Think your job is bad? These men risked suffocation, poisoning and being buried alive on a daily basis
CAMARADERIE OF THE COAL MINE
Coal mining in the UK dates back to Roman times. In the early 1900s there were more than one million British miners.
UNDERGROUND WORKER
Coal mining was always a dangerous job, with the threat of death ever present. In 1913, in the village Senghenydd, to the north of Caerphilly, 440 men died in the worst mining disaster the UK ever saw. The loss accounted for almost half the breadwinners in the village.
SHAFT SINKING AT BOULBY MINE
Considering there was a daily risk of being suffocated, poisoned by gas, being buried alive by collapsing ceilings, or blown up in a gas explosions, miners often felt they were underpaid. Pay disputes as early as 1926 lead to strikes.
A GROUP OF MINERS ENJOYING A MEAL IN A PITHEAD CANTEEN
In 1947 the coal industry was nationalised and miners were recruited. 'Britain needs coal, coal needs men,' said the government adverts. Workers were offered expert training in return for a career and a living wage. These miners are enjoying a meal at a pithead canteen.
MINING VILLAGES THRIVED ON COAL
In the 1960s new mines like Kellingley, north Yorkshire, offered prosperity for locals. Communities thrived on coal, and it soon became part of their identity.
MEN NEEDED GREAT CARE WHEN WORKING THE HOLE-BORING MACHINE
The 'hole-boring' machine - pictured - was used to bore apertures in the coal face, ready for an explosive charge. Operators had to take care that the top aperture didn't penetrate the roof.
WORKING IN THE MINES
Working in the mines was dirty work, coal dust is greasy and needed much scrubbing and rinsing to remove. Many miners - at least in the early days - would not have had the luxury of their own bathrooms at home. They would shower after a shift with a friend, and take it in turns to wash each other's backs. As well as practical, this was a symbol of comradeship and shared trust between miners.
PIT PONIES WERE CAPABLE OF HARD LABOUR
Pit ponies were mainly used in coal mines in the 1800s and early to mid-1900s. They did a variety of jobs. On the surface at a mine, horses were used to transport coal and mining materials such as timber for roof supports. Inside, much smaller ponies - like these Shetlands pictured - were used to carry heavy loads.
A COAL MINING PONY IN TRAINING
Training the ponies to be used in the pits was another way local men were employed.
CANARIES WERE USED TO DETECT GAS... UNTIL THE DRAGER WAS INVENTED
Canary birds were originally used to detect poisonous gases in the mines. Toxic gases such as carbon monoxide, or methane, would kill the bird before affecting the miners so would give the men a chance to escape. Later they were replaced by the 'drager' (on the left of the picture) a mechanical gas detecting device.
CAROL SINGING 600 FT UNDERGROUND
Relying on each other and trusting each other for work created a strong sense of camaraderie and community spirit. Six hundred feet underground, these miners sang Christmas carols in South Yorkshire.
THE MINERS IN FIFE GOT DOWN WITH THE QUEEN IN 1958
The Queen donned mining gear and swapped her usual hat for a hard one with a torch as she visited Rothes Colliery in Fife in July 1958.
MINING FOR LEAD
This worker in Flintshire, Wales, is drilling for lead. More than half of the lead consumed today now comes from recycling, rather than mining.
WORKERS RETURN TO THE SURFACE AFTER MINING FOR LEAD
Miners returning to the surface at Flintshire resembled the children's tale heroes the seven dwarves in Snow White.
PROUD OF THEIR WORK
Murton Colliery celebrated producing its millionth tonne of the financial year - but times were changing... In early 1984, Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government announced plans to close 20 coal pits.
MINERS POURED INTO SHEFFIELD AHEAD OF CRUCIAL TALKS ABOUT PIT CLOSURES
Angry about the news of pit closures, miners poured into Sheffield for crucial talks.
ARTHUR SCARGILL LED THE MINERS STRIKE
In response to Thatcher's decision to shut mines, the miners' strike of 1984–85 was a major industrial action to shut down the British coal industry in an attempt to prevent colliery closures. Arthur Scargill (pictured) of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) rallied the crowds. 'We're fighting to preserve mining communities,' he declared.
CLASHES BETWEEN PICKETS AND POLICE
The National Miners Strike caused many clashes between pickets and police. This scuffle took place at the Redcar Colliery in 1984. Ultimately, the year long strike ended in defeat for Arthur Scargill and was Britain's longest and largest industrial dispute.
CLASHES CONTINUED UNTIL 1985, BUT MINING WAS AN INDUSRTY ON THE SHARP DECLINE
More colliery closures came in the 1990s, and pits continued to be shut down, with Kellingley the final one to close in 2015. Coal still generates a third of the UK's electricity, but is imported mainly from from Russia, Columbia and the US.
