Remember the Oaks
We are happy to be associated with a charitable project involving a number of local bodies to commemorate and construct a memorial to an industrial tragedy of national significance, the Oaks Colliery Disaster of December 12-13 1866. Although long since built over, part of the periphery of the Oaks site, and the rows of colliery workers houses that still remian in use, feature in These Fragments. You can get more information from the following link
There is also a video introduction to the appeal we helped to make featuring internationally renowned sculptor Graham Ibbeson.
The Dearne Valley Landscape Partnership are also helping to research the identification of the victims, which currently rests on partial and unconfirmed data aided by the Friends of Hemingfield Colliery (which was also one of the sites of the film). Their site is here:
Friends of Hemingfield Colliery Oaks Disaster
Experience Barnsley museum is also developing an exhbition When the Oaks Fired, that will run in the weeks receding the anniversary, and local schools and Horizon Community College are developing learning materials. These Fragments will feature in both of these initiatives. Another very informative site is this one:
