How a headstock wheel which was in storage since 1993 could return to colliery site

The Director of a Nottinghamshire surveying company will cover the cost of returning a headstock wheel to its former home at a nearby colliery site.

Craig Gould, who grew up in Ashfield, is the owner and co-director of Make Consulting, based in Annesley, which operate as chartered building, quantity surveyors and construction project managers.

He is keen to see the headstock wheel that was once at Silverhill Colliery back at the site after months of campaigning by ex-miners in the area to see the wheel returned.

It had been in storage at the Ashfield District Council depot since the pit closed in 1993 and now, Mr Gould will help oversee it returned to the colliery where his grandfather once worked.
Mr Gould’s business is based around a 20-minute drive from Silverhill Wood – now a country park – and plans are now being drawn up by Make Consulting for how the wheel could be displayed as a memorial.

He said: “It’s fitting to have the wheel go back to where they were and it feels good to give back to area I grew up in.

“My grandad used to be a miner and I personally know some of the ex-miners from the area who have been looking to do this.

“By chance, our MP, Lee Anderson, who is involved in the project came by and told us about it.

The project, along with the efforts of Craig Gould and Make Consulting was recently talked about live on TV on BBC Parliament following discussions around the project in the House of Commons.

“I was immediately interested as we had been looking at ways we could give back. I felt I had to get involved because the business has the resources to draw up the planning applications and designs for how the wheel could fit into a memorial there.

Make Consulting will fund the project ourselves and at the moment, the project will cost between £10,000 and £15,000 in total. The local miners have been fundraising themselves for the project but Make Consulting and Mr Gould have insisted they use that Money for a fitting ceremony to unveil the wheels.

Mr Gould has said work to refurbish the wheel before displaying it will begin in the coming weeks with the aim to have the wheel on display in May 2021.

Alan Batterham, 72, worked at Silverhill as a coal face worker from 1980 until it closed, and is one of the main campaigners with the Friends of Silverhill group.

He said: “It was unbelievable when Lee Anderson rang me to tell me we had secured the funding. I was totally overwhelmed

“We have a real opportunity to make a memorial at Silverhill to all those who worked there. Hopefully we can get this all through planning without any problems.”

Lee Anderson, MP for Ashfield, added: “To have Craig and his business get involved and fund the project for free is a massive win for us.

 

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