Wigan Album

You all flogged a dead horse, no pits left today, but I must applaud all your supporters.

It reminds me of the film "Brassed Off". God Bless those ladies and all they tried to do.

In the 1960s I went along with my father to Parkside whilst he picked up his wages, it seemed to take ages as we had to catch three buses to get there, I remember him telling me that the austere building in the background of the photo was Red Bank Approved School, and that Mary Bell the Glasgow child killer was held there, she had always been in the news at the time, it did look a very dark foreboding place, I suppose it was built to look that way though.

He had worked at collieries from leaving school, and he always said that everyone appreciated the camaraderie between miners. Parkside was the last pit he worked at, but like so many other miners he had to retire early through ill health.