Meet the Volunteer – Wal

In the latest in our series of ‘Meet the Volunteer’ profiles we hear from Wal who is a volunteer with the Steam Team.  

“I started volunteering 18 years ago in January 2001. The previous year I had met with Bob Chater (previous team leader) at Claymills Pumping Station and he persuaded me to do some pipework on the steam boiler on Boxing Day!

I mostly do pipefitting and general maintenance on the colliery site. I also operate the steam boiler. You can usually see me on Mondays and Saturdays working on or around the Racecourse Colliery, and sometimes carrying out maintenance on the Anchor Forge.

Volunteering has given me a new found interest connected to the boiler and engines, both maintenance and repair, especially since I retired two years ago.

The most important thing about volunteering is to pass on the interest of what a 1920s colliery was really like, with live steam and engines providing the power, to the visitors.”