In this podcast - which was recorded last year - academic and journalist Naemi Victoria chats with filmmaker Daniel Draper about his documentary Iron Ladies, which will screen in the Nerve Centre on 30th January 2026.
Listen now on SoundCloud, Apple, Spotify, Acast and Amazon, or subscribe to Film Ireland wherever you get your podcasts.
Iron Ladies tells the story of the working-class women who became the backbone of the 1984–85 Miners' Strike. From Scotland to Kent, women from coalfield communities share their experiences of the year-long struggle, and how their actions reshaped political activism for working-class women.
The film shines a spotlight on voices that have too often been overlooked. Featuring Heather Wood, Lorraine Stansbie, Rose Hunter, Kate Alvey, Betty Cook, Aggie Currie, and many more, Iron Ladies is both a vital historical record and a celebration of solidarity, resilience, and determination.
The screening of Iron ladies will take place at 7pm on 30th January and is followed by a post-screening discussion with Daniel and contributor to the film, Rose Hunter. Get your tickets at NerveCentre.org.
Daniel Draper
Daniel is a Liverpool-based filmmaker. His debut film, Nature of the Beast was released across UK cinemas in 2017. Since, Daniel has produced and directed an additional three feature documentaries and continues to explore place, identity, class and politics through his current and forthcoming work.
Meet the Iron Ladies
Heather Wood: Born and bred in the pit village of Easington, Heather was chair of Save Easington Area Mines in East Durham, and became involved in National Women Against Pit Closures during the Miners’ Strike. Her activism remains strong - a key organiser of the National Women Against Pit Closures 40th anniversary event. She has written a book (Just a Pit Lass) and featured in two Ken Loach films - Sorry We Missed You and The Old Oak.
Lorraine Stansbie: Now Sheffield based, Lorraine Stansbie was a student at Northern College when the Strike started. She became a key figure in Barnsley Women Oppose Pit Closures and was a speaker at the 12,000 woman-strong rally at Barnsley Town Hall in 1984.
Rose Hunter: A key member of the The North Staffs Miner's Wives Action Group, a very active group during 1984/95 and beyond - occupying pits during the final closures in the 1990s and supporting causes across the country to highlight injustice and fight for workers’ rights. The group is still active today.
Kate Alvey: Part of Chesterfield Women’s Action Group. Was politically active before the Strike and led a women’s group who campaigned for Tony Benn to be elected as MP for Chesterfield in the weeks before the Strike. Chesterfield was the centre of operations for organising support for miners and their families across the Derbyshire area.
