The Happy Lands
Drama depicting life in a Scottish mining community during the General Strike of 1926 and set in the village of Carhill Scotland, in the heart of the Fife coalfields.
It's the General Strike 1926 - only seven years after the slaughter of the trenches, miners unions lead the country against savage austerity cuts handed to the nation by a Liberal-Conservative government.
Set in the village of Carhill Scotland, in the heart of the Fife coalfields, we follow the journey of one mining community as they are pushed inevitably towards a labour conflict with the Kingdom Coal Company in a seven-month-long lock-out.
'Not a penny off the pay, not a minute on the day' is the chant as the coal company demand longer hours for less pay. The intimate portrayal of three families show the human consequences of an impersonal economics. The coal company practically owns the village and is colluding with government forces to keep the 'red threat' under control.
Standing up for their rights inspires national support and galvanizes a defiant spirit of the time. Faith forged through suffering grows and though the strike fails, the seed of a political awakening is sown. Inspired by true stories from local families in Fife, the Happy Lands follows the journey of law-abiding citizens who become law-breakers in a heroic battle against the state. It's never a good time to stand up for your rights - but it's always the right time.
Last on
The miners and their families featured in The Happy Lands
A strike over pay and conditions lead to a nationwide General Strike of all union workers
Clips
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A collapse at the pit
Duration: 00:59
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Harry Lauder raises the roof
Duration: 01:05
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Return to the pits
Duration: 01:02
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Behind the scenes on The Happy Lands
Duration: 13:36
Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Director | Robert Rae |
Producer | Helen Trew |
Executive Producer | Robert Rae |
Executive Producer | Andrew Leitch |
Executive Producer | Ewan Angus |
Executive Producer | John Murphy |
Broadcast
- Sun 15 Dec 2013 21:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Two Scotland
Web extra: Behind the scenes
Follow the highs and lows of filming on The Happy Lands.