A new project aimed at celebrating a part of East Manchester’s Industrial Heritage is looking for volunteers.
Once the area of Bradford in East Manchester was the site of continuous coal mining for over 350 years and once a ‘super pit’, less than two miles from Manchester city centre with networks of shafts and tunnels extending for miles beneath the city
The same site now stands a range of international sporting venues developed for the Commonwealth Games in 2002.
Bradford Colliery supported numerous important industries in East Manchester. By the time of its closure in 1968, (despite considerable good quality coal reserves still underground) the mine employed nearly 1500 men and daily output averaged 2130 tons.
Working with ex-miners from Bradford Colliery, and the local community the project explores the rich history of this industrial heartland.
It will be collating an archive (to be housed and exhibited at Archives+ in Manchester Central Library) documenting artefacts, histories and memories of the area.
The culmination of the project will be a permanent commemoration of the site.
The project looking for volunteers to be part of a small team to gather oral histories from ex-miners, members of the community and other key figures from the period who were associated with Bradford Colliery.
If you are interested in participating, or simply want to find out more please contact by Friday 31st January 2015 at: Lauren Murphy, Jenny Walker: j.walker@mmu.ac.uk
