The Brave Don't Cry

In the days when we had a mining industry incidents like this happened occasionally.However the miners were defeated in a showdown with Margaret Thatcher after which the mining industry seemed to disintegrate,and I am not sure if there is a working pit anymore.Whilst this film is clearly realistic it is rather downbeat and I wonder if it would have attracted much of an audience.I was rather puzzled by some of the technical matters.Why could they only get 3 out at a time.Why we're they using a forehand respirator that wasn't normally used in the pits.How was it that when John Gregson came in that they couldn't take people out immediately?