who are looking forward to the visit. The second episode, Back to Reality, takes place a month later and deals with an underground explosion that kills several miners and follows the attempts to rescue others that remain trapped. Cast Bobby Knutt as Sid Storey Rita May as Kath Storey Paul Chappell as Tony Storey Jayne Waddington as Janet Storey Haydn Conway as Mark Storey Jackie Shinn as Mr. Forbes Duggie Brown as Geoff Carter Bert Oxley as Phil Beatson Ted Beyer as Harry Tommy Edwards as Alf Meakin Anne Firth as Sheila Stan Richards as Albert Philip Firth as Ronnie Michael Hinchcliffe as Johnny Christie Gee as Mrs King Ron Delta as Mr Dobson Mary Wray as Mrs Dobson Hughie Turner as Bob Richards (Part One) Robbie Platts as Mr Atkinson (Part One) Vicky Dale as Edna (Part One) Edward Underdown as Sir Gordon Horrocks (Part One) Danny James as Banksman (Part One) Tony Graham as Painter (Part One) Peter Russell as Telephonist (Part One) Johnny Allan and Peter Martin as the Bomb Squad (Part One) Gary Roberts as George Kay (Part Two) Jean Spence as Mrs Kay (Part Two) Les Hickin as Eric (Part Two) Peter Black as Pete (Part Two) Paul Bryan as Mr Oates (Part Two) Henry Moxon as Eric Johnson, MP (Part Two) Olga Grahame as Salvation Army Lady (Part Two) Wilfred Grove as Deputy (Part Two) Max Smith as National Union of Mineworkers Official (Part Two) Production Several of the cast were stand up comedians from the Yorkshire working men's club circuit, including Duggie Brown, Bobby Knutt, Stan Richards and Jackie Shinn. The drama was filmed around the disused Thorpe Hesley colliery near Rotherham in South Yorkshire. The scenes in which the Mines Rescue Team set off were filmed in Wakefield with the real Mines Rescue Team in the area, who are given thanks in the end credits. Influences Hines was raised in the mining community of Hoyland Common near Barnsley, and had been a coal miner when he left school. He recollected that when a neighbour saw him at the coalface and chided him "Couldn't tha find a better job than this?" he was inspired to return to full-time education and trained to be a teacher. In The Guardians obituary of Barry Hines, The Price of Coal was described as "a vehicle for Barry to scrutinise class politics". Hines was a republican but recognised