‘End of the Mine’ - Thoresby exhibition set to open

An exhibition to mark the closure of Thoresby Colliery is to be launched next week.

Called ‘Thoresby - The End of the Mine’ is to feature more than 50 large black and white photographs of the pit down the years, taken by Southwell snapper, Chris Upton.

Held at Mansfield Museum on Leeming Street, the special exhibition will also feature audio visual presentations from former miners talking about their memories of the colliery in general, and particularly the strike of 1984.

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Free to enter, it will run from Saturday, January 9 to Saturday, February 27.

The pit was the last deep mine in Nottinghamshire and closed in June after producing coal for more than 90 years.

Owners UK Coal revealed almost two years ago that due to global coal prices, partly due to fracking in the USA, and the strength of the US dollar, had left it millions of pounds in debt.

It was feared that without an emergency rescue package, the pit - along with Kellingley in South Yorkshire - would have closed immediately.

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The Government stepped in to provide tens of millions of pounds in order for the pit to be slowly wound down, but refused to provide an estimated £338 million needed to keep the pit open indefinitely.

Union leaders claimed the pit was still profitable, but a suitable investor failed to step forward and resulted in the eventual loss of around 600 jobs.