Hi Steven,

 

Thanks so much for this! It was really helpful and fascinating to read more on.

 

Sadly I’ve been unable to establish whether any of the Northumberland Coal Field miners went to Bulgaria so I’ve returned the items to the donor.

Thank you again!

 

Georgina Ascroft

Curator of Mining Culture

Museums Northumberland

Woodhorn Museum

QEII Country Park

Ashington

Northumberland

NE63 9YF

 

T: 01670 624493

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W: www.museumsnorthumberland.org.uk

 

Museums Northumberland is the public brand of Woodhorn Charitable Trust. Woodhorn Charitable Trust is a registered charity in England & Wales No. 1129712.

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From: Social History Curators Group email list <[log in to unmask]> On Behalf Of Skelley , Steven
Sent: 14 October 2019 15:37
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Commemorative Plate

 

This is an email sent via the SHCG List. If you reply to this message, your message will be sent to all the people on the list, not just the author of this message. -------------------------------

Hello Georgina,

 

What a fab plate. I know that the communist government in the People’s Republic of Bulgaria invited miners to visit as a holiday, basically in support of the miner’s strikes in the UK in 1984 ish. As a socialist movement there was support for the miners from the east. Many miners in Barnsley went off behind the iron curtain for holiday in Bulgaria.

 

My own grandad, who was a miner, went on a trip to the snowy mountains in Bulgaria all expenses paid. It was very exotic as it was not really open to tourism or the West at all. He said he was treated like a hero and was given quite a few commemorative souvenirs. I just wondered if this could be a similar link as to why your mining communities might have one?

 

Hope this helps – would love to know more.

 

Have you tried the National Union of coal Miners in Barnsley? They have a huge collection. Also National Coal Mining museum just up the road from here.

 

Best wishes,

 

Steven

 

Steven Skelley

Sector Specialist Officer - Community Heritage Curator

Experience Barnsley

Town Hall

Church Street

Barnsley

S70 2TA

E mail: [log in to unmask]

Mobile: 0788 7783279

 

 

From: Social History Curators Group email list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ascroft, Georgina
Sent: 14 October 2019 14:44
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Commemorative Plate

 

This is an email sent via the SHCG List. If you reply to this message, your message will be sent to all the people on the list, not just the author of this message. -------------------------------

Hi all,

 

We've just been offered this plate by a member of the public. My colleague has translated the inscription which reads "Central Committee of the Union of Miners Metallurgists Energy and Geologists Bulgaria"

 

A google search also suggests it could also be "Central Committee of the Trade union of the miners, metallurgists, geologists and the power engineers".

 

The plate is stamped on the reverse in English 'Made in Bulgaria'.

 

I don't have any other information about the piece so am likely to decline - but it was such an unusual item to me I wanted to tap the expertise on the SHCG to see if anyone knew of a link to Coal Mining, especially in Northumberland.

 

Thanks in advance

Georgina

Museums Northumberland is the public brand of Woodhorn Charitable Trust. Woodhorn Charitable Trust is registered as a charity number 112971. Registered as a company in England and Wales under registration number 6893854. This email is from the Woodhorn Charitable Trust. It may contain confidential and privileged information. It is for the intended recipient(s) only: if you have received it in error, please reply and delete all copies. Please note that from 10th August 2018 the organisation email addresses have changed to [log in to unmask]

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