Mansfield collector restores pit worker’s lamp and gifts it to his family for Christmas

Kev Pattison, 73, bought the brass lamp dedicated to the late miner Les Bausor, who once worked Bolsover Colliery in Derbyshire, earlier this year on eBay.

After cleaning it up, the grandad - who normally sells the lamps on - noticed clear engravings on its body and managed to track down the family before gifting it to Les's grandson, Neil Bausor.

Neil, 41, has told how he plans to give it to his dad, Gary Bausor, 67, as a Christmas present.

Kev says he is "chuffed" to have shared the piece of mining history following what he believes is a scandal as after the mines started to close in the 80s many were chucked down the shaft and not given to workers.

The mining buff, from Mansfield, said: "It is very rare to find one with engravings like that one had.

"Handing it back like I did gave me a buzz, it was really nice when Neil came and picked it up.

"The lamp when I got it was really scuffed, the brass had turned a real dark colour.

"But once I got the polish on it I could see ornate and detailed engravings and also see what it was worth.

"All workers wanted was a lamp after they closed the mines up but they were chucked down the shaft used to help fill it up.

"Mining families deserve to have their lamps. It's an honour to be keeping that bit of history going."

Kev has been restoring old mining lamps as a hobby since 2020 and he believes he is one of only around 15 across the country.

He has bought and revamped over 200 and has shipped his completed work to clients around the world including the USA, Australia, and Japan.

Kev has told that he was involved in the mining industry from a young man first joining the National Coal Board in 1967 as a mining apprentice at Bilsthorpe Colliery, Nottinghamshire.

He then progressed to the role of development worker before rising to deputy in 1984.

Kev says he spent three days renovating the lamp before deciding to reach out to find the family on the Bolsover Facebook group chat after being impressed by the engravings.

The engravings read 'Les Bausor', 'Retired Miner', 'Bolsover Colliery', '19 October 1983'.

A few days later Neil, from Chesterfield, reached out to Kev and they organised a day to meet, December 3. He now plans to gift it to his dad

Neil said: "My dad doesn't have much to remember his dad with so it is nice that he will at least have something.”

"My dad loves things like this, having fixed similar things like clocks before, so I'm sure he will enjoy using it as well."

Kev says the hardest part of the job is finding spare pieces, saying they can be very expensive.

He said: "Some parts can cost up to £500 to replace. But it is always magical when it looks good as new again."