Community packs church to remember disaster victims
9:24am Wednesday 22nd December 2010 in Your Town
THE Westhoughton community has remembered the 344 victims who died on what is described as the town’s darkest day.
And 100 years on, the sadness felt by the town and its neighbours in Atherton yesterday was just as strong.
More than 500 people, old and young, mourned the devastating loss of life at a memorial service in St Bartholomew’s Parish Church, Westhoughton, to mark the centenary of the Pretoria Pit disaster.
An emotional programme, led by Methodist minister the Rev John Howard-Norman, was relayed to St Bartholomew’s Primary School via video link to accommodate the hundreds of visitors who could not fit into the church.
After the service, the Mayor of Westhoughton Cllr Brian Clare said: “It has gone very well, I’m really pleased. It was a fitting tribute to the 344 men and boys who died.
“It is of massive importance that the town remembers those who have gone — it’s part of their birthright and their heritage, and, as such, people should always be thinking about this event.
“It’s not something that should be ignored.”
At 10am, 100 years to the day of the disaster, a gospel choir led ministers from various churches into St Bartholemew’s while a member of Wingates Band played a single drum, draped in black cloth as it would have been following the disaster in 1910.
Town Rector Gary Lawson opened the service as 344 seats were filled with descendants of the victims, families from Bolton and abroad, representatives from the National Union of Miners, town councillors and other dignitaries, including the Mayor and Mayoress of Bolton, Cllrs John and Lynda Byrne.
After a reading by Westhoughton town clerk Christine Morris, who has spearheaded the memorial events, the Rev Howard- Norman took over the service and introduced Wingates Band, which lost seven of its members in the explosion, including its chairman and secretary.
At the service, an ensemble from the current line-up, led by musical director David Thornton, played the miner’s hymn, Gresford, and a march.
This was followed by a reading from local author Andrea Finney and a moving performance by The Houghton Weavers.
The group sang A Friend At Court and a poignant song written for the service, Coal Hole Cavalry, which brought people to tears.
The Bishop of Manchester, the Rt Rev Nigel McCulloch, gave the address, which reflected the impact of the disaster on the town and the mining industry as a whole. He said the Pretoria Pit disaster is “beyond our modern c o m p re h e n - sion”.
He also talked about the recent mining catastrophes in Chile and New Zealand and said: “In those months of television coverage for those countries, the pictures brought into the comfort of our homes recall the appalling dangers and the bitter human cost of what is still one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.”
A group of Westhoughton High School girls bravely sang Don’t Go Down The Mine, Daddy, which brought more tears in the church and school hall.
Following a reading of the poem 1910 by Cllr Clare, and a performance of The Pretoria Pit Mining Song by Jane Torrence, the service continued at the monument to the victims, which lies in the church gardens.
At the vault, under which lies 24 victims who were never identified, wreaths were laid by the Mayor of Bolton, the Mayors of Westhoughton, Horwich and Blackrod, chairman of the Pretoria Pit disaster memorial committee, Cllr Harry Bowling, and representatives from many other organisations.
Father Michael Johonnett, of Sacred Heart RC Church, and the Rt Rev McCulloch gave short prayers.
Later, a mural created by Daisy Hill artist Andrew Smith was unveiled at Westhoughton Town Hall, in the Carnegie Hall.
Mr Smith said: “This is the greatest honour of mycareer so far and I am thrilled.”
