IT was the dispute that divided the nation. The year-long struggle between the miners – under their leader Arthur Scargill – and the National Coal Board split communities and set family member against family member.

For many who were involved, the 1984 Miners’ Strike has left bittersweet memories. There were friendships formed on the picket lines; but also feelings of betrayal, as the drift back to work finally began. And a strike that miners hoped would save their industry marks, for many, the beginning of the end of large-scale coal mining in the UK. The dispute began when Yorkshire miners walked out on March 5 after the announcement that the Cortonwood pit near Barnsley was to close.

By March 12, half of Britain’s 187,000 miners had followed suit.

Initially, picket lines at Selby were friendly. Some picketing miners even talked of police bringing them cups of tea Then came Orgreave, and the tone changed. On June 6, Selby itself was virtually besieged when about 1,000 miners blockaded the toll bridge over the River Ouse.

After a slow drift back to work the strike officially ended on March 3, 1985, leaving a lasting legacy of bitterness.

Next week sees the 25th anniversary of the start of the dispute. To mark the occasion, The Press will be running a series of articles and features.

We want to speak to those who were involved – miners who took to the picket lines; wives and family members who struggled to cope as the year-long strike took its toll; police officers who saw the dispute from the other side.

Do you think the striking miners were right? Were you proud to be one of them? Or was the whole strike a mistake that brought disaster to the industry and to the communities that relied upon coal?

We also want to hear about how former miners have coped in the five years since the Selby coalfield closed down.

If you have a story to tell, or pictures or memories from the dispute, phone Stephen Lewis at The Press on 01904 653051 ext 336, or email him at stephen.lewis@thepress.co.uk