IN PICTURES: Devastating Great Barr mine fire remembered in ceremony
Dozens of people turned out to remember men who lost their lives in a devastating mine fire more than a century ago.
A ceremony was held at the monument that honours the 25 miners and a brave rescuer who died at the Hamstead Colliery Mine in Great Barr in March 1908.
Descendants of the victims and former mine workers were among those who gathered to mark the anniversary.
They included Vlad Novakovich, who was the last person to leave the mine when it closed on March 26, 1965.
He moved to the Black Country from his native Yugoslavia aged 20.
Mr Novakovic, now 88, said: "What happened was very bad, it was a disaster. They told me all about it when I came over and showed me where they used to work.
"It is nice to remember them, we will never forget them. I worked 17 years down there and I enjoyed it."
Tony Ward, a former councillor and founder member of the Hamstead Miners Memorial Trust, said: "It went very well. I was pleased there were a lot of faces I hadn't seen before. There were about 100 people there which was a good turnout."
Visitors were invited to the trust's museum at the Tanhouse Community Centre following the ceremony to reminisce about the colliery, with some coming from as far as Banbury and Leicester to be there for the day.
Mr Ward said it was important the men who lost their lives continue to be remembered each year.
"It is very important. The area was completely dependent on the coal mine, most people worked down the mine.
"An awful lot of people are still living there who are related people who worked there. People meet up who haven't seen each other for a long time and it keeps the spirit going. In the old days in mining villages there was very much a community spirit and everyone looked after each other. It's nice to be reminded of that."
At the time the 1908 Hamstead Colliery Disaster filled the pages of national newspapers and more than 8,000 people surrounded the pit for days, waiting for news from the two teams of rescuers, who were trying to reach the men trapped down the mine.
During the rescue attempt John Welsby, a member of Altoft Mine Rescue team died after being overcome by the fumes and smoke that killed the other miners.
