The Big Wheel Keeps on Turning : Forget Me Not. Collection of the National Coal Mining Museum For England

Centred around the 2 pit wheels at Caphouse Colliery and the coal miner, I’ve tried to show a journey through the passing of time from it being a working mine to become the National Coal Mining Museum for England, it's links with the past, and to wonder what the future holds in these uncertain  times. The Davy Lamp is the continuous guiding light and life saver to this day as explained to me by Martin and Richard who both worked as coal miners most of their working lives. and continue their work at the museum. They are among  the last generation of coal miners in England.

View across the Tyne from Davy Bank Wallsend

View across the Tyne from Davy Bank Wallsend, watercolour study

Construction of ESSO Northumbria at Swan Hunter Wallsend

Manchester Renown At Salford Docks

Salford Docks Ships and Cranes

Early Shift, watercolour

Early Shift written by Kevin Hey

The painting features a Newcastle Corporation trolleybus at Park Road in Wallsend, which was just 5 minutes away from where Phil used to live in the 1960s.

Early Shift’ shows a Newcastle trolleybus completing the early morning journey on service 34 from Denton Square. The route from Denton Square would have been up Denton Bank passing Benwell High Reservoir, down Westgate Hill, along Mosley Street and by the Head Office of Newcastle Transport at Manors, then City Road skirting the Tyne-Tees Television Studios, along the riverside weaving by the shipyards at Walker and finally to Park Road. Overhead an electric train from The Coast packed with commuters’ speeds towards Newcastle Central Station, while the ‘men folk’ below, with customary flat caps and their bait, are ‘gannin to the yard’ for another day of heavy toil and hard graft. 

The trolleybus system was in operation in the city for over 30 years, between 1935 and 1966. The routes covered much of the east, north and west of the city, with trolleys on many routes at peak times every few minutes. Extra services were operated to Gosforth Park on race days, the Town Moor for The Hoppins and for the shipyards at Walker and Wallsend, and ‘The Ministry’ at Benton. The conversion of trolleybus routes to diesel buses began in the summer of 1963, and the trolley ran on 1 October, 1966. 

Kevin Hey

Riverside going to see Johnny Thunders

The Tyne Bar

Going to St James’ Park to see Jackie

Sir Bobby Robson at St James’ Park

Tyne Theatre and Opera House

The Broken Doll Pub

Sharlston Colliery

The Eccles and Maude, Backworth Colliery. For my friend Keith who worked there and in memory of my mams elder brothers Bill and Aaron who also worked there.

Launch of ESSO Northumbria Swan Hunter Wallsend May 2nd 1969

Caphouse Colliery formerly known as Overton Colliery

Martins view

Newcastle Central Station, etching and aquatint 1980

Wheldale Colliery, Alan coming home

Kites, Trees and Crossed Lines

Gannin alang the Scotswood Road

Light in the shadow of a giant

Whitley Bay Spanish City and the Rendezvous Cafe

Across the fields

David Byrne at Manchester Apollo

The Broken Doll Pub

Autumn In The Park

The Giant Wheel

Blackpool Tower Ballroom Dancers

Queue at Ronnie Scott’s

Bar Italia at Dusk