TV-MA
S1 • E7 Feb 26, 1996 70m8.5
As the miners' strike is dominates all political life across the country, Mary has become Leader of Newcastle City Council and is actively supporting the miners, but her son Anthony finds himself on the frontline of the conflict having become a policeman. Nicky, whose career as a photographer has begun to take off, works with Eddie Wells to investigate the involvement of local businesses in breaking the strike at the same time as a now heavily balding Tosker is doing deals with these men. At first the relationship between the miners and the local police is friendly, but when large numbers of police from the London Met are sent in as reinforcements and there is an attempt by scab workers to enter the pit, a riot ensues in the village. Anthony is incredibly disturbed by the violence he witnesses, in particular the brutality of the London police officers. Feeling conflicted loyalties, he requests to be taken off policing the strikers, in spite of the threatened damage to his career prospects. Mary tends to the wounds of Nicky, who was injured by a policeman whilst taking photos of the riot on the picket line, and they end up sleeping together. Mary offers to defend two miners charged with rioting in court for no charge and pressures Anthony to testify against the police and on behalf of the miners, knowing that that would swing the verdict. His decision to testify at the court leads to a decision by the prosecution to largely lessen the charges against the miners so that he does not have to testify. This is seen as a victory for the two miners, but Anthony is warned that he has destroyed any chances he had of advancement in the police. Florrie and Felix have become in increasing danger of being attacked and are frequently pestered and berated by local youths, including young Christopher Collins. When he goes to complain to Collins' family, Felix is viciously attacked by his stepfather and his Rottweiler, ending up in hospital. Nicky arranges for his mother to move to a bungalow to make things easier for the two of them, but when Felix comes out of hospital it becomes clear that the attack has only worsened his mental deterioration. Tosker, happy in his new life with Elaine, has begun to become a wealthy man through his acquaintances with members of the business community, including Alan Roe. He eventually decides to join the Freemasons. Nicky and Mary, at the behest of her children, propose to one another and agree to marry.
