Occupation of Trentham Colliery
Updated: 12/11/2025, 5:48:41 PM Wikipedia source
The occupation of Trentham Colliery, a coal mine in Staffordshire, England, was a protest against its closure which took place from 12 to 15 May 1993. After camping outside the entrance to the Trentham superpit for months, three members of the North Staffordshire Miners' Wives Action Group entered the No. 2 pit shaft in the middle of the night. The women, Brenda Procter, Bridget Bell, and Gina Earl, occupied the pit, chained together on a ledge for 80 hours, while a fourth woman, Rose Hunter, remained outside to manage communications and publicity on their behalf. When the protesters finally agreed to leave, they were led out of the pit by Arthur Scargill, president of the National Union of Mineworkers. The event became the basis of a documentary musical called Nice Girls, created by Peter Cheeseman, which was staged at the New Victoria Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent and later went on tour in Paris.
Infobox
Tables
| Character | Original cast (1993) |
| Brenda Procter | Jane Wood |
| Bridget Bell | Alice Arnold |
| Gina Earl | Anna Jaskolka |
| Rose Hunter | Charlotte Barker |
| All male characters | Steven Granville |
References
- The correct spelling of her surname is Procter with an "e".
- BBC Stoke & Staffordshirehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/stoke/content/articles/2009/02/12/north_staffs_miners_wives_action_feature.shtml
- BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cndjwd4py1po
- The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/apr/02/brenda-procter-obituary
- New Theatre Quarterlyhttps://doi.org/10.1017%2FS0266464X00001135
- Evening Sentinelhttps://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-sentinel-wives-who-will-not-be-m/163531332/
- Evening Sentinelhttps://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-sentinel-anguish-and-humour-in-d/162240094/
- Evening Sentinelhttps://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-sentinel-vic-stages-an-epic-prot/162233877/
- The Guardianhttps://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-happy-hour-for-protest-wome/162250963/
- The Birmingham Posthttps://www.newspapers.com/article/the-birmingham-post-miners-face-trentham/163530991/
- The Guardianhttps://www.newspapers.com/article/the-guardian-women-pledge-to-fight-on/162310233/
- www.parliament.ukhttps://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199293/cmhansrd/1993-04-21/Orals-2.html
- The Advertiserhttps://www.newspapers.com/article/the-advertiser-return-visit-for-pit-wive/162271059/
- UK Parliamenthttps://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/5585/womens-protest-trentham-colliery-stokeontrent
- The Birmingham Posthttps://www.newspapers.com/article/the-birmingham-post/162239912/
- Burton Mailhttps://www.newspapers.com/article/burton-mail-support-for-women/162310042/
- Birmingham Evening Mailhttps://www.newspapers.com/article/birmingham-evening-mail-scargill-ends-pi/163804603/
- Evening Sentinelhttps://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-sentinel-scargill-leads-march-ag/162310162/
- Evening Sentinelhttps://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-sentinel-wives-vigil-ends-after/163530773/
- The Cambridge Companion to British Theatre since 1945https://doi.org/10.1017%2F9781108377850.015
- The Independenthttps://www.newspapers.com/article/the-independent-mine-art/163921174/
- Singing the Changes
- Victoria Theatre - Jubilee Year Celebrationhttps://libguides.staffs.ac.uk/vic_theatre/verbatim
- Evening Sentinelhttps://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-sentinel-not-very-nice-to-the-gi/162310592/
- Evening Sentinelhttps://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-sentinel-as-pit-wives-play-e/164053332/
- Evening Sentinelhttps://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-sentinel-nice-girls-on-screen/163921297/
- Evening Sentinelhttps://www.newspapers.com/article/evening-sentinel-fanfares-for-french-vic/162240515/
- Victoria Theatre – Jubilee Year Celebrationhttps://libguides.staffs.ac.uk/vic_theatre/verbatim#s-lg-box-15917174