Pretoria Pit Collaboration

Yesterday there was a ceremony at Ditchfield Gardens in front of the kneeling miner statue and memorial. The Mayor of Westhoughton, was one of the guest speakers, accompanied by the Mayoress. Cllr Wroe writes:

‘It was a beautiful morning as students from the schools in Westhoughton gathered in Ditchfield Gardens on Market St for a short ceremony, the culmination of a six month long collaboration to learn about the Pretoria Pit disaster.

This was on 21st December 1910 in which 344 boys and men lost their lives in an explosion in the pit.

Neil West, from Bolton Council, introduced the event, then I, the Mayor of Bolton and David Kaye of the local history group, all gave short speeches. Local singer Corrie Shelley sang ‘Johnnie’, her moving song about a boy who died in the pit disaster.

In my speech I mentioned the Houghton family who lost four members and whose relative Anne had written to me to tell me their story.

It is wonderful to know that the next generation will carry on remembering this important event in our history.

A poignant display was the miniature pairs of miners boots, made by the students, to represent every one of the 344. There is a display of some of them in the library.’