By KLTV Newsdesk –
Lives Lived, Lives Lost preserves the stories of mining communities
Tributes to supporters of Britain’s coal mining community, including actor Ricky Tomlinson, filmmaker Ken Loach and Kes author Barry Hines, have been brought together in a poignant memorial sculpture at the National Coal Mining Museum for England in Wakefield.
The Lives Lived, Lives Lost memorial, located in the Museum’s Miners’ Memorial Garden, is preserving the stories of coal miners, campaigners, artists, families and communities whose lives have been shaped by the nation’s mining heritage.
Among those remembered through individually handcrafted glass checks are actor Ricky Tomlinson, acclaimed filmmaker Ken Loach, Kes author Barry Hines, campaigners Anne Scargill and Betty Cook, and folk singer Kate Rusby, alongside many others who have played an important role in mining history and culture.
A lasting tribute to mining heritage
The colourful glass checks form part of a growing memorial celebrating the dedication, sacrifice and camaraderie of mining communities across Britain.
Families can commission their own personalised glass check to honour loved ones and ensure their stories become part of the Museum’s living legacy.
Set within the peaceful Miners’ Memorial Garden, the memorial provides a place for reflection and remembrance, allowing visitors to connect with generations of mining heritage.
The impressive corten steel sculpture stands almost three metres high and curves in a sweeping arc, holding hundreds of individually crafted glass checks, each capturing personal stories and memories.
Handmade memories preserved in glass
Each check is handmade by glass artists Gary and Annette McMillan, who fuse multiple layers of glass in a kiln, embedding personalised text within the material.
The result is a permanent and unique tribute designed to endure for generations.
Lynn Dunning, CEO of the National Coal Mining Museum, said: “Every glass check tells a story. Together they create a powerful and deeply moving tribute to the people, families and communities that built Britain’s coal mining heritage.
“We are incredibly proud to provide a space where people can remember loved ones, celebrate their lives and ensure their contributions are never forgotten. To see the number of glass checks grow and grow, shows how much the sculpture means to people.
We would like to thank John Connell and Tracy Rodger for their recent donation and, in doing so, adding the names and memories of many special people and memories to our sculpture.”
From miners’ identification checks to memorial
The memorial takes inspiration from the traditional identification checks carried by miners as they entered and left the pit.
A familiar symbol of working life underground has been transformed into a lasting act of remembrance, connecting the everyday experiences of miners with the memories of those who came before and after them.
Funds raised through the purchase of Memorial Glass Checks directly support the ongoing care and enhancement of the Miners’ Memorial Garden, as well as the preservation of the sculpture.
This ensures future generations can continue to learn about and honour the mining communities that helped shape Britain.
Visit the memorial
Visitors can view Lives Lived, Lives Lost at the National Coal Mining Museum for England and find out more about the Memorial Glass Checks and how to contribute to the Miners’ Memorial Garden.
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