Golborne Colliery Disaster

It is 46 years since the explosion at Golborne Colliery on this date which eventually took the lives of 10 good men and injured 1 other. These men will never be forgotten. May they still rest in peace

RIP. I remember it well. My younger brother worked there.

Peter, I’ve no first hand knowledge of the mining industry but, from little I do know, mining was an extremely hard job under conditions that could and were dangerous at times.

My grandad worked down the pit (don’t know which) back in the days of no Health & Safety, during the later part of the 1800s from being 14/15. I was only a very little girl (about 6, so around 1955) when he died of pneuomoconiosis (black lung disease). I remember my mum answering the phone and it was her brother to tell her that her dad had died.

He was a hard man, a tough man, and a man to be feared by many but, when my little brother and I went to visit, he would take me into his aviary in his garden to show me his collection of budgies and canaries, and he was so gentle with them it was hard to believe he had such a hard exterior.

When putting a shovel full of coal on the fire, nobody would have given much thought to those who broke their backs digging for that precious commodity which kept them warm in winter, but their hard work and dedication should never be forgotten.

Mining is still a dangerous job, despite all the improvements in the mining industries. Of course nowhere near as bad or frequent as once was.
A young chap who my husband knew lost his legs to a runaway truck. That young man is in his late sixties now though. My husband worked underground for many years until all the mines closed. And then had various jobs until his last one before he was unable to work. And mines, for the most part, now gone.
Both my dad and my younger brother and many of their friends also worked in the mines.

I did from 1969-1989 down the pit. I was told if you cannot get used to working underground get out of the industry

Although I never went down the pit, but I would have liked to have given it a try, I have plenty of family links to the mining industry, grand parents from both sides of my family moved to Wigan to work in the mines, some from Staffordshire and some from Wales, and there is a family link to a factory which used to make mining equipment, I was telling Whupsy about it one day, and telling him that I had coal dust in my veins, but he did not seem to be very happy about it, he was wittering on about a picture or something, but as regards the explosionm I was in Ince when it happened and I watched numerous ambulances, police and fire engines screaming there way towards Platt Bridge, and I remember thinking "bloody hell whats happened" and when I got home it was on the TV that there had been an explosion at Golborne Colliery.
Very bad and it was on the news for days afterwards.

R.I.P. those 10 miners.

APLS
The mining museum near Wakefield is worth a trip

Handsomeminer

Thank you, I will have a look at that

Have a look at their web site, National Coal mining Museum, Good exhibitions, and library, and you can take an underground tour.

Tuddy

Thank you, I will have a look

You cannot go underground, but the Lancashire Mining Museum at the former Astley Green Colliery at Astley Village is also worth a visit.

The last time I went to the LMM at Astley it was strange trying to identify the mining machinery which would normally be underground or suspended in the shaft. I could not be sure about one piece of equipment but think it was a shortwall cutter without its jib, the next time I visit I will ask .

That disaster 46 years ago must have been horrendous; and it's very sad to hear some that were permanently injured. Yes, it still is a very dangerous job, and reading this put me in mind of something.

Many years ago I sat and watched a film with my mum about miners in a Welsh valley. It was an old black and white film from somewhere around the 1940s which depicted the hardship of the men and their families.

At one point in the film, there was a rumble and part of the mine collapsed trapping some of the men. One of the cast members was an enormous black man, and he held up a beam on his bare back to prevent further collapse, and the men escaped with their lives and whilst all this was going on, all the men were singing in the only way that the Welsh can, him included in his deep voice - sounded like Paul Robeson. Sadly, once all the trapped men were out safely, the black man could no longer hold up the beam, and the rest of it collapsed on him and killed him. Mum and I were in tears.

For the life of me I can’t remember the name of the film, but I remember that part as clear as day, and I was only about 8/9 years old at the time of watching. Typing this now I’ve got goose-bumps. Such a sad story, but it showed the camaraderie of those brave men.

"an enormous black man, and he held up a beam on his bare back to prevent further collapse, and the men escaped with their lives and whilst all this was going on, all the men were singing in the only way that the Welsh can, him included in his deep voice - sounded like Paul Robeson. Sadly, once all the trapped men were out safely, the black man could no longer hold up the beam, and the rest of it collapsed on him and killed him." ....... ROFL

Big Bad John.

Tonker, what is the matter with you? I was talking about a FILM I saw, not a real life situation. Perhaps if you had any sensitivity in your soul you wouldn't make fun of something that COULD have happened 80 years ago, or any other time. Did you have a good laugh about the disaster 46 years ago what this topic is about? Grow up!

The Proud Valley mollie.I googled it but remember watching it.

Mollie, I was fully aware that you were talking about a FILM which you saw, not a real life situation. And THAT FACT makes it funny.
You say, " .... you wouldn't make fun of something that COULD have happened 80 years ago," but that COULDN'T have happened, neither 80 years ago or EVER! It's a 'made-up' story which anybody who has actually worked down a coal mine would class as ridiculous and laughable.
A big black-man holding the roof up with a length of wood is just daft. Never mind singing along with all the rest of the cast, "Cum mister tally-man, tally me bananas, daylight cum an' I wanna do home" as they all walked away, leaving him behind holding the roof up?
Yes, I'm laughing as I type!

As regards the Golborne explosion, 46 years ago, that is something which I know a lot about.
It was a real-life event, not a story, and certainly not funny.

Was the film called. How Green Was My Valley.

I know, I know, bananas don't grow in Wales, I was only joking!

115 years ago in 1910, there was a far worse local pit disaster when 344 miners lost their lives underground following a explosion at the Pretoria Pit at Over Hulton,, Westhoughton.

Only 4 were brought to the surface, but 1 died in hospital.

Not many today know about what Miners faced when underground!

OC records show over 50000 men lost their lives in mining accidents from 1900[ to the present day. In 1900 3 men a DAY lost their lives due to mining accidents. We live with our memories of miners who have lost their lives or been injured through mining also the children of Aberfan who died due to mining.

Gresford Pit near Wrexham was another terrible mining disaster as a result of a explosion which resulted in the deaths of 261 miners with some bodies never recovered as it was considered that the pit was too unsafe for any rescue attempt and filled in.

Many of the disasters caused by bad management and poor safety measures which included allowing large slag heaps to happen above pit villages like Aberfan.

It's a sad fact that the majority of mining health & safety legislation is written in blood following an incident. Updates to winders after the Markham main winder failure, siting of electrical equipment controlling ventilation fans after the Golborne disaster. Small comfort to their families, but they didn't die in vain. Learnings from the Golborne and other disasters contribute to safer mining operations world wide. I was talking to the safety manager at one of the Australian coal mines I visit, and he knew all about Golborne and some other UK mining disasters. It's unfortunate that people are still getting killed or injured in the mining industry, but new equipment and new techniques introduce hazards that we were previously unaware of.

Monument in Owfen church yard.