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The Ravenscraig steel plant was developed by
Colvilles steel company in the late 1950s. Re-development of its production
lines in the 1960s was heralded with much optimism as a saviour of the industry
and a long lasting source of local employment. Iron was smelted, converted to
steel, and subsequently rolled or forged to meet the demands of both domestic
and international industrial markets. However, Scotland's steel industry was
over-reliant on the fluctuating fortunes of the British shipbuilding yards. Some
60% of Scotland's steel output was destined for shipbuilding purposes, and as
that industry declined in the 1960s, the steel trade began to collapse with
it.
The Big Mill (1963) is a valuable document of a
now virtually defunct industry. Upon its release it received awards at several
international film festivals and was distributed worldwide as a short cinema
film. Janet McBain
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Extract (4:14)
