Workers' Memorial Day ceremony

The Friends of Mesnes Park will hold its annual commemoration for Workers’ Memorial Day on Thursday.

Participants will gather at the memorial tree near the Kenyon Road entrance to the park for the event, which will be attended by senior politicians and trade unionists.

There will be a minute’s silence for everyone who has died or suffered illness or injury through their work at noon before speeches are made and floral tributes laid at the tree.

Sue Turner from the Friends of Mesnes Park said: “The Friends feel it is most appropriate to mark this day in Wigan, where heavy industry extracted a steady toll on Wigan citizens, a legacy that still exists to this day.”

The memorial event will be attended by the Mayor of Wigan, Coun Sue Loudon, and the town’s MP Lisa Nandy will give a message of support.

Eric Foster (pictured), a former Golborne miner and a member of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), will be at the event along with other representatives from the mining unions.

Organisers are hoping miners who worked at Kellingley, the UK’s last deep mine to close, will be at the memorial ceremony.

Coun Lol Hunt, who is himself a former construction worker, will also be at the event together with Wigan Trades Council.

The mayor will then lay a commemorative wreath at 12.35pm before anyone who wishes to can lay roses around the memorial tree in tribute to loved ones, relatives or friends.

Workers’ Memorial Day was established in Canada in 1968.

The Workers’ Memorial Day event takes place at the memorial tree in Mesnes Park on Thursday April 28 from 11.45am until around 12.45pm.

Coun Hunt is standing for election in Wigan Central ward against Will Patterson (Green), Stuart Thomas (Lib Dems) and Susan Vickery (Conservatives).