Echo special: Living through the 1984 Miners' Strike - from the people who were there

The 1984 Miners' Strike has been remembered - by the Wearside people who lived through it.

In a matter of days, the Sunderland Echo will be sharing the memories of the families, the miners, the pickets and a lodge official who all fought for their futures.

Today, Wearside Echoes is giving its followers an exclusive first look at what is to come.

Alan Mardghum was the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) lodge financial secretary at Wearmouth. He remembered feelings of 'fear, of dread, would our pit be affected'.

Charlie Bell, who picketed for almost every day of the 1984 Miners' Strike, said his local community in Hetton was 'pretty much dependent on coal mining'.

Families relied on that wage for mortgages, rent and food - and striking was the only option to protect their future, Charlie added.

Bob Heron spoke of tough days where he would picket for hours and then head to the pit heap to 'riddle' the waste for any coal he could get out of it for the family fire.

And his wife Juliana combined family duties with organising food parcels for the miners.

It even included a meeting with a music legend from the USA who gave money to the miners cause in 1984.

The strike lasted for a year and led to a mix of emotions. Locals have looked back on the legacy of the 1980s and how life in their communities looks now.

To read their stories in full, follow the Sunderland Echo, www.sunderlandecho.com and our Wearside Echoes Facebook page.