I REFER to Dave Woolven’s letter of Friday May 3. I can’t say which power stations, coal mines or factories etc. were on strike during the era he mentions, but British industry was in a horrendous state during that time, three-day week etc. I can only speak from experience. For example, my neighbour took a camp-bed to work for when he was on nights at Llanwern steelworks. My cousin’s husband, who worked at Llanwern, felt so guilty about picking up his pay packet that, when offered, he accepted a job in South Africa from where he’s never returned.

J Symons. Gaer, Newport