Culture of Coal: Wakefield’s Stories
Wakefield has a proud mining heritage. It is the place where the Miners’ Association for Great Britain and Ireland, the UK’s first national trade union for miners, was founded on November 7th 1842. Coalmining was the lifeblood of the district for close to two centuries.
With the support of a Culture Grant by Wakefield Council as part of Our Year – Wakefield District 2024, writer and historian Alfie Norris has created ‘Culture of Coal: Wakefield Stories’, a new podcast that aims to dig beneath the surface and explore how mining influenced and continues to influence, the arts, politics, heritage, and sport across Wakefield district.
Alfie has been invited to write the following blog article on his exploration of these themes, particularly important in 2024-25 as we commemorate the 40th anniversary of the 1984/85 Miners’ Strike.
For me, the root of what makes Wakefield unique lies in its mining heritage. The mining industry, and association to it, lay at the heart of both individual and community identities across our district. People still proudly identify as being from a pit town, even though decades have now passed since the closure of coal mines across Wakefield.
Booming of colliery construction during the Industrial Revolution transformed the small farming hamlets that dotted the district, into huge thriving communities. I don’t need to write about the realities of the collapse of the mining industry, it is an experience that anyone living in Wakefield over the past forty years can attest to firsthand. The social consequences were deep and continue to affect the lives of people across the area.
Mining created a set of timeless values. The dangerous nature of the industry forged close-knit working-class communities who pulled together in the face of adversity and helped their neighbours in times of need. A unique culture was also fostered as people were given access to leisure facilities such as swimming pools, grassroots sports like Rugby League, and recreational and entertainment spaces. Artists, like Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, and Harry Malkin – a modern day ‘pitman painter’ were all inspired by the industrial culture of our area. On the big screen, the smoke and pit stacks featured in the 1963 film adaption of Wakefield writer David Storey’s ‘This Sporting Life’ while modern screen starts and musicians like Jane McDonald, cut their teeth in the pubs and clubs of Wakefield’s mining communities.
The National Union of Mineworkers, 20th century Britain’s most powerful trade union, helped to drive up living standards and improve workplace safety. The colourful banners of local branches are displayed in Wakefield Cathedral and paraded during the ‘Banners Held High’ festival every May. They are a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who worked in the industry.
Both of my grandads were miners across collieries in Castleford, and for generations, my family has been connected to the industry. My great-grandma, from the Somerset mining town of Radstock, and my great-grandad from the Lancashire mining town of Widnes, both met in Wakefield during the late 19th century, having been drawn here for work in the collieries. Online dating might have been easier, but without coal, my family would not exist!
Inspired by my family background, I wanted to build a platform to explore not only the mining heritage we are surrounded by but also how this past continues to inspire and impact us. ‘Culture of Coal: Wakefield’s Stories’ is a new free podcast showcasing how coal and its legacy enrich our culture. Tuning in, you can hear people from striking miners and Women Against Pit Closures to artists, musicians, authors, and Rugby League historians—and that’s just for a start.
Connection to coal mining is often intensely personal, perhaps like me your grandparents worked down the pit, or maybe it was a spouse, sibling, or yourself. Whether you have a connection to mining or not, everyone in the district is influenced and connected by the proud culture the industry generated. The rich industrial culture, arts, writing, sports, and values rooted in the coalfield can never be taken away. They are an inheritance for everyone in the district, whether connected to the industry or not. We have never lacked inspiration or stories; we need the confidence and platform to tell them. As a young person from Wakefield District, through this podcast, I want to celebrate and reclaim some of the proud heritage we are surrounded by. As the famous mining slogan states: “The past we inherit, the future we build.”
To keep up to date with ‘Culture of Coal: Wakefield’s Stories’ listen in and follow on Spotify, YouTube, or through Facebook @Culture of Coal: Wakefield’s Stories.