'Hanging On By Your Fingernails' is the story of the struggle at Lea Hall Colliery, Rugeley, Staffordshire, during the Great Miners Strike of 1984-1985, which took place forty years ago. At Lea Hall, north of Birmingham, a few hundred brave strikers supported by their wives and families held strong during the year long miners strike, opposing the pit closures in Great Britain, together with hundreds of thousands of other striking miners across Wales, England and Scotland. The striking miners were fighting an onslaught against them, orchestrated by Margaret Thatcher and the National Coal Board. Lea Hall was what is known as a Minority pit. To begin with however 70% of the two thousand or so coal miners were out on strike, but within a few weeks many had returned to work over the issue of the ballot. Whilst most miners went to work and crossed picket lines throughout the year, what is remarkable is the small minority who held strong until the bitter end, manning the picket lines against the scabs, police and National Coal board. The colliery management tried to undermine morale by claiming normal production levels, but in fact this was not the case, as lorry loads of coal were brought on from other coal fields. In fact, most the strike supporters were face workers, and it was estimated that production was down over 50%. All eyes were on Lea Hall, as Lea Hall was the ‘Rolls Royce of the Western Area. Being the most modern pit. Firstly an Exhibition and later a book, both entitled ‘Hanging On By Your Fingernails’ were published during the 1980s in Great Britain. Most photographs shot during 1984-85, a few in the years following the strike. All images have been scanned from original blck & white negatives