Age UK North Staffordshire’s Miners Memories Project with the support of The Heritage Lottery Fund
This one-year social history project brought together ex-miners, experts and others to share their stories, testimonies, knowledge, photos and memorabilia of life in the pits of Newcastle-under-Lyme,
North Staffordshire.
The Project also aims to increase understanding and appreciation amongst young people and the wider public of this industrial/mining past, the relevance to the area’s current development, and of the core values underpinning the mining community. The 20 th C economic and cultural landscape of the area relied heavily on its 6 major pits which powered the local potteries and iron industries.
In bringing local ex-miners together, and with the collaboration of the
Apedale Mining Museum, the North Staffs Miners Group and the
Staffordshire Film Archive, the project captures and helps re-value the rich experience of surviving members of the local mining community and their families, and the heritage of the area.
A valuable collection of materials about Newcastle pit life has been built up. These include photographs, documents, poems, an archive catalogue, over 135 sound recordings, an extensive collection of filmed interviews, and a DVD.

The interactive `Mining The Past
– Shaping Our Lives’ DVD is a valuable resource for all those interested in the industrial history of the area, and powerfully presents these exminers’ history and heritage.
Its features include first-hand accounts of: the Project itself, the
Newcastle Coalfields, mining in WWII, miners’ family traditions, migration to work in the North Staffordshire mining industry, working roles topside and down below, miners rescue.
In addition to the interactive DVD, resources available include:
► An educational pack containing the DVD, the resources and
archive catalogue, photographs and illustrations;
► A resources and archive catalogue containing additional miners’ stories, listings of audio-visual & printed reference and
cultural materials, a photographic archive and organisational
links;
►Other supporting materials. It may also be possible to arrange
for an ex-miner to be a speaker.
For further details please email: Margaret.Parkinson@ageuknorthstaffs.org.uk
; or write to: Mining the Past – Shaping our Lives, Age UK North
Staffordshire, 83-85 Trinity Street, Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, ST1
5NA. www.ageuk.org.uk/northstaffs
Registered Charity No.1087774
About the Heritage Lottery Fund
Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) aims to make a lasting difference for heritage, people and communities across the UK and help build a resilient heritage economy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported over 35,000 projects with more than £5.6bn across the UK. www.hlf.org.uk