MP supports Denaby Main Miners Gala
– 25th Anniversary of the Miners Strike

30 May 2009

Caroline Flint joined local residents and trade unionists at the Gala to honour the 25th anniversary of the Miners Strike in Denaby Main this week.

Said Ms Flint:  “I am proud to support this event.  It ensures that no one forgets the sacrifice and the struggle communities faced during the year long miners strike.  It is a period that these communities will never forget, so I am proud to have been invited to this event to honour those involved.

The MP congratulated strike baby Rachel Horne from Conisbrough, who planned and organised the event: “Rachel really excelled in providing a fantastic day for local families.
She is determined to keep the history of these communities alive and to never forget events like the strike that affected whole communities.

The MP also pledged continued support for the “Pin the Pits” campaign.  “I have supported Rachel’s “Pin the Pits” campaign from the outset.  I believe there is a strong case to have former colliery sites marked on local maps.  If we can mark every Roman ruin, we can also mark the colliery sites which were the foundation of the mining communities and shaped the landscape of today.”

The MP also visited the Miners Chapel at All Saints Church, Denaby Main, where she was
given a guided tour by Church Warden Angela Dutton.  “The Chapel honours those who worked in Denaby and Cadeby Collieries and the stain glass windows pay tribute to the 88 people who died in the Cadeby Main disaster of 1912.  The loss of 35 miners and 53 rescuers in two terrible explosions showed the dangers and catastrophic consequences of mining accidents.”