Despite its bleak subject matter there was also a fair bit of comedic brilliance in there Tony. The confessional scene with Yozzer springs to mind.
I know what Tyrone means though - it was a bit close to home in the Thatcher years.
He was for a decade TS but They divorced many years ago as I recall. Boys From the Blackstuff was an amazing piece of work, well written and fabulous acting. I had forgotten that Julie Walters was in that.