Over the last few months the project team have been
excited and inspired by the stories of the ex-miners and workers from the
Bideford Black Pigments Ltd, from people who grew up playing around the mines,
as well as from others with incredible knowledge about the local history and
geology surrounding the pigment. From tales of long dirty hours working
underground to practical jokes and games out of sight of the boss (if you were
caught you would be polishing his black Riley sports car!), along with reams of
newspaper cuttings, maps, photographs and fascinating relics acquired from the
derelict mines and complex geochemical papers we are accumulating audio and
video and good-old-fashioned written recordings about the subject. So now to
unravel and assess the material, to arrange and rearrange and compose it all to
reveal a simple and effective means to share The Story of Bideford Black for everyone to enjoy.
Wally Mugford (ex-foreman), Jimmy Mugford (processing-plant worker) and brother with lorry driver at the mines, holding mining lamps, c.1953.
Bideford
Black Pigment Ltd mining lamps donated to the project by Don Kersey.
Having brought everything together and chosen the most appropriate parts
to express the essence of this tale, we will next be taking the Story to a few
local schools, along with a specially created Teacher’s pack by Learning
Co-ordinator Sadie Green. 120 children will be treated to a special Bideford
Black day where they will be taken on a walk to look at the few remains of the
mining industry in the town in the company of artist Pete Ward and ex-miners
Gerald Ford and Ron Pither and then invited to paint their interpretations of
the stories using Bideford Black itself. Some of the pictures will then be
displayed in a special exhibition to be held in the Burton Gallery when the new
display is unveiled in October. It’s going to be a busy summer!
Dave let me have a copy of this photo, he told me the first man is Alex Koballa (Polish), then Dave Mugford, Jimmy Mugford & their father Wallace Mugford.
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