Occupation of Trentham Colliery

The occupation of Trentham Colliery, a coal mine in Staffordshire, England, was a protest against its closure which took place from 12 to 15 May 1993. After camping outside the entrance to the Trentham superpit for months, three members of the North Staffordshire Miners' Wives Action Group entered the No. 2 pit shaft in the middle of the night. The women, Brenda Procter, Bridget Bell, and Gina Earl, occupied the pit, chained together on a ledge for 80 hours, while a fourth woman, Rose Hunter, remained outside to manage communications and publicity on their behalf. When the protesters finally agreed to leave, they were led out of the pit by Arthur Scargill, president of the National Union of Mineworkers.

The event became the basis of a documentary musical called Nice Girls, created by Peter Cheeseman, which was staged at the New Victoria Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent and later went on tour in Paris.