I was working as a builder's labourer in the summer holidays when the original 'Blackstuff' was screened. It struck a chord in the brew-cabin, as the characters were perfectly drawn. Bleasdale worked in the office of a blacktop company in Kirkby called Maktar. There are still remnants of his directorship details online.
GBH annoyed the hard-left, as it was based on Derek Hatton and the Militant Tendency.