On this anniversary we take the opportunity to to look back on the years under its control: an industry which gave many Wigan men work but which also took lives through accidents and coal-related illnesses, and which was sometimes in dispute over pay, conditions and closures.
1.
Miners Strike, Westwood Power Station 1972
2.
National Union of Mineworkers President Arthur Scargill has a rant over a derogatory article about him in The Sun newspaper whilst at Wigan Town Hall for a meeting on Friday 27th of November 1981.
3.
Wigan workers have questions for National Union of Mineworkers President Arthur Scargill and hard left Labour MP for Nuneaton Les Huckfield at Wigan Town Hall during a meeting on Friday 27th of November 1981.
4.
Brave smiles from some of the first miners back to work on Wednesday 21st of March 1979 just 3 days after the underground explosion which eventually killed 10 of their colleagues at Golborne Colliery.