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| Scottish miners celebrate Thatcher's funeral with whisky and morbid jokes | Scottish miners celebrate Thatcher's funeral with whisky and morbid jokes |
| (8 days later) | |
| The former miners of Monktonhall gathered on Wednesday in a local graveyard, popped corks, swigged whisky from silver hip flasks and, doused by rain, cracked morbid jokes. "Maggie's in hell and she's shut down three furnaces already," said one, with a sour laugh. | The former miners of Monktonhall gathered on Wednesday in a local graveyard, popped corks, swigged whisky from silver hip flasks and, doused by rain, cracked morbid jokes. "Maggie's in hell and she's shut down three furnaces already," said one, with a sour laugh. |
| Paying tribute to several dead pitmen buried at Newton parish church, they remembered the miners' strike nearly 30 years ago that led to scores of local men being sacked. They gathered too to openly dishonour the woman they solely and wholly blamed, Margaret Thatcher. | Paying tribute to several dead pitmen buried at Newton parish church, they remembered the miners' strike nearly 30 years ago that led to scores of local men being sacked. They gathered too to openly dishonour the woman they solely and wholly blamed, Margaret Thatcher. |
| They laid four wreaths at a memorial to the 10 local men killed underground at Monktonhall since the 1960s – some of the wreaths labelled National Union of Miners – and then held a "Thatcher's dead" party at the miners' club. There was no attempt at irony. They meant it. It was a late wake for their own past. | They laid four wreaths at a memorial to the 10 local men killed underground at Monktonhall since the 1960s – some of the wreaths labelled National Union of Miners – and then held a "Thatcher's dead" party at the miners' club. There was no attempt at irony. They meant it. It was a late wake for their own past. |
| Jim Finlayson, 70, in flat cap and glasses, sat behind a Formica-covered table at the entrance to Danderhall miners' club with an open visitor's book, a pint of Heavy and an old whisky bottle case with the scribbled label: "Donations towards Thatcher's funeral party." He was one of more than 170 local miners sacked after being arrested on a picket line at Bilston Glen colliery, the other major pit in the area. | Jim Finlayson, 70, in flat cap and glasses, sat behind a Formica-covered table at the entrance to Danderhall miners' club with an open visitor's book, a pint of Heavy and an old whisky bottle case with the scribbled label: "Donations towards Thatcher's funeral party." He was one of more than 170 local miners sacked after being arrested on a picket line at Bilston Glen colliery, the other major pit in the area. |
| "I feel, personally, she destroyed Scotland. You know, 250,000 workers were put out of work eventually and she got all the tax and revenue from the oil: she took that off us as well," he said. | "I feel, personally, she destroyed Scotland. You know, 250,000 workers were put out of work eventually and she got all the tax and revenue from the oil: she took that off us as well," he said. |
| Alex Bennett, now a local Labour councillor, who was chairman of the local National Union of Mineworkers branch in the strike, and the event's master of ceremonies, was equally unrepentant. | Alex Bennett, now a local Labour councillor, who was chairman of the local National Union of Mineworkers branch in the strike, and the event's master of ceremonies, was equally unrepentant. |
| "Some people think it's disrespectful; as far as I'm concerned, I can't respect Margaret Thatcher. I don't think she respected any of us. I think it's bad taste she's having a state funeral," he said. Thatcher, he added, was no Diana, Princess of Wales. | "Some people think it's disrespectful; as far as I'm concerned, I can't respect Margaret Thatcher. I don't think she respected any of us. I think it's bad taste she's having a state funeral," he said. Thatcher, he added, was no Diana, Princess of Wales. |
| There were a handful of other anti-Thatcher events elsewhere in Scotland. In George Square in central Glasgow, scene of the impromptu street party held on the day Lady Thatcher died, a vigil was held to commemorate the thousands of people laid off in local shipyards, mines and at Ravenscraig steel mill. | There were a handful of other anti-Thatcher events elsewhere in Scotland. In George Square in central Glasgow, scene of the impromptu street party held on the day Lady Thatcher died, a vigil was held to commemorate the thousands of people laid off in local shipyards, mines and at Ravenscraig steel mill. |
| Like other Scottish mining communities, dozens of local men around Danderhall, on the southern outskirts of Edinburgh, were sacked during the strike; at its peak one pitman, Abe Moffat, son of a famous miners' leader, Alex Moffat, nailed himself to his floorboards in nearby Dalkeith in protest. Another famous miners' leader, the communist Mick McGahey, was a regular at Danderhall in the 1970s. | Like other Scottish mining communities, dozens of local men around Danderhall, on the southern outskirts of Edinburgh, were sacked during the strike; at its peak one pitman, Abe Moffat, son of a famous miners' leader, Alex Moffat, nailed himself to his floorboards in nearby Dalkeith in protest. Another famous miners' leader, the communist Mick McGahey, was a regular at Danderhall in the 1970s. |
| Brendan Moohan, 48, regards himself as a lucky survivor. He was sacked for breach of the peace on the picket line only two years after starting aged 17 at Monktonhall. He eventually went to university, getting an A for his community education dissertation, a critique of Thatcherism. | Brendan Moohan, 48, regards himself as a lucky survivor. He was sacked for breach of the peace on the picket line only two years after starting aged 17 at Monktonhall. He eventually went to university, getting an A for his community education dissertation, a critique of Thatcherism. |
| "Let's not forget, she compared us to fascists in Argentina by calling us 'the enemy within'," Moohan said, clutching a plastic tumbler of cava in the cemetery. "I don't normally go around celebrating the deaths of people, you have to understand." | "Let's not forget, she compared us to fascists in Argentina by calling us 'the enemy within'," Moohan said, clutching a plastic tumbler of cava in the cemetery. "I don't normally go around celebrating the deaths of people, you have to understand." |
| His friend Simon Tait, 56, recalled his father refusing to allow him to visit the coalface as a schoolboy. He believes his father did right: "I'm a poncey actor now," Tait said. Bill Tait, an electrician underground, died after surviving tuberculosis, four knee operations and quadruple heart bypass surgery. | His friend Simon Tait, 56, recalled his father refusing to allow him to visit the coalface as a schoolboy. He believes his father did right: "I'm a poncey actor now," Tait said. Bill Tait, an electrician underground, died after surviving tuberculosis, four knee operations and quadruple heart bypass surgery. |
| "I wish he could have been here. I think it's wonderful, all these old miners popping bottles of champagne. That woman showed complete disrespect to an entire country: I don't even mean just Scotland – the whole of the UK," Tait said. "I think the strike was a sideshow: it was to do with the trade union movement. She wanted to break the trade unions – that's why she pushed on with the strike." | "I wish he could have been here. I think it's wonderful, all these old miners popping bottles of champagne. That woman showed complete disrespect to an entire country: I don't even mean just Scotland – the whole of the UK," Tait said. "I think the strike was a sideshow: it was to do with the trade union movement. She wanted to break the trade unions – that's why she pushed on with the strike." |
| As a parting gesture at the churchyard, Helenor Forbes, a small brass miners' lamp brooch pinned to her lapel, wandered over to kiss her husband Freddie's gravestone. The wife, daughter and granddaughter of miners, Forbes believes the former prime minister in effect waged war on working-class Scotland, closing the pits, Ravenscraig steel mill and other key heavy industries. | As a parting gesture at the churchyard, Helenor Forbes, a small brass miners' lamp brooch pinned to her lapel, wandered over to kiss her husband Freddie's gravestone. The wife, daughter and granddaughter of miners, Forbes believes the former prime minister in effect waged war on working-class Scotland, closing the pits, Ravenscraig steel mill and other key heavy industries. |
| "Today is a happy day for us," she said bluntly. "I can feel for her family, her personal son and daughter, but for Mrs Thatcher herself? I have no sadness at all." | "Today is a happy day for us," she said bluntly. "I can feel for her family, her personal son and daughter, but for Mrs Thatcher herself? I have no sadness at all." |
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