It is about the 70th anniversary of the bad accident there in November 1939. I have a news item I copied at the time. I attended a service in November at the church in Stainforth. It was a very moving service, but a lovely one. All three schools took part, and it was a village event.
I'll post the new paper cutting, and then I will finish off.
Parade marks 70th anniversary of pit disaster
Published Date: 15 December 2009
CHURCH leaders and former miners from across the county came together for a Miners' Memorial Service to mark the 70th anniversary of the cage crash at Hatfield Main Colliery.
Almost 70 boys and men suffered serious injuries on December 12 1939 following an overwind in Number Two Shaft. One, Daniel Horrigan of Arundel Street, Stainforth, died.
St Mary's Church at Stainforth organised and hosted the Miners' Memorial Parade and Service with all the churches together in Stainforth. It was led by the Anglican Bishop of Doncaster, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Hallam and the Methodist Chair of Sheffield District, with Hatfield Powerfuel colliery brass band and representatives of the NUM carrying the old NUM banner.
The service included a performance of a new drama by Hatfield Visual Art College students charting the crash. There were also performances by Hatfield Powerfuel Colliery brass band and Kirton Lane and Long Toft primary school choirs while Holy Family Primary School pupils led the prayers.
There was a two minutes silence at 1.45pm, the time of the cage crash, when the church bells were rung.
Bishop Cyril Ashton said: "It is important that the community remembers and this service gave everyone the opportunity to come together at this time of the year."
The work-in-progress of a clay model for a large new Miners' Memorial Sculpture to be permanently placed in St Mary's was also on display.
The scupture is a very well thought provoking piece of work. Byron is a friend of mine, and puts a lot of feeling into this type of work. When it is finished, it will be placed at the front of St Mary's Church.
I bought a book at the church, called Dads Do Cry, written by Robert Renton, a Stainforth man. He had five brothers one of them was his twin brother. It is a well researched book. He visited the men who were still alive when he was working on the book. Only one is alive now, and he was in the parade, and at the service. Robert also had newspaper cuttings and lots of help from different sources.I don't know how many members are interested, but the book is on sale at Stainforth library, and it costs £8.50. I could send one of the books to anyone who would like one, if they will send me a private message, and I could take it from there. I posted one before Christmas and the postage was 90p first class.
