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‘Souper Woman’ Betty Cook
Writer Boff Whalley didn’t want ‘We’re Not Going Back’ to be the men’s story of the 1984/85 Miner’s Strike, instead tuning-in to the female voices of Women Against Pit Closures (WAPC) ‘who embodied the spirit and passion of the strike.’ He describes their voices as ‘hilarious, fantastic, full of stories’.
One of those incredible voices is that of Betty Cook, the matriarchal head of a miner’s family in Woolley, Near Barnsley, who took up the cause in 1984 when Arthur Scargill called on NUM members to down tools, Betty girded her loins and became a founder member of the local Women Against Pit Closures group.
Betty shared many stories of making meals from ‘nowt’ and scrounging for toys so that local children would have something to look forward to on Christmas morning. She spoke of the search for ‘odd legged’ turkeys that would sell for a fraction of the price of the ‘good nick’ versions. But as well as the hardship and the struggle, Betty also talks of friendship, union and sisterhood.
There were lots of stories of scrapes and rule bending and breaking, of the scuffles and the minibuses, the occasional toe-to-toe confrontation with the thin blue line and taking the fight from Woolley to Barnsley, to Sheffield, to Wales, and to Westminster and then on to the rest of the world.
Even though the hard times were tough with little food and no money coming in, Betty also talked about lasting friendships and her journey of self-discovery and resilience, of doing the right thing, because it is the right thing. The strike taught Betty the importance of education and through Northern College, and later a degree in Sociology and Social Policy as a mature student of 50, she was able to stare injustice and inequality in the eye, articulate it and call it by its name!
WAPC 1985 credit Raissa Page courtesy of Richard Burton Archives Swansea University
And it is that clear voice and those stories, experiences, sisterhood, resilience, defiance and sheer fight that you can enjoy on stage today. Betty continues to campaign and only recently spoke at the 40th anniversary WAPC rally in Durham. Thank you for your gift, thank you for showing us the way and as for ‘Girl Power’ Betty Cook can spice up our lives any day of the week!
By Tracy Milnes
Main image credit: Raissa Page courtesy of Richard Burton Archives, Swansea University. “‘We made ’em ourselves!’ Souper women Betty Speight, Linda Ruston, Pauline Watkins & Betty Cook, members of Barnsley Miners Wives Action Group who ran Wind Hill & Wooley Edge Kitchens now sell pinnies made and designed by them to raise money for jailed & sacked miners Woolley Edge Nr Barnsley S Yorks” Jun 1984
