are charged with sedition.

At a time of war, you would have found yourself facing a firing squad.

However, Michael Brogan, you have been charged

-under the Emergency Powers Act.

-Oh, aye, one law for the miners

-and another one for everybody else.

-An emergency act intended to protect

the community from men like you!

DISAFFECTED MURMURS

Michael Brogan, how do you plead?

COUGHING

Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Hail Mary, full of grace...

Pug Henderson,

I was the first person to see you coming into this world.

-I should have bloody drowned you!

-Either you open this door

or they break it down. It's a' the same to us,

but it's you that'll have to pay for the damage.

They'll have to get past us first.

ALL: Aye!

METALLIC TAPPING

If you were a man, what kind of job would you have?

A person who'd crawl on the ground!

Look, these hooses are owned by the Kingdom Coal Company

for workers employed by the Kingdom Coal Company.

HUBBUB OUTSIDE

If they weren't here, we'd rip you from limb to limb.

I dinnae care who he is!

Michael Brogan was born in that hoose -

and his faither had it before him.

50 years between them, working for YOUR company!

-And this is the thanks that they get?

-Aye, oot on the street.

-Nae roof over their heid.

-Who's going to pay the rent, then?

-I'll pay it!

-I ken yous a' in this street.

Nane of you lot have paid your rent for six months.

-There'll be more evictions.

-There'll always be room in the Guthrie house.

Anybody that takes in lodgers without the express permission

-of the company, will get evicted, too.

-Agnes, you can stay with us.

You think so?

You can come and stay in ma hoose. It's only a farm worker's cottage.

But the coal company cannae bother me.

Dan, look at this.

-Move it!

-Let it go!

Leave it, son.

(Bastard.)

Is that for the pawn, too?

Aye.

Where's your wedding ring, Ma?

With everything else.

Oh, Molly...

it's that quiet withoot him.

SHE WEEPS

It's all right, Ma.

It's all right, it's going to be all right.

People are human beings, eh?

We're no' animals. We're just no' there to clock in and clock out.

we're there to get treated as human beings. That's all we're asking for.

We're no' asking for anything else, like.

Do you call that soup?

It looks like dirty dishwater.

I'd go anything for a plate of ham and eggs.

And a nice juicy steak.

-Roast chicken.

-Even a plate of mince and tatties would be nice.

Never mind. The brambles will soon be ready.

-We can have jam.

-Aye, if we can get the sugar, Mrs Burns.

God knows what we're going to do now they've stopped the parish relief.

If they shut the soup kitchen,

we'll all be chapping on the poorhoose door.

Do you ken this? They had the poor souls digging graves last week.

-That's ridiculous.

-They stand them in line every day.

Make them take their clothes aff and have a bath in disinfectant.

I'd rather die in a ditch than go into that place.

KNOCKING

I ken you're in there.

It's Joe.

Why do you no' say...

..something?

Do you love me, Joe?

I never thought about it.

Just go.

So, get out of here! Now!

'You learn to hold your head up, regardless of how people

'look down at you. It's like water off a duck's back, eventually.

'You become hardened to it. You learn to be quiet...

'..and you learn humility.

'That was a lesson you had to learn, but you knew there was others

'in the same boat as you, so that gave you strength, as well.'

I have discussed the situation with the Board of Health.

The Board of Health take their orders aff the government.

They're Baldwin's lackies.

You're entitled to enter the poorhouse...

but there's no room.

Nae room?! Well, we'll wait, until you DO have room.

For the sake of the children, I'd advise you to take them home

-and into the warm.

-Right, everybody, settle doon.

Make yourselves at hame.

Do you have a strategy to deal with the local agitators?

We were recently able to round up many of the local militants.

Where the agitators have gained influence, the Economic League

is working to make sure that there is an alternate view

-for the ordinary miner.

-And how do you do that?

Through our network of local activists. We've challenged

the Communists in the pubs, in the clubs and on street corners.

I don't know how well you know Fife,

but it's not having much of an effect here.

The local mining unions are well organised and disciplined.

-The strike's solid.

-We've established a network of informants,

with the full co-operation of His Majesty's government

and local political organisations who are supportive of our cause.

We know where and when the agitators will strike.

GUNSHOT

GUNSHOT

GUNSHOT

As of today, we have instructed the pit managers

to cut off the water supply to the local rows which we own.

This covers many of the more militant villages, such as Carhill,

or The Happy Lands, as the locals call it.

I'm sorry, I cannae be a part o' this any more.

PANTING

SHE BREATHES HEAVILY

SCREAMING

COUGHING

Can we go, son?

What are we doing here?

We're not criminals.

-We're prisoners-of-war.

-Nobody wins the war.

It's no' just about winning, Michael.

You cannae win every fight.

It's aboot learning from your losses, son.

Make it hard for the bastards.

If you have nae fight, you're as well rolling over and letting them

fit you up the arse.

It's aboot keeping what you've already won.

You cannae dae that withoot fighting...and remembering.

Some of us want to forget, no' remember.

We're powerless, Dan. What's the point?

If you forget who you are, you lose who you are.

Nae offence, son, but you need to gi'e yourself a shake!

You dinnae realise the power you've got.

CHEERING

BAGPIPES PLAY

CHEERING

It is truly an honour for me to be with you all here today.

In the event, to present this medal to Michael Brogan,

for his commitment to his class and his loyalty and dedication...

..in our recent troubles. In pinning this medal on Michael,

I salute you as a working-class hero.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

THUNDER RUMBLES

I'm starting in the pit, as soon as the strike's over.

There's other ways to make a living.

Aye, maybe so, but there's nae better.