I WONDER if Evening Telegraph readers can help me with my hobby which is collecting brass embossed colliery lamp checks, or tokens and tallies as they are sometimes called.

These are brass discs with the name of the colliery on them and also the miner's number.

He would draw this check along with his lamp from the lamproom before going down the mine.

I am trying very hard to obtain some lamp checks from the many collieries that once operated in Lancashire, including Huncoat, which closed in 1968 and Scaitcliffe, closed in 1961.

I've listed some of their names and the year they closed -- Huncoat, 1968; Moorfield, 1949; Calder, 1958; Welch Whittle, 1959; Nook, 1965; Copy, 1964; Old Meadows, 1969; Astley Green, 1970; Nabb, 1954; Scaitcliffe, 1961; Wood, 1970; Hill Top, 1966; Chisnall Hall, 1967; Bedford, 1967; Pemberton, 1956.

I would very much like to hear from any former miners who worked at or anyone who remembers these collieries working and any help that they can give me to obtain lamp checks would be much appreciated.

PETER WALL, 5 Cherry Grove, Norton, Stourbridge, West Midlands. DY8 3YL.