Checkmate! Rare miners' strike chess set on show at National Coal Mining Museum
It is part of the museum’s free year-long exhibition, 84/85 – The Longest Year.
The polyester resin pieces, designed by Bill Spalding, are believed to be one of only two sets created in 1984.
Acquired at auction in March of this year, the museum will display the set for the first time ahead of the upcoming 40th anniversary of the Battle of Orgreave.
Each opposing side features caricatures of key political figures and icons of the year-long strike, positioned in a stalemate.
The black pieces include Arthur Scargill, who was President of the National Union of Mineworkers, as the king, and Neil Kinnock, then leader of the Labour Party, as queen.
Karl Marx is the bishop and a flying picket is the knight, wih a pithead featured as the rook and miners’ helmets as pawns.
The white characters have Margaret Thatcher, then Prime Minister, as the queen, Ian MacGregor, who was head of the National Coal Board, as king and Milton Friedman, economist and adviser to Thatcher, as the bishop, a police horse as the knight, Big Ben as the rook and police helmets as pawns.
The chess set has been installed alongside a selection of items from the museum’s collection and loans ahead of the upcoming 40th anniversary of the Battle of Orgreave on June 18.
Additions include arrest documentation for a ‘breach of the peace’, a code of practice picketing booklet, a selection of commemorative pin badges and more.
A series of events at NCMME add to the conversation, starting with performances of Without Malice or Ill Will by Writer and Actor, Ray Castleton.
Telling the story of Geoff Marsh, a miner turned copper, and a decision that changed his career forever. The play takes place on Friday, June 7, sat 7pm and Saturday, June 8, 2pm and 7pm, with tickets bookable via the Museum website for £10 - BOOK HERE.
The Museum will also be screening two documentary films delving into the subject matter, with The Battle For Orgreave (Yvette Vanson, 1985) on June 23 and Still The Enemy Within (Owen Gower, 2014) on June 29. Both screenings are pre-bookable via the Museum website for £2 - BOOK HERE.
The Museum’s free exhibition, 84/85 – The Longest Year, runs until the anniversary of the end of the strike, Monday, March 3, 2025, with refreshed displays and a supporting events programme throughout the year.
The exhibition focusses on the experiences of miners and their families, giving a voice to three different points of view: striking miners, those that went back early and those that didn’t strike at all.
Anne Bradley, Curator (Social & Oral History), said: “We are delighted to have acquired this extremely rare chess set into our collection in such an important anniversary year and are thrilled that we can display for the public ahead of the commemoration of Orgreave.
“Bill Spalding’s caricatures offer an insight into the mood of 1984 and the value of humour in the face of hard times.”
The Museum, the former Caphouse Colliery, is on New Road, Overton, the main road between Wakefield and Huddersfield.
National Coal Mining Museum’s attractions include underground tours, exhibitions, pony discovery centre, nature trail, adventure playground, café and more.
It is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am-4pm (winter hours until March 24) and 10am-5pm (summer hours from March27).
Entry to the the museum is free but, as an independent charity, donations are appreciated.
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