I’ve had a brilliant time exploring coal mining for my latest commission. The University of Birmingham has a wonderful sculpture trail in its grounds, and I was asked to write & tell a story that would celebrate the shield of the Department of Mining. The department opened in 1902 and was founded by Sir Richard Redmayne – actor Eddie Redmayne’s great grandfather! Not only did the department have an extraordinary laboratory, it also had a mock mine – 1.5 miles of tunnels built beneath the university campus. Amazingly, it is still there, though sadly no longer accessible because of asbestos concerns.
I found myself totally absorbed with deciphering the images on the shield and researching the history of coal mining in the UK. This led me to Big Pit in Abergavenny, where I was able to strap on a helmet, lamp and battery pack before descending in the cage for a thrilling hour deep underground. The tour guide was excellent, and suddenly everything I had read about was right there, from the heavy trap doors to the pony stalls (Would you believe the last pit ponies in the UK were retired in 1999?!)
Last Saturday, I did the first of two days’ telling the story to families, right beside the shield and the entrance to the tunnels. The second day will be in the spring.
