This is a copy of the front page of the programme created to commemorate the opening of Hem Heath pit on 30 July 1924. The first turf was cut in a ceremony led by the Duke of Sutherland for the Stafford Coal and Iron Company. The sinking of the Number One shaft was begun soon after but this ran into problems when a fast-flowing underground stream was discovered.
The photograph shows the Duke of Sutherland and Viscount Chaplin at the opening ceremony.
You can find out more about the history of the pit from its beginning in 1924 to its closure 1993 at the Northern Mine Research Society
