Seacoal (1985) is a British docudrama produced by Amber Films, about the harsh industrialised beach of Lynemouth, Northumberland, and the local residents of the Lynemouth traveller camp. The film stars many of the local travellers as themselves, and many well known north-east actors, such as Sammy Johnson.

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Plot

Ray drives to a block of flats in Sunderland to collect Betty who is his partner. They drive on to a pub for a wedding night time party. Unknown to Betty, Ray is in the process of doing a deal with one of his friends. The party is full of Ray's old associates who are seacoalers that work and live on the Lynemouth coast, reclaiming waste coal that is washed in on the tide. Without informing Betty, Ray buys a caravan on the seacoalers' camp.

Betty wakes the next morning to find herself in the run-down caravan, and is shocked to learn of Ray's decision to set up again as a seacoaler. Nevertheless, she agrees to move in with him to get herself and her daughter Corrina away from her violent ex-husband.

Betty cleans and decorates the caravan, turning it into a home for the three, and becomes content with living on the camp and working as a seacoaler. Betty makes friends with two other women, Rosie and Val. Ray manages to persuade an old resident of the camp, Ronnie, to allow Ray to use his address to fiddle his dole payments, as living in a caravan they have no actual address.

Betty is outraged to discover that all their hard work gathering about 15 tons of coal has accumulated to £40. Ray then goes ahead and without consulting Betty sells his car and buys a horse, which sets him up as a freelance seacoaler; this enables him to get a better rate for his collected coal. Meanwhile, Corrina makes friendships with the other children on the camp.

Ray is called for an interview at the DHSS concerning his address, where his fraud is discovered. He then bets all his coal on a trotting race to win a pickup that could improve his fortunes, but he loses. He returns to the beach to find his coal already gone.^{[clarification needed]} Unsure what to do and not wanting to face up to Betty he packs his suitcase and leaves while Betty is shopping. Although very upset by Ray's disappearance, Betty decides to stay on the camp and try to make a life for herself and Corrina with support from the other families on the camp.

Cast

Professional Actors

• Amber Styles as Betty
• Ray Stubbs as Ray
• Corrina Stubbs, Corrina
• Benny Graham as Joe
• Tom Hadaway as man in dole
• Murray Martin as counter clerk
• Sammy Johnson as Sammy
• Steve Trafford as DHSS investigator
• Mo Harrold as woman in dole
• Gwen Doran as mother's voice

Starring As Themself

• herself LAIDLAW, Rosie
• himself LAIDLAW, Brian
• herself LAIDLAW, Alison
• herself LAIDLAW, Helen
• himself LAIDLAW, Rockers
• herself LAIDLAW, Nini
• Critch, himself CRITCHLOW, Trevor
• Val, herself WACIAK, Val
• Stan, himself ROBINSON, Stan
• Taity, himself TAIT, Gordon
• himself COOK, John
• himself MOSCROP, Robert
• also appearing ARMSTRONG, Denis
• also appearing CRITCHLOW, Margaret
• also appearing BROWN, Robbie
• also appearing BROWN, Jackie
• also appearing BROTHERTON, Ronnie
• also appearing LILBURN, Robert
• also appearing COULSON, Gena
• also appearing CRISP, Ian
• also appearing WACIAK, Clare
• also appearing HOLMES, Colin
• also appearing ARMSTRONG, Miley
• also appearing CROSSLAND, Lyn
• also appearing HAIGH, Carl
• also appearing MILES, Carol
• also appearing WARD, Terry

Locations

• Lynemouth Traveller Camp, Lynemouth
• Lynemouth Beach
• Lynemouth Hotel
• Wear Garth flats, East End, Sunderland (now demolished)

Awards

Marks and Spencer Award 1985

European Film Award 1986

External links

• Official production website
• Official production forum