MINER’S FAMILY

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 13th Year

Issue

Issue No.

7

Date Released

Mar 1960

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1MINISTER’S VISIT
2. 2HOME FIRES
3. 3MINER’S FAMILY

Story

Story No. within this Issue

3 / 3

Summary

BFI synopsis: a family weekend spent at Ashington, Northumberland, with the footballing Charlton brothers.
NCB Commentary - Linton Colliery lies near Ashington in Northumberland - a little off the beaton track perhaps, but it has its visitors and once every few weeks the visitors are rather special.
They’re the famous footballing Charlton brothers. There’s Bobby of Manchester United on the right and young Gordon, whose just joined Leeds United - Jack is also a member of the Leeds team.
And here comes the reason for the call - father. Bert Charlton, an underground stone worker at Linton for 35 years. Young Gordon is a left-winger; Jackie, (himself once a miner) a centre half; and Bobby is usually to be found at inside-forward.
Fishing is one of the brothers’ favourite pasttimes and the local river - the Wansbeck - is one of their happiest hunting grounds.
Here completing the family party is young Tommy, still a pupil at Bedlington Grammar. Bobby went there too. Before he left he was ‘spotted’ by Matt Busby. He turned professional as soon as he was old enough, giving up an engineering apprenticeship to do it.
Bert Charlton is a pigeon fancier, he’s about the only member of the family who doesn’t play football and has no interest in it apart from his family’s success.
But in one way or another soccer is never far away and, in their spare moments the brothers enjoy a kick around with some of the local lads. It’s not all that serious, and it’s not everybody who can say they’ve played football with the Charltons.
While they’re waiting for the evening meal the family enjoys another game, this time it’s snooker.
Bobby and Gordon are keen jazz enthusiasts, after all, footballs aren’t square are they? And neither, it appears, are footballers.
Mrs. Charlton has a big team to manage. She comes from a famous soccer family, the Milburns. Her cousin Jacky played for Newcastle and England and her father, grandfather and three brothers were all professionals in their day. Her sons have followed their example and certainly made a name for themselves in football.
But inspite of it all they still remain a happy mining family.

Researcher Comments

Commentary recorded 8th February 1960.

Keywords

Domestic life; Mining; Football

Locations

England; Northumberland

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
The National Archives COAL 32   /12 Scripts for Mining Review, 1956-1960

Credits:

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Sponsor

National Coal Board