People's Collection

Mining trainees and tutors
Group photograph of trainees at the Morrison Training Centre including staff who taught the young miners basics skills of the coal industry. One of theose shown is Bobby Robson, the former England Football manager, presently (2002) with Newcastle United. Bobby never forgot his roots and of his time at the Morrison and Langley park Collieries. He recently provided a donation towards the memorial erected at St Aidan's Church in memory those who died in the 1947 disaster at the Morrison Colliery.

Miners gala
Durham Miners Gala (Big Meeting) - banners being paraded, including the Lizzie Colliery banner from Annfield Plain, c1930. The lodge closed c 1932.

Mining Disaster
Scene at the pit head at Morrison North Pit after the Disaster which killed 22 miners, Annfield Plain, August 1947.

Mining group
Group of miners, colliery workers, etc from Morrison North Pit 1920s/30s. Annfield Plain.

General view
General view of East Castle, known originally as Bantling Castle. The village took its name from the nearby lime kilns which resembled castles, built for the Stanhope and Tyne Railway Co. The name Bantling was supposedly due to the small stature of the miners who came to work at one of the pits in the village. Most of the village was demolished in 1957 leaving only a few railway houses and the lime kilns.

Coronation Party
Annfield Plain Womens Institute - a concert by The Sketch and Chior at the Miners Hall, New Kyo on Wednesday 20th April 1932, entitled "The Neighbours of Sunshine Valley", admission 6d. Group includes: Mrs Thompson, Miss Hayton, Mrs White, Mrs Hodgson, Mrs Watchman, Mrs Maddison, Mrs Crisp snr, Mrs Spears, Mrs Parker, Miss Williams, Mrs Fisk, Miss Todd, Mrs Ledger, Mrs Crisp jnr, Mrs Watchman, Miss Stansfield, Jack Thompson, Cyril Maddison and Ron Thompson.

Pit ponies
Dipton Delight Colliery Busty Seam pit ponies with miners and drivers on the surface, June 1921. Note gas works in background.

Commemorative Copper Plaque
Commemorative copper plaque which reads: " Miners Welfare Fund New Herrington Colliery Pit Head Baths . These baths, erected by the Miners Welfare Committee in pursuance of the Mining Industry Act 1926, were opened and handed over to the Trustees on the 28th May 1932." See file for photograph. Width: 455mm x Height: 610mm.

Black Hawthorne Single Cylinder Engine
A single cylinder, horizontal steam engine for a Mine fan made in the 1870s by Black, Hawthorne & Company. The engine turned a huge Guibal fan 12.2 metres (40 feet) in diameter. The fan pulled the stale air from the underground workings of a colliery at Cannock, Staffordshire.This was important to stop the build-up of explosive gases and also to provide fresh air for the miners.See file for further details.

Coal on conveyor
"Cardox" explosives series at Hartley Main Colliery, 22 January 1932 - large coal passing along underground conveyor. Huwood Neg F10. Note beam of light from miners carbide lamp.

Coal cutter
Two coal miners working with an undercutter at Hartley Main Colliery, 29th March 1930. Huwood Neg No F28.

Coal face
General view of two coal miners and a face conveyor at Backworth Colliery, 30th March 1930. Huwood Neg No F29.

Miners lamp
Acetylene miners lamp made by Dargue of Newcastle upon Tyne.

Miners wives
Group photograph of miners wives and children, Houghton le Spring area.

Miners
Group of miners and colliery boiler fitters in front of a row of boilers, Houghton le Spring area.

Disaster memorial
Miners pay tribute to 168 colleagues who lost their lives 50 years ago in the explosion at the Burns Pit, Stanley, 19th February 1959. DA Box 307. (West Stanley Colliery - Burns Pit Disaster)

Miners
Group of men at Conishead Priory Miners Convalescent Home, near Grange over Sands. On left is John George Gardner of West Cornforth Colliery.

Colliery reconstruction
Dawdon Colliery Modernisation - two miners having a discussion underground on the Loco haulage road.

Football team
Group photograph of members of Belmont Red Triangle Football Club, c1936, member of the Durham City and District League. In the season 1932-33 it won the Sherburn Aged Miners Homes Cup and reached the final of the Durham City and District League. Taken from cigarette card No 102 produced by the Ardak Tobacco Co, c1936. Back row: T Miller (committee), J Lee (committee), T Rowntree (committee), H Byfield (trainer), H Robson (committee), H Barker, J Laws, T Bunce, J Bell, J Palmer, E Makepeace (chairman), W Marley (secretary), R Marley (committee) ; second row: C Riley (captain), H Wilson, T Co...