In these pictures taken from our archive, we take a look back at Wigan’s rich mining heritage, as well as scenes from miners’ strikes over the decades when coal was king.
5. Young trainee coal miners testing for gas in the model pit tunnel at the Wigan Mining College, Wigan (Photo by Harry Shepherd/Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
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6. The tangled wreckage of a major mining disaster at Golborne Colliery on March 18 1979 in which 10 men were killed and two seriously injured.
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7. First miners back at work after Golborne pit disaster. (Picture Frank Orrell)
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8. Miners union leader Joe Gormley accepts a cheque for the Golborne pit disaster fund from the Mayor, Harry Milligan, at Wigan town hall in 1979
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