Shining a light onto our coal mining heroes

The gallantry showcase at Overton will launch at 11am this Sunday.

It will feature heroic men and women who have been nominated by the public.

Museum director Mike Benson said: ““We’ve been totally overwhelmed by the response from the public in our quest to find heroes and heroines of the coal mining industry, which we only started at the end of May. The opening will be an opportunity for people to see the direction the museum is taking as a whole, encouraging a new generation of visitors to explore the story of coal mining in England.

“We’re now really looking forward to seeing visitors discover the exhibition space and look out for their own nominations, along with discovering their own family history through our newly instated ancestry interactive tool.”

The exhibition honours the extraordinary lives of the heroes and heroines of coal mining. It has seen the whole museum transformed into an interactive celebration of coal miners, the communities they lived and worked in, along with influential members of society. A culmination of staff and public nominations has enabled the museum to create a brand new exhibition experience for visitors. All the nominations will be displayed either in the exhibition space or via social media.

The official opening will feature the chance to meet real coal mining heroes: Bevin boy John Etty, pit nurse Joan Hart, mines rescuer Tony Banks and more. Guest exhibitors from local emergency services and community groups will also be on-hand to speak to throughout the day, to share experiences, listen to stories of heroism and celebrate the heroes of the past. For more see www.ncm.org.uk.