Miners' Rescue Team, Silverdale
The Miners' Rescue Team are pictured here in all of their equipment. A canary in its cage is sitting on the box on the floor, and was used to detect the first evidence of Methane Gas in the mine. Walter ...
Miners returning to work, Hem Heath Colliery, Trentham
The miner's strike of the 1980's began to crumble in November 1984, eight months after it started. Many miners returned to work leaving a few hardcore strikers on the picket lines. Hem Heath Colliery ...
Miner's strike demonstration in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.
This protest began at Central Forest Park outside the city centre and marched into Hanley and down Stafford Street as shown in this photograph. The miner's strike saw many large demonstrations and protests ...
Miner's strike demonstration, Central Forest Park, Stoke-on-Trent
May Day 1984 saw a large rally in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent in support of the miner's strike. Margaret Thatcher, who the lady in this photograph has dressed up as, was Prime Minister at the time of the strike ...
Miners strike meeting, Castle Pleasure Grounds, Tamworth
Miner's strike protests in Northern Ireland
During the 1984/1985 miner's strike many protestors travelled around the country to attend demonstrations and rallys. The North Staffordshire Miner's Wives Group was a particularly active support group ...
Miners underground at "snap-time", Hawkins Colliery, Cannock
This is a posed photograph, as ordinarily miners wouldn't have sat on the rails. Their snap is wrapped in paper. Other details to note about the photograph are that the man on the left with the stick ...
Miners underground, Lea Hall Colliery
This was the first colliery planned and sunk by the National Coal Board. The two shafts were started in 1954 and sunk to a depth of 1300ft (396m). The first coal was produced in 1960, and the colliery's ...
Miners wearing breathing apparatus, Mines Rescue Station, Victoria Street, Hednesford
The men wearing the apparatus are, left: Albert Payton, son of Jos Payton and, right: Samuel Davies. In the centre is Jos Payton, Superintendent of the Mines Rescue Station, Hednesford.
The station ...
Miners Welfare Home Gates, Rudyard
Horton Lodge was built by Stephen Chesters-Thompson in 1890. In 1894 it was bought by Mr W.A.M. Tellwright of Wolstanton, the owner of Sneyd Collieries. Between 1925 and 1948 it was the North Staffordshire ...
Miners' Welfare Home Staff, Rudyard
Horton Lodge was built by Stephen Chesters-Thompson in 1890. In 1894 it was bought by Mr W.A.M. Tellwright of Wolstanton, the owner of Sneyd Collieries. Between 1925 and 1948 it was the North Staffordshire ...
Mines Rescue Station, Hednesford
The Mines Rescue Station building on Victoria Road, Hednesford. The Rescue Station was set up by the Cannock Chase Coal Owners Association in redundant gasworks buildings in 1913. Volunteer coal miners ...
Mines Rescue Team, Chatterley Whitfield, Stoke-on-Trent
Men of the Chatterley Whitfield No.4 Rescue Brigade pose with their latest respirators. Respirators were used to allow rescue personnel locate and help miners who had been overcome by firedamp (methane ...
Mines, steelworks & iron foundries, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent
The is a view north along the valley of the Fowlea Brook from Etruria Road at the bottom of Basford Bank. In the foreground is Hartley's Iron Foundry where many of the storm drain covers (or Hartlids) ...
Mining at Hem Heath Colliery, Stoke-on-Trent
By the second half of the twentieth century conditions for miners had improved significantly and most coal faces were cut using machinery. This picture was taken at Hem Heath Colliery in Trentham which ...
Mining coal by hand, 1925
The men in this picture, taken in 1925, are mining coal using picks and hand tools. This work was known as hand holing and spragging.
Working conditions in coal mines were very uncomfortable: they were ...
Mining rescue team at the Minnie Pit, Newcastle-under-Lyme
This mining rescue team is about to descend into the tunnels of the Minnie Pit following the Minnie Pit disaster of January 1918.
It was the Potteries' worst colliery accident: around 160 men and ...
Mining trainees with a supervisor, Cannock area
The trainees are looking at a helmet, as it is thought that they've all just been issued with compulsory helmets. Some of the lads are even wearing their new helmets back to front. Prior to this time ...