A FORMER miner is appealing to the Barnsley community in a bid to try and unearth some more memorabilia.
Bill Bennett, 74, of Bolton-upon-Dearne, was a miner for over 30 years - particularly at Barnburgh Main Colliery which closed officially on June 16, 1989.
As a hobby, he began to collect colliery checks and tokens - and he’s now asking the Barnsley mining community for their help to find more.
He told the Chronicle: “I was a miner in the Yorkshire pits for over 30 years and I’m now retired.
“By way of a hobby I started collecting colliery checks or tokens, these are normally brass or alloy discs embossed with the colliery name and stamped with the individual miners number.
“They were used as a safety measure to accurately record the number of men underground at any one time, some were also used as pay.
“I know Barnsley was once littered with pits.
“I am appealing to any fellow ex-miners or anyone with mining connections to help out.”
If you are able to help, contact jacktolson@barnsley-chronicle.co.uk.
