HERE’S a group of smiling miners, who were enjoying a day away from the coal face on a works outing to Fleetwood in 1966.

The men worked at Hapton Valley Colliery and the only name we have is Joseph Thompson, who is kneeling, front middle.

Joe was a miner for 12 years, whose career started at Bank Hall in Burnley.

He remembers not enjoying his first trip down the shaft which was more than 1,000 feet deep, in a cage suspended on steel winding ropes.

He said: “It seems to drop totally freely, as if the steel rope had broken. You can see out and the wet, slimy sides of the shaft simply become a blur as the speed increases.

“You leave your stomach behind. On my first descent I was with the other new starters, so showing any sign of fear or screaming out loud was not an option.

“I just smiled, swallowed hard, tried to look unconcerned and above all, tried to look tough!”