The Stanrigg disaster memorial has benefited from the donation of new benches honouring the area’s mining history.
Customised metal seats are now in place for visitors to the monument, near Plains, thanks to a generous offer from a Lanarkshire firm.
Marton Fabrication owner Derek Ross offered to provide benches for the area, getting in touch first with Plains community group member Pat Lavelle who in turn spoke with Peter Downie, secretary of the retired miners’ committee which maintains the memorial.
Greengairs resident Peter told the Advertiser: “We were more than delighted – they’re beautiful seats and a very lovely gift.
“There are two benches with miners on them, and they’ve been made to show different scenes in mining history, such as men dragging coal, getting wood in place and boring holes.
“Both benches are made of steel and are painted black; they look beautiful and they really enhance the memorial site.
“We’re so pleased with them and so grateful to Derek Ross for offering to make this gift for us and voluntarily putting these lovely benches in place.
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“It makes such a difference and it’s fantastic; we didn’t realise this could be done and we’d really like to thank Derek for getting this for us.”
Pictured from left at the official unveiling of the new benches are Pat Lavelle, Peter Downie, Willie Bennie of Airdrie firm Albert Bartlett, who cut grass and maintain the site at the memorial; with (seated) retired miners’ association chair Willie Allison.
The welcome gift was put in place shortly after the 101st anniversary of the disaster, which claimed the lives of 19 men and boys on July 9, 1918, when the mine was overwhelmed with an inrush of peat.
Eight teenagers were among those killed, along with two sets of fathers and sons, three brothers and three brothers-in-law. Eleven of the bodies were never recovered.
Around 100 people, including miners’ descendants from as far afield as Australia, America and Canada, attended a ceremony at the memorial last year to mark the centenary of the tragedy.
