Ex-miners' delight as giant sculpture installed

Sam and Ray Lonsdale worked on the artwork over a two-year period

A giant sculpture has been installed on the site of a former colliery to honour a town's mining heritage.

The 16ft (5m) high steel work, called Shifting Times, was lifted into place in Houghton-le-Spring.

It represents a miner finishing his shift and features a helmet and torch, hung up on a row of pegs.

Ray Lonsdale and his son Sam spent two years creating the artwork at their workshop in South Hetton in County Durham.

Much of the sculpture was preassembled in South Hetton

It took about two hours to install precast sections near the entrance of a new retail park being built on top of the former pit.

The colliery, which closed in 1981, was the site of an explosion which killed 27 men and boys in 1850.

"It was always going to be a difficult installation," Ray Lonsdale said, in reference to his tallest sculpture yet.

"It's a relief and a pleasure to have it there now - it couldn't have gone much better.

"It's always lovely to be involved with the heritage in the area, the country was built on this... it's nice that this is remembered."

Bob and Juliana Heron were there to watch the sculpture being installed

Despite the rain, crowds gathered to watch the artwork, commissioned by Sunderland City Council, being assembled.

Juliana Heron was part of a support group formed in the area during the 1984 miners' strike, and said she had tears in her eyes.

The councillor for Houghton said: "We wanted to remind people what was here, the Houghton Pit disaster [also] lost a lot of lives, and emphasise what this area was, it was built on coal mining."

Her husband and former miner Bob said it was an "absolutely fantastic" tribute.

"This colliery closed many years ago and it's one of these occasions where it is fabulous to have been involved in such a great industry."

The development is expected to open to the public in December

Sunderland City councillor for housing, regeneration and business Kevin Johnston said there had been much anticipation for the sculpture.

"To see it in its final resting place is fantastic," he said.

"It will complement the wider colliery site development and hopefully bring more footfall into Houghton, and economic prosperity back into Houghton."

The retailer park, which features a major supermarket and several smaller units, is expected to open later this year.

It comes as plans for two more of Mr Londsale's sculptures, and one by artist Ron Lawson, which pay tribute to the "forgotten" women who worked at Sunderland's shipyards were approved by the council earlier this week.

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