Reports in the papers about UK Coal going into administration and the effects that'll have on their miners' pensions got me wondering about the scale of this problem in Northumberland. I don't know if UK Coal operated in N/land and if there are any/many miners affected. I think that the old guys who worked for the NCB (or whatever they might have called it pre-privatisation) are OK but post-privatisation guys will maybe forfeit 10% of their pension value.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/jul/09/uk-coal-enters-administration-pension-scheme

UK coal operate in Morpeth and Ashington both are opencast mines and as we all know they hit the press in 2005 with their closure of Ellington Colliery, but the effects of this as you said, will have 10% cut from their pensions are going to be felt by the post 1994 miners not those employed pre 1994 under the NCB and British Coal. The Coal Industry should still be in public hands as should most of the industry privatized in the 80's/early 90's.