PILKINGTON’S 1970s strike will feature in a rarely seen Ken Loach film next month at Chester Lane Library as part of the Cultural Hubs programme.

Three rarely shown films – in the social realism genre – will be aired at the Take Over Festival, that will see six weeks of art, culture and pop-up performances across the borough.

One of these is Ken Loach’s television play The Rank & File, based on the unofficial strike that took place in the 1970s at Pilkington Glass.

It uses a documentary approach to cover a wildcat strike among rank and file union members and will be shown on Thursday, October 18 at 7pm.

Though the film has renamed the business as Wilkinson Glass, the film does state that the events on which it is based took place in Lancashire in the 1970s.

Social realism is the term used for work produced by painters, printmakers, photographers, writers and filmmakers that aims to draw attention to the everyday conditions of the working class and to voice the authors’ critique of the social structures behind these conditions.

The other films are: Nightcleaners - which will be shown on Thursday, September 20 at 7pm - which is a documentary film about the campaign to unionise the women who cleaned office blocks at night and who were being victimised and underpaid by their employers.

Bata-ville - which will air on Thursday, October 4 at 7pm - which is a bittersweet record of an English coach trip to the origins of the Bata shoe empire - the Moravian town of Zlin.

The film will be introduced by its writers and directors, Karen Guthrie and Nina Pope.

Tickets for individual films are £4, £3 (St Helens Library Card Holders, £2 (concessions), or £8/£6/£4 for all three films.

Book tickets online at culturalhubs.eventbrite.co.uk or call into any library in St Helens.

n For more information on the Take Over Festival programme, including appearances from St Helens own Frank Cottrell Boyce (next month) and actress Maxine Peake (in November) and a performance of the award-winning ‘salt’ by Selina Thompson, visit heartofglass.org.uk.