I FIND this difficult to write because like many I thought that somehow Anne Scargill would be with us forever — but she’s gone and we must never forget what she did, never forget how inspirational she was.

Anne’s name is well known throughout the coalfields, her face is instantly recognised. Her smile instantly lifted the spirits of many a woman and man. She was a friend, a comrade and a sister who will be remembered forever.

Anne Scargill is a name that deserves to be spoken with the same reverence we give to giants of the working-class struggle.

She was out there on the front line, not simply as a supporting act, but as a fighter in her own right.

Anne travelled the country during the strike, standing with mining communities at rallies, on picket lines, in the kitchen and in meetings.

She was a tireless campaigner, former coalminer’s wife, and one of the founding members of Women Against Pit Closures.

She was well known for her fearless activism during the 1984-85 miners’ strike, she was a formidable figure who never shied away from confrontation with authority. She was a constant presence on picket lines, at rallies, and in courtrooms, often arrested but never silenced.

Anne was a Yorkshire lass, she became a national and international figure when she gave rise to Women Against Pit Closures.

Anne galvanised grassroots resistance, rallying women in mining communities to fight for jobs and community.

It has been said she was the backbone of the strike, she encouraged women to become involved, to stand side by side with their men.

Anne was known for her picket line resilience, but also for her warmth, humour and deep belief in justice.

I remember Betty Cook telling me the story of when they were carted off by police because they were picketing outside Michael Heseltine’s office in London. Brazier lit and kettle on, they refused to move and were carried away by police officers and kept in police cells until the decision was taken to set them free.

Anne and her good friend Betty travelled around helping raise much-needed cash as well as spreading the word about the struggle. Together they told their stories in their book Anne and Betty: United in the Struggle.

I can honestly say that everywhere they went they left their mark. Many of the friendships Anne helped forge during that year still remain strong today.

She became a daughter of Mother Jones, a title she so deserved (if you don’t know Mother Jones then google the name).

Anne’s voice, fierce and unapologetic, carried the anger and the pride of our communities which were under siege. She never gave up, not in the bitter days of police intimidation, not during the betrayals of those in power, not even when the pits were closed and the media declared defeat.

Anne continued to protest after the strike; she was involved in environmental campaigns, and anti-austerity marches, remaining true to her working-class roots.

Anne was indeed a warrior: she was what I call a doer not a talker. She believed strongly in “deeds, not words.”

I’m so glad our paths crossed and like so many, I have personal memories that even at this time make me smile and think of a dear sister in the struggle.

My last memory is of when we were at the Joe Green and David Jones memorial in 2023. Anne’s memory was failing but she stood tall as she sang to the hymn being played outside the miners’ hall in Barnsley. She was a lone voice so I sang with her as we held hands and remembered the true price of coal.

Anne’s legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of mining folk, she will not be forgotten. We are Women we are Strong!

Heather Wood, National Women Against Pit Closures.