I was pleased to attend the dedication of the new memorial recognising the country’s proud mining heritage, at the National Memorial Arboretum. The Duke of Gloucester unveiled the memorial commemorating the men, women and children who worked in the mining industry over hundreds of years.
Built in Derbyshire stone, the memorial has a continuous bronze frieze depicting the history of mining, including the contribution of miners to both world wars. I was interested to learn that 45 Victoria Crosses were awarded to miners in the First World War alone.
I was also delighted to meet artist Andy deComyn, who has worked on many other memorials at the NMA.
