THE FIGHTING HARVEYS

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 15th Year

Issue

Issue No.

10

Date Released

Jun 1962

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1SHOW TRAIN
2. 2MINING PORTRAIT: THE SAFETY OFFICER
3. 3THE FIGHTING HARVEYS

Story

Story No. within this Issue

3 / 3

Summary

BFI synopsis: five miner brothers from Thornley Colliery, County Durham, who are dedicated to boxing.
NCB Commentary - Clocking in at Thornley Colliery are the ‘fighting Harveys’ - five brothers who are the mainstays of the local club. Four of them are, or have been, champions of the Durham Division.
They train in the local gymnasium - which was re-opened specially for the boys of the pit club. Ken is the last to come. The Brass Band also use the gym for practice - it’s an interesting combination.
Every evening is taken up with skipping and training of all kinds, for three of them, Len, Joe and John have got through to the Northern Semi-finals of the Mineworkers’ Championships. They, of course, are heroes to the local kids.
Broken tub wheels, Len has discovered, are ideal as barbels. And there’s John. The pit training officer, Henry Hubbard helps in the work out and it’s a good job the boys throw their punches straight!
Yes, the tempo is hotting up and on semi-final day, Nivensknowe Welfare Centre in Scotland is crowded for Joe’s welterweight elimator against Evans of Wales.
But this wasn’t to be a good day for the Harveys and Joe, the Durham champion, lost on points.
Poor John certainly fared no better - his end against Pyne of North Western was, to say the least of it, sudden.
It was left to Len, the light middleweight, to uphold the honour of the family and reach the semi-finals proper. His opponent was Aitken from Scotland.
Brother Ron was in his corner and well satisfied with the ways things were going.
Nothing that Aitken could do in the way of retaliation kept Len quiet - Harvey’s right to the face was a telling punch, and when he followed with piston lefts, the majority of the judges were left in no doubt.
But, he too lost in the semi-finals. But judging from the number of trophies already on the sideboard, there will be other days for the ‘Fighting Harveys’.

Keywords

Domestic life; Boxing; Mining; Physical fitness and training

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
The National Archives COAL 32   /13 Scripts for Mining Review, 1960-1963

Credits:

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Sponsor

National Coal Board