With the Centenary commemorations of the Blantyre Pit Disaster coming to a close in early November 1977, the three men responsible for the design and build of the memorial, had one thing left to do. Experience being down a pit for themselves!
So bravely, in the first week in November 1977, Robert Sim who made the fibreglass memorial and colleague Donald McAllister, along with memorial designer Neil Gordon, all made their way over to Cardowan Pit and descended into its depths, all to experience what miners have to endure every day. For men who had never been below ground before, this was a harrowing event as they were lowered into the depths.
Upon coming back up, Robert Sim told reporters of his shock at conditions in the mine, even in modern times. Не explained: “My partner, Donald McAllister and memorial designer Neil Gordon made the trip down the pit because we felt obliged to after being so closely involved in the memorial.
“We were all deeply shocked by what we saw. We did not expect to find Blantyre miners working in such terrible conditions a century after the disaster.”
Robert and his partners were heads of Everlasting Memorials, a Blantyre firm that had pioneered the manufacture of fibre-glass memorials and headstones.
“The memorial has taken on a whole new significance for me since that visit,” said Robert, 6 Woolcott Drive, Blantyre.
“Many of the metal pit props being used were warped beyond repair We had a three mile slog through wet, dangerous tunnels before we even reached the coal face.”
Cardigan Colliery is pictured.
😮