Songs and Rhymes from the Mines, Pleasley Pit, 29th September 2023. 

As part of the 150th anniversary commemorations for the sinking of Pleasley Colliery, a Songs and Rhymes from the Mines event took place at the Pleasley Pit Visitors Centre, Derbyshire, on Friday evening, 29th September 2023.  The preserved Pleasley Pit is run by former coalminer volunteers who conduct surface visits around the former colliery site. Centrepiece are the two preserved colliery winding engines which are periodically run (by electric) on open days. The Stanton Coal and Iron Company sunk the colliery in 1873 and it finished production in December 1983 when it merged with nearby Shirebrook Colliery. More details of the preserved Pleasley Pit site at https://www.pleasleypittrust.org.uk/

Songs and Rhymes from the Mines, a 2018 initiative as part of the Coal and Dialect project at Nottingham Trent University.

The Songs and Rhymes from the Mines initiative came about as part of the 2016 – 2019 East Midlands Coal and Dialect project at Nottingham Trent University, overseen by Prof. Natalie Braber and Dr David Amos. More details on the Coal and Dialect project at https://coalanddialect.wixsite.com/coaldialect

Local folk singer / songwriter, Martin Carey aka Johnny Kedleston, at Pleasley Pit Visitors Centre, 29th September 2023.

Video clip of local folk singer / songwriter, Martin Carey aka Johnny Kedleston, singing Welfare Hall.

Dosco Mk2 Roadheader by moonlight at Pleasley Pit, 29th September 2023.

Former Leicestershire coalminer and pit poet, Roger Cornish, at Pleasley Pit on 29th September 2023.

Preserved Lillieshall colliery winding engine at Pleasley Pit on 29th September 2023.

Local folksinger and former coalminer, Terry Faulkner, at Pleasley Pit Visitors Centre on 29th September 2023.

Video clip of Terry Faulkner singing A Working Man at Pleasley Pit Visitors Centre on 29th September 2023.

Full moon under Pleasley Colliery north headstock -29th September 2023

Local poet, Kath Bartholomew, reading some of the pit poetry of her late brother, David Tugby – Pleasley Pit Visitors Centre, 29th September 2023.

Special brew Pleasley Pit ale to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the sinking of the colliery.

Local folk singer and former coalminer, Rob Harley, at Pleasley Pit Visitors Centre on 29th September 2023.

Video clip of Rob Harley singing Andy Clarke’s song, Pleasley Pit, at Pleasley Pit Visitors Centre, 29th September 2023.

Miners motties from the last three Derbyshire collieries, Bolsover, Shirebrook and Markham, which all closed 30 years ago in 1993.

Local singer / songwriter, Al Taylor aka Al Rate, at Pleasley Pit Visitors Centre, 29th September 2023.

Video clip of Al Rate singing Mine Eyes, a miners tribute song written by ex miner and pit poet, John Stafford. Performed at Pleasley Pit Visitors Centre, 29th September 2023. 

Exhibition of colliery winding rope at the preserved Pleasley Pit.