BARONESS Thatcher may have been admired by many, but Notts miners were among those who had cause to despise her.
At its peak, the Nottinghamshire coalfield produced in excess of 25 million tons of coal each year.
But this all changed during Mrs Thatcher's time at 10 Downing Street.
The miners' strike lasted from March 5, 1984 to March 3, 1985. At a national level it appeared as a battle of wills between the leader of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), Arthur Scargill, and the prime minister.
But in Notts it divided communities. While some Notts miners went on strike, others stayed at work, although that did not stop the mines from closing. Three decades on and the effects of the decline of that industry are still apparent, with high levels of unemployment still evident in coalfield areas.
Many who were badly affected refuse to forgive and forget.
Retired miner Eric Walker, 87, of Moor Road, Strelley, said: "She destroyed the industry. I was retired at the time but I still had many friends in the industry that had the choice of going on strike or losing redundancy.
"We were talking about a lot of redundancy money, something like £25,000, which was a big figure back then.
"Her name is cursed by miners and in the last 25 years no one has said a good word about her. Notts miners lost their jobs because of her and they will not be mourning. They will be celebrating."
Former National Union of Mineworkers secretary and miner Brian Walker, 84, of Arnold said: "The only legacy she has left behind is masses of unemployment.
"She is now in the dustbin of history and it is thanks to her that there is no mining left in this country.
"We lost the strike because of those people that did not take action at the time."
Meanwhile, Eddy Powell, of Radcliffe-on-Trent, said: "We hated Thatcher. She was, without doubt, the most evil of British prime ministers to grace our Parliament.
"The suffering she caused the people is second to none; Cameron is only playing at it so far."
