Statue marks 50 years since Ifton Colliery's closure
A reminder of a village’s mining history has been unveiled in a major community celebration attended by almost 400 people.
St Martins, near Oswestry, was next to the Ifton coal mine and many families had members who worked down or for the mine, which closed in 1968.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the closure a commemorative statue, dubbed Miner of the 60s, was cast in bronze and was installed at a ceremony on Saturday.
The statue, nicknamed Mr Mots, has pride of place in the Miners’ Memorial Garden.
Villagers have had to raise £50,000 for the sculpture, by artist George Triggs, and parish councillor Sue Schofield said it had seemed like climbing a mountain reaching the target.
Donations were made by individuals, from fundraising and there have also been grants from trusts and organisations.
A souvenir programme including a history of the colliery has also been published.
The day began with a church service in St Martins Parish Church hosted by the Reverend Stuart Jermy, followed by a parade through the village, led by the Ifton Band, to the memorial garden.
During an afternoon of celebration in the St Martins Centre the entertainment included a story from Helen East, a newly written play and music from Moreton Hall School and singing by the St Martins young singers.
The day finished with a free concert featuring the Dyffryn Ceiriog male voice choir in the St Martins Institute, built as a miners’ hall.
Councillor Schofield said: “It has been the best day ever. I am so proud of the village and the amount of people who turned up. And I was also proud of the Ifton Colliery Band which led the march. It was heartfelt. The service went well. We honoured all the men that we knew had died in the pit and a candle was lit for each one.
“Someone donated the colliery’s hooter to the project and we heard it sounded which was quite poignant. Back in the day it would have been steam driven, we only had air but even so the sound still touched hearts.
“The hooter would have been the clock of the village as it was sounded 10 minutes before the start of the shift, to mark events such as new year and as a warning during war time air raids. The statue is amazing, absolutely awesome, and was extremely well received. The miner’s face was contemplative, you can see the lines on the fingers.”
She said the project had generated a lot of interest and had put St Martins on the map.
Fundraising is continuing for the statue, with almost £9,000 remaining including pledges. Future projects include a museum to host artefacts from the pit and a history book.
