This is the second instalment in a two part Play for Today, about a working colliery in the north of England. The first episode dealt with preparations for a visit to the colliery by Prince Charles, but things take a more dramatic turn in this conclusion.
Ken Loach is an incredible director for so many reasons, and is rightly held in very high esteem by other post-war luminaries of British cinema and television, including Michael Apted, Stephen Frears and Alan Parker.
One theme common to Ken Loach's films and television plays, is the way he is able to coax wonderfully understated, totally natural performances from his cast, including children, and doesn't shy away from strong regional dialect. As a result, it's sometimes hard to tell if you are watching a dramatised story, or a fly-on-the-wall documentary. Under Mr Loach's expert guidance, even mundane aspects of life take on an artistic poignancy. He and his crew and artists have left us unforgettable moments of working-class history in post-war Britain.
