I dont think that it would have much re-sale value.

However an original like that should be preserved.
A good place would be to donate it to the Llay museum (at the Miners Institute) or to North Wales Miners Association Trust :smartass:
Have you seen the Re-union at Bersham on the 16th?

To rufenig. Thank you for your interest and info which I have noted, in particular the Bersham re-union. Several of my relatives worked in the mines mainly in Black Park, Ifton and Gresford collieries and I just about remember the Bersham colliery working. Of course one is always reminded by the huge spoil heap. Kind regards. mickyD

Hi mickyD2611
Where do you live now?
Have you seen that there is a memorial wheel at Halton services to remember the Black Park Mine.
There is also a new headframe on the farm.
http://northwalesminers.com/ 
You will be very welcome at the rememberance, Just introduce yourself & we can have a good chat.

The report referred to will presumably be one of the many hundreds of printed copies of H.M.Inspectors of Mines Enquiry Report into the disaster. They exisit in some numbers and are fairly often available from secondhand booksellers. It includes plans of the affected portion of the mine (the full detailed plans of the colliery are held by the Coal Authority)

The full text of the Enquiry and Inquest are in one of the area's archives if I recall correctly. The enquiry sat for many weeks and the resulting verbatim transcript of evidence runs to many volumes.

The fullest published account of the disaster is the recent book "Gresford - Anatomy of a Disaster". It is non-sensationalist but pulls no punches - the drive for production ove safety, obfustication and collusion at the inquest and enquiry, the arguments for and against attmepting recovery of the bodies - all are covered in depth and analysed. Its based on the transcripts of the enquiry evidence, augmented by oral history, local newspapers, and other sources. For an 'academic' book it's not a 'hard' read - I thoroughly recommend it - a real eye opener.

The county historical journal published around the 1980s the 1930s memoir of a one of the rescue brigade leaders. This account was written long enough after the disaster for him to reflect on matters, but close enough for detail of events to be very clear in his memory. It is a fascinating read and covers not only the disaster but the unsuccessful attempts to later recover bodies, the sealing of the mine, and its reopening. Its out of print but local libraries can do xeroxes (its about 20 pages).

Listen you say,?
If think it would have been a bigger disgrace,to put more rescue mens lives at risk in a Colliery that was on fire ,don`t you think,
3 Rescue men died,how many would it take,not to be a disgrace.?

There are more Colliers bodies still underground than you realise.

You need to read the full report / account of the disaster and put into perspective. There is a very good book on Grssford disaster and it detail;s the reports following the incident and really does show what a total disaster it was. You might find a copy in the local Library and I recommend you have read. Your ideas would definately change

Mike

Are you saying the Colliery wasnt on fire?

There s been plenty of coverage of Pike River,to show what a Colliery on fire is like,
Once that coal gets alight,the heat will break up the roof,and total collapse.

Ty Gwyn sorry wasn't replying to you I should have read before sending
sorryMike

For anyone interested in the facts of the disaster there are some links below which explain everything


The first thing should be to print out the plans so that you can follow the details.

http://northwalesminers.com/sites/minecoal/gresford/gresford_files/Gresford%20Plan.pdf 

Here is a contemporary report of the accident.

http://northwalesminers.com/sites/minecoal/gresford/gresford_files/GRESFORD%20report.pdf 

Here is a first hand report from the captain of one of the rescue brigades which gives no doubt of the conditions.

http://northwalesminers.com/sites/minecoal/gresford/gresford_files/RECOVERY%20OPERATIONS%20STARTED.pdf 

There is much information from people looking back through time but I feel the above give the "mood" at the time of the disaster.

There are quite a few men still living who worked at Gresford after the re-opening and there memories are strong.

Rufenig, some interesting reading, thanks.

What is the significance of lowering the cage in 20 yard increments during the first shaft examination. Winder drum diameter?

To rufenig. Your tip to refer to the link on "Recovery of the Gresford Colliery by Mr Parry Davies" was most welcome and fascinating. The part referring to their initial visit to secure the Dennis Shaft pump house brought back vivid memories to me. As an underground electrician at Gresford in the 1960's we used to visit that pump house on a Sunday morning to carry out maintenance. As one shaft was out of action the pit had to close during this work.
Mr Parry recalls:- "Going down the 200 yards to the pump house, the entrance being not directly in front of the cage but at one side with a distance of over half a yard to step from the cage to a foothold at the pump entrance and a 500 yard drop if you missed your footing".
Those rescuers were carrying equipment including very heavy breathing apparatus, the shaft would have been a torrent of thousands of gallons of water, the noise and the wet slippery conditions must have been horrendous, and they were going totally into an unknown situation.
We used to descend on top of the cage and step across. I am not in the slightest way trying to compare our experience with their's. I do remember only to well how very scary it was for us in more or less ideal conditions, but when he stated "that space looked more more like two yards than half a yard" I know exactly what he meant!.
I am 75, was born near Chirk, went to Llangollen Grammer, and played a lot of football and cricket throughout North Wales. I think the Panorama above the Dee valley is one of the most beautiful places on earth and it does not surprise me so many now choose to have their ashes spread there. I am proud to have lived in a mining community, to have had so many relatives who were miners and so lucky to be able to say I had the experience of working down a coal mine (Gresford), if only for two years. I live in Crewe now (sadly). I am hoping to move more or less permanently to live in France in the near future. Where exactly is the reunion at Bersham to be held?. Kind Regards, MickyD.
P.S Thanks to everyone else who contributed.

To get to the mine on Friday.
From the A483 Wrexham bypas.
Leave at junction 3 and take the A5152 Wrexham Rd towards Wrexham.
After about 100 yds with garage on left, turn right (S/P industrial estate)
follow that Rd and the mine is on the left, with the tip on your right.
There should be signs out.

Found the following video, which may be of interest. It dates from the early 1980's and features an interview with one of the survivors of the Gresford disaster

http://www.virtualtenby.co.uk/video.asp?About=Gresford&HD=JKSnpvqSLGE 

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The report referred to will presumably be one of the many hundreds of printed copies of H.M.Inspectors of Mines Enquiry Report into the disaster. They exisit in some numbers and are fairly often available from secondhand booksellers. It includes plans of the affected portion of the mine (the full detailed plans of the colliery are held by the Coal Authority)

The full text of the Enquiry and Inquest are in one of the area's archives if I recall correctly. The enquiry sat for many weeks and the resulting verbatim transcript of evidence runs to many volumes.

The fullest published account of the disaster is the recent book "Gresford - Anatomy of a Disaster". It is non-sensationalist but pulls no punches - the drive for production ove safety, obfustication and collusion at the inquest and enquiry, the arguments for and against attmepting recovery of the bodies - all are covered in depth and analysed. Its based on the transcripts of the enquiry evidence, augmented by oral history, local newspapers, and other sources. For an 'academic' book it's not a 'hard' read - I thoroughly recommend it - a real eye opener.

The county historical journal published around the 1980s the 1930s memoir of a one of the rescue brigade leaders. This account was written long enough after the disaster for him to reflect on matters, but close enough for detail of events to be very clear in his memory. It is a fascinating read and covers not only the disaster but the unsuccessful attempts to later recover bodies, the sealing of the mine, and its reopening. Its out of print but local libraries can do xeroxes (its about 20 pages).

For those of you who are interested, The journal mentioned by "Graigfawr" above is, I believe, The journal of the "Denbighshire Historical Society, Transactions, vol. 22, 1973. Among other topics relating to the area, it contains an article on the Gresford disaster by rescue team captain, Parry Davies in which he also describes subsequent rescue attempts, and later operations to reclaim parts of the colliery. The account is both vivid and moving and gives one a good idea of the conditions faced by the teams going underground.

I managed to obtain a copy from the following site.
http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?kn=denbighshire+historical+society+transactions&sts=t 
which also lists other volumes in the series.

It's not an easy one to track down, but, to my mind, it's always nice to have an original paper copy.

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