A very old VHS tape of a BBC 'Horizon' documentary about the slate manufacturing communities of North Wales, the industry itself and the rich culture that grew up with it - both now in long, slow decline...
Aired a year or so before I was even born, getting to see documentaries like this, which after 40 years are a cultural artefact by themselves is the best part of RU-vid.
I was 4 when this aired. I still live locally in one of the towns featured and to be honest I did not realise that life was this hard for my parents way back in 1980.
Thank you for uploading this Christopher. I have been trying to get hold of a copy for years, as the gentleman featured in the opening scenes is my Great Uncle, Owen Humphreys, known as 'Now'. Lovely to hear his voice again after 40 years and also his wife Kate accompany his singing on the piano. My brother and I enjoyed many happy vists to Talysarn during the 1970's and played on the slag heaps and old mine buildings.
Hi Keith, I'm so sorry to revive an 8 month old comment but I'm curious what your great uncle was saying about the jackdaws after about 2:12, in the beginning bit of the film, before he says "as sure as God is in heaven"? How wonderful you got to hear him speak and sing again! :)
I've been fortunate to spend thousands of hours underground, both working and exploring mines and quarries. The slate mines and quarries of North wales hold a a special place in my heart, never having had the opportunity to work in the slate industry, but still understanding the hard work and scence of community, having worked at South Crofty. God bless
I have just returned from a couple of days spent walking around the Dinorwig quarry, in rain and a howling gale. The overwhelming sense of melancholy and loss that pervades the site underlines what these hard working men said. Thank you for putting this documentary online and letting the voices of those who worked the quarries ring out once more.
The documentary really captures the back breaking labour required to quarry the slate. The scale of the working is amazing, particularly the panning shot of the ladders going down the face at the start. Having poked around the Llanberis quarries you can almost hear the hammers still working. Thanks for sharing it.
Beautiful documentary about very good people with not much choices for long time, but having to take a very hard trade in order to survive in that beautiful land. Somewhat reminds me of the old movie "How green was my valley". Best regards from Santiago, Chile, in lockdown already 3 months because of the damned corona virus...
@@ChristopherSykesDocumentaries I would like to thank you and the film crew for documenting a long-gone world. The Mine and mill are now derelict, neglected and robbed by thieves. I personally became excess to requirements after that interview but went overseas as an explosives engineer. So, I have that to thank you for also. Though the local JP's managing director got his own back on me years later. Another friend of mine who was filmed underground at that time called Dafydd would like to thank you also. Thank you again for your impartial filming, kind regards Terry Evans.
@@terryfawr Thanks for the interesting update. Travelling the world as an explosives engineer sounds great! I remember the black powder you used so as to be 'gentle' with the slate? Best wishes to you and Daffyd, Christopher
Excellent documentary capturing the culture so well, and highlighting (if that’s the right term), the awful cruelty these brave people endured under greedy and totally uncaring ‘management’. The treatment these people, and those in other mining disciplines were subjected to is erring towards the unbelievable at times. Wonderful but tragic story.
Simply a wonderful documentary .... I’m familiar with slate; also the indentured servitude enterprise under capitalism that robbed so many thousands of sheer boys of their youth and their lungs. I appreciate the few geological facts too, as a former student of the subject. Thank you for posting this valuable history. Miss Jenny
Fascinating and intensely moving documentary. However, I always find it difficult to square the contradiction of the poor pay and conditions the quarrymen / miners endured, against and sadness and anger felt at the terminal decline of those heavy industries.
@@Tom-hl7wc I think the quarrymen and miners enjoyed and appreciated the camaraderie of the heavy industry. They put up with the heavy manual work and poor conditions because of the enjoyment of working amongst a strong community of men of the local villages and towns. The community bonds seemed very strong in those days, unlike today. It also seems that the pay was actually very good, contrary to popular belief.
Just come to this vid by accident. I have Abso-fucking-lutley no idea what this vid is about but I love the way you can find all sorts of stuff on YT that lovely people find interesting. So even though I've no idea what this is about I'm gonna give it a big friendly, happy Thumbs Up Like 😀
christopher, another great film from you, thanks so much. i'm interested in the profile of the Horizon strand, since i understood it was notionally a science series, but clearly it had a very broad understanding of that, considering this and your excellent wittgenstein film were included?
Thank you! In fact, there was a view at the time at the BBC that the slate film should not have been in the Horizon slot! But I'm so glad you enjoyed it anyway.
Not really...it was a change in fashion from one kind -slate - to another kind, probably ceramic tiles. Slate was cheap, so people who wanted to look prosperous didn't want slate roofs. Usually the way it pans out..."market forces" as they say. At 8:50 it's interesting to see the miner say that the market for top grade slate has come full circle. It's trendy now.
As an eastern european living in UK for over 20 years, I always found it fascinating how much tension there is between nations living on this rock in the middle of the sea. Very sad.
@@egord9101 as an English man living with a Eastern European wife it's always amazed me how much tension there has been across Europe when you all live so close together. Very Sad
My home town ..as a young boy.born n bread .x3 members of my family on this vid. One vincent! Start of bleanaue. Testimonials Part .large bar splitting slate.last two couple clips in father's brother slate splitter blue overalls sitting down hammer .! Merion Owen jonelwyn elwyn orange hat on head x2 others were i interviewd.against of few @ front walking out bok miners had 2 nd man .also brass band horn player.his father in law.my aunts hubby was also in penryn choir & royal Welsh .my father also was slate rock man .drilling and dynamite And his father my grandfather .pictures in the history minors book in bleanaue .museum.grandfather went on to be porter @ hospital.and old ambulance station in mid 60s & late 70s. One guy i knew in film as a boy .in cabin . Kevin cavanagh. Tho I guess he won't remember me .tho he knows my cuss Yvonne evans. Thank you so much for Putting this film up .tho it breaks my heart.it's my home and Deffntly land of my fathers! Cymru.am.byth. Kind regards.
Dear Bryan Jones, I just saw this! Fascinating and very moving. I'm so glad you found all this in the film. I often think about my brief time there in and around the quarries - it was a privilege. Best wishes, Christopher Sykes
