Wigan Mining Monument and Kodak Ektar 100

 This week I finally managed to photograph a new art installation in Wigan that commemorates the coal mining heritage of the borough. Paid for by the people of Wigan the surrouunding borough the Mining Monument is situated next to the town hall, an impressive terracotta clad building that was once Wigan Mining Colege. The installation consists of a man, woman and child heading to work at the coal mine. The fundraising efforts were led by Shiela Ramsdale and Ann Catterall with the aid of the group formed to promote and celebrate Wigan's heritage, Wigan History Mining Monument (WHAMM).

Wigan was at the heart of the Industrial revolution that catapulted a sleepy market town into a bustling hive of industry with the discovery of coal. It was this easy access to the almost limitless supply of coal that persuaded wealthy industrialists to exploit the towns natural resources and build large cotton mills powered by coal fired steam engines. This industrial might also led to the re-routing of the Leeds to Liverpool canal and in turn gave birth to the legend of Wigan Pier, immortalized in George Orwell's social commentary, "The Road To Wigan Pier".  

For well over two hundred years Wigan was busy as Coal Mines, Cotton Mills and the local Ironworks churned out millions of pounds worth of goods each year, but sadly it wasn't to last. The advent of cheap imports and a bitter struggle that saw the Miners in the town go on strike for a year was the culmination of a decline in the towns fortunes. The last Mine in the once hugely productive Lancashire coalfield, Parkside Colliery closed in 1993, thus bringing an end to several hundred years of Coal Mining in Lancashire. Wigan has had to fight it's way back to prosperity with the loss of the three big industries, indeed most of the towns employment now comes from the retail and distribution sectors.

To commemorate the towns Mining heritage, Steve Winterburn was commissioned to craft the statues in bronze and is no stranger to capturing the spirit of the town. Steve was also responsible for the excellent statue of local Rugby League legend, Billy Boston. I have featured that imposing statue both here and on my Instagram account. With lockdown finally easing I was able to explore a bit more rather than just nipping into town for essentials only.

The Mining Monument, all shiny and fresh, is weathering nicely and will stand for many decades to remember the industry that played a pivotal role in the growth of Wigan and surrounding borough. Steve has yet again crafted an excellent monument for our town and, when the pandemic allows us, there wil be a civic unveiling to properly recognise the effort that Sheila, Ann and their colleagues put into fundraising and the skills that Steve put into creating this beautiful monument.

Here's a few images I shot on Kodak Ektar 100 colour film using my Nikon F801 and my 50mm f/1.8 D lens.I bought the film from Analogue Wonderland and the good folk at Max Spielmann developed and scanned it for me. I'm normally a ColorPlus 200 shooter, but this monument deserved better. Kodak Ektar is an excellent emulsion from Kodak's Professional range that renders colours nicely with fine grain for excellent sharpness. I have put these images and a few more on Flickr. I hope you enjoy them.

Kodak Ektar 100 on Flickr
Analogue Wonderland
Max Spielmann