Oscar-nominated star Pete Postlethwaite dies at 64

[Graham Kennedy]

Meh, we have Pittsburgh. Same thing.

The only time I've ever needed subtitles for English was while watching part of a Beeb documentary involving old-timers from East Anglia. Even other Brits couldn't understand them.

What Pittsburgh was deliberately shut down for no reason what so ever just so that the Government could make a political point?

That's not why the coal industry was shut down. British coal was expensive (largely due to high wages) and not subsidised (which European coal was), whilst North Sea oil and gas was much cheaper. Coal just couldn't compete.

[kostmayer]

Darn, had quite forgotten he played Hakeswill in the excellent Sharpe TV adaptions.

[IanKennedy]

Meh, we have Pittsburgh. Same thing.

The only time I've ever needed subtitles for English was while watching part of a Beeb documentary involving old-timers from East Anglia. Even other Brits couldn't understand them.

What Pittsburgh was deliberately shut down for no reason what so ever just so that the Government could make a political point?

That's not why the coal industry was shut down. British coal was expensive (largely due to high wages) and not subsidised (which European coal was), whilst North Sea oil and gas was much cheaper. Coal just couldn't compete.

That's not true of all of the pits. There were plenty that were perfectly financially viable, especially the ones in Nottingham that eventually broke away from the strike only to find that they closed them down too within six months.

[IanKennedy]

Hmm. I thought I put one of these after that statement:

Fair enough...

But no, Pittsburgh was not shut down for a political point. It was shut down when the coal ran out.

There was plenty of coal in all of our pits.