Agecroft Colliery - Irwell Valley Mining project

On the site of the former Agecroft Colliery with Paul Kelly, former miner from Agecroft
Filmed & edited by Richard Searle

[@Nyquest]

I worked at Agecroft as an underground apprentice from 87 until it closed in 90. Steep seam mining & very hot Trencherbone seam...sort the men out from the boys...worked at Parsonage then Parkside until they put the lid on...That was it for me with mining..entered the music industry after that. During training I had an overview of most jobs from winding towers & wash to lamp room, T22 's face installation to 1 horizon with the red spiders Good work Paul hope you get something to mark the spot.

[@anthonymcdonnell6615]

i can say there is a good video a miner recorded at Sutton Manor just before it closed, which is on you tube, Sutton Manor Colliery St Helens

[@UKAngryAthiest]

Closing the pits had nothing to do with economics and everything to do with destroying the trades union movement.

[@Bufferoverload.]

i was a bus driver for Greater Manchester Buses in 1987 and did a private hire from agecroft to oldham and oldham to agecroft , parked out side shower house and canteen for 2 hours while shift went down and shift came up from pits. dont know if you knew a great friend of mine, Len Pennington ?.... love stuff like this, great shame they shut pits... ive lived on carr clough 1972 and still do to this day.

[@daveconyard8946]

You are a good man Thanks for the post, i will never for get the 1980's Keep safe.

[@davldcooksey4137]

I worked at Agecroft many times has a contractor , and when the strike was on many times we would turn around and refuse to cross the picket line and stand by the miners, also I can remember turning up and seeing sign saying, crows keep off this is big Joes seed, grass seed that is, great sence of humer at all pits 👍👍👍👍.

[@roberttaylor6075]

Dreadfull one of the biggest employers in the country cut down when there was years and years of work and coal, such a shame.

[@drabsbrad]

Where we live there used to be 8 pits within 10 miles and at least 20 old sites. Nothing left now of course.

[@vincentbrannelly8786]

mlY father was a faceworker . lived in CRUMPSALL. DRANK ON RAINSOUGH BROW LIKE THEY ALL DID. HES GONE NOW AND SO IS AGECROFT. MIGHTY MEN . THE BACKBONE OT BRITAIN. TOMMY BRANNELLY RIP

[@anthonymcdonnell6615]

terrible ,what happened at agecrft should of never of happened at all

[@anthonymcdonnell6615]

my late father and living mother suported the miners of Sutton Manor and cronton and even gave money too them during the strikes

[@anthonymcdonnell6615]

where i live we had 2 working pits , Cronton Colliery closed in 1984, and sutton manor colliery closed in 1991

[@leebell172]

I lived on Park Lane West which you could see the old cooling towers of Agecroft power plant. I remember those being demolished, I also remember as a youngster roaming the woods near the pits, and also what was then a long black field with a tall hill around it!. Houses there now I believe!

[@olje411]

Big Welldone for this Richard & Paul. Sad but also very interesting. Keep up the good work. If nothing else comes from it at least future generations can see how we were raped as mining communities. :)

[@anthonymcdonnell6615]

you will be glad to know i found out this sunday, that the No 1 steam winder from sutton manor colliery was saved for presivation in 1986, but it is in Austrlia

[@paulacrowther2890]

Yes there should be a plaque there to remember those guys that were killed....so sad.

[@petemoss8625]

Breaks my heart, I drive around the midlands and see the huge pit tips yep thats whats left!