Hi Fionn

Nice to see your keeping the web site going, there was a good one of our local pit (Bedwas) but sadly the web site wasn’t updated regular and now it looks like it can’t be accessed, a shame after all the work that went into it.

Anyway, why I am writing to you, I was just looking at the Tower page and seen the date is wrong. It says in the heading 1995 when in fact it was 1962 or there abouts. Just letting you know in case you missed it.

I just had a quick look, there is some good information out there on mining but sadly we don't see any wheels turning in south Wales any more. If your ever down this way you have to call in and check out The Big Pit

We live about half hour away and went there years ago when the kids were younger, it was good but only a short drop down to pit bottom and because of Health and Safety it was so very slow. But interesting to anyone that's never been under ground, they had two tours, one around the old stable and another more modern, sods law the twice I've been it's always been the stable route I've been on. BUT, on the surface they have made a gallery and it's very true to life, it is made up and covered with earth to look real and I must say they've done a great job of it, made by miners and not someone in an office and it really show. Well worth a look at if you ever get the chance and highly recommended.

I took a friend of mine there about two months ago; he retired last year from the fire service in Bristol. We planned going there for months but things got in the way then finally we did it, I had him going for weeks telling him he would need knee pads :-) He did enjoy it but said he would never work under ground, you either love it or hate it and I have only good memories.

I had a heart attack five weeks ago so been doing very little since then and catching up on reading. Going by your email your four years older than me?

I have some plans of our local pit but they are huge and can’t scan them but if I take some pics maybe they will be readable and will send them, also some lamp pics.

Take care and keep up the good work

Alan (South Wales)

Thank you very much Alan, sorted it now.

Hi Fionn, my name is Mike Chapman, grandson of William Maull who was killed in the terrible Tower disaster. I am tracing my Welsh family history and would be interested to hear from anyone with any information they might like to share with me. Although I did meet him I was only very small and have no memory of him and have only two photos of him so any more of him or other member of the Maull family would be fantastic.

A very interesting website with information about the disaster I did not know.

Thanks
Mike Chapman

At the time of the explosion he was married to Isabel Maull and had a son Alun aged 7, daughter Susan aged 3 (my wife) and he was living in Maescynon, Hirwaun, Aberdare.  

The price of coal has always been high but on this occasion the price paid was far too high.

Regards,

Billy Williams

Lots more information on the Welsh Coal Fields sent in by Billy

Thank you for a wonderful site........I am looking for information on the 1962 disaster at Tower Colliery in South Wales. My uncle Daniel Jones died as a result although he is not listed as one of those killed on the day, I believe he died on the 25th April, thirteen days after the accident. If you have any ideas on how I can find more information I would be very grateful. Many thanks, and congratulations on a wonder site, I have been browsing it for the past 3 hours and was so engrossed I didn't realise it has gone dark outside!   June Withers.

So far as I know Tower Colliery is the last deep mine in South Wales. The Cynon Valley pit was bought and reopened by its own miners in 1995, a year after it had shut down. But depleted coal reserves means it will have to close some time in January 08.

On the 12th April 1962 there was a firedamp explosion at Tower Colliery, Glamorgan, caused by sparks from a major short circuit to earth in an electric cable.
See list of names

It is such a shame the coal is running out at Tower - they deserved to have many decades of success after the buy out. I hear there is to be a film made soon starring Catherine Zeta Jones, or is this another of those myths that go around and come around?

I got some information from the Online Independent but it was dated 17 January 2004 and has since been removed:-

June Withers.