Photo-a-Day  (Monday, 14th March, 2022)

Had to look this up - 19 miners killed when a cage fell down the shaft, due to a mechanical fault. October 10th 1932.
Taylor Wimpey put 3 meter verticals as a memorial at their Pennington Wharf development. This is off Plank Lane, on former Bickershaw Colliery land.
Shadows is the viewing point.
I don't recall my grandad mentioning this.
Bickershaw Colliery did have a fine band in the 50s which produced a few records - old 78s. The conductor was W Haydock.

Mick did you go all that way on your bike ?

Very moving memorial. Can't believe that two men were never identified.

Yes Joan, I went to Leigh on the roads and them came home along the canal bank, stopped for lunch at the The Little Chippy in Hindley Green
Yes that's what I thought Bradshaw Girl, surely someone would have noticed that their husband hadn't come home.

"19 miners killed when a cage fell down the shaft, due to a mechanical fault" says Gary.

Well, either he hasn't read the statement on the plate, or the statement on the plate is incorrect. The latter wouldn't come as a surprise considering it tells us that "the cage lowered them down shaft number three to the pit face", which is incorrect information.

The cage coming up overwound, and was caught in the detaching hook which meant the cage going down was free to go to the very bottom of the shaft which killed the men, it may have been full of water.

Bradshaw's girl, I have to agree. Surely the people at the pit know who went into the cage that day? And surely they must have had family/friends who presumably enquired as to why they didn't come home?

True Irene, and surely they would have known from the colliers tally checks who was in the cage and also in the mine at the time.

An indepth report of the accident can be read on the Northern Mine Research Society website.

https://www.nmrs.org.uk/mines-map/accidents-disasters/lancashire/bickershaw-colliery-shaft-accident-leigh-1932/

Cyril , Thanks for this link and any links you put on, (don't stop) we do look

Yes Cyril I looked at the link , a lot more information on there. I ended up looking at other counties as well - so many deaths, so much sadness for families and still men went down the mines and still there were deaths up till fairly recently. I especially looked under Glamorgan where my Grt Grandfather came from to work in Wigan. Thanks

Fred forgive the informality but seeing your name just reminded me so much of my dad People [n family told him over and over he was Frederic but he said no I am Fred he was a minor to lost a toe when a coal tub went over it thankyou love that name and for taking me back