Meet The Team

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Ann Donlan

I am a volunteer and a Director of the Nottinghamshire Mining Museum Ltd., and one of the founding members. I played a key role in the establishment of the Company along with our Chair Eric Eaton and Julian Stocks. I wrote the Business Plan that was key to the Museum achieving Charity status. Along with our Chair, Eric Eaton, I am responsible for writing bids for funding; initiating the actions required to organise our Exhibitions and Pop Up displays; responding to all correspondence; organising meetings with outside organisations and liaising with other team members. We work as a team of volunteers and everyone of our team is a valued member.

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Eric Eaton

Chair of the Nottinghamshire Mining Museum Ltd and founding member.
Work record;
Initial training for coal mining Shipley Training Centre Derbyshire.
Worked at;
Cossall Colliery.
Newstead Colliery.
Thoresby Colliery.
NUM Member from 1st January 1962 – to date.
Positions held in NUM;
Chair Newstead Colliery.
Chair, Secretary Thoresby Colliery.
Chair Nottinghamshire Area National Union of Mineworkers.
Chair, Notts NUM Ex and Retired Miners.
Chair, Nottinghamshire Mining Museum Ltd.

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Barry Donlan

I am a retired history teacher and one of the founding members of the Museum. I have participated in and helped to organise many of the educational activities developed by the Museum, including outreach visits to local schools. I have contributed to the design of many of the educational activities. As a former history teacher I am committed to assisting children to value the importance of their own experiences and those of their families and communities. I think this is particularly important in a former coal mining area where the memories of coal mining are being lost.

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John Brock

When the Museum has an exhibition in progress I serve as an attendant and guide. During the Museums closed season along with others I am involved with receiving, recording and photographing the Museums collection of artefacts as well as more general duties.
Now retired I did during my working life spend 12 years at a Nottinghamshire Colliery and believe that the young in particular should be able to learn something of the history of the coal industry and its people that was so vital to the economy of Nottinghamshire and the Nation.

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Barrie Lewis

My name is Barrie Lewis and I am 65 years of age and I am married to a lovely lady named Sue. I spent fourteen years of my life in the mining industry where my father was killed leaving a family of seven on Christmas eve 1960 and it was labeled “The price we pay for coal” I also had,9 years in the baking industry and I am proud to say that throughout those years I was an active trade union Member. At Linby Colliery the pit where I worked at I attended umpteen courses on union business and the 9 years in the baking industry I achieved part of my goal and was elected branch chairman when Allied Bakeries pulled out of the Federation it left us to wage bargain at local level that was quite an experience and I learned quite a bit on the PR side of things. But looking back into my mining history nothing could have prepared me more than when it came to fight to save not just one pit but all of them it wasn’t just us it was supply industries it was communities as well we are reaping the benefits of that now. My interest in the museum stems from my time at the pit what it was, what it meant ,i believe it is now time that knowledge was shared.

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Geoff Peace

I am a founding member and a Director of the Nottinghamshire Mining Museum Ltd. As an ex miner, I share my coalmining knowledge and experience with members of the public. I act as a guide around our Exhibitions and play an important role in our educational activities, both as part of our Exhibitions and as part of our outreach schools work.

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Roland Laycock

I am a retired Engineer of various skills, I have participated in making and repairing things for the Mining Museum and hope to continue.

My father was a miner until the roof fell in on him at Welbeck pit and left him disabled for the rest of his life, and it’s my way of giving back what the NUM what they did for my family.

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Arthur Jackson

I am a founding member and a Director of the Nottinghamshire Mining Museum Ltd. As an ex miner, I share my coalmining knowledge and experience with members of the public. I act as a guide around our Exhibitions and play an important role in our educational activities, both as part of our Exhibitions and as part of our out reach schools work.

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Lauren O’Grady

I am the volunteer exhibitions officer for the museum. I work alongside the directors and other volunteers to create and deliver our pop up museum exhibitions and events. I studied art at University and have a background in sculpture, modelmaking and exhibition design.

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Chris Gibbon

I was thrilled when I received the invite to become a director of the museum. I am a recently retired local teacher. Children in my school were lucky enough to visit the museum but also to welcome our volunteers into school and experience the ‘roving museum’. I am now a volunteer and support with the development of educational experiences for children. I enjoy listening to the experiences of our retired miners and watch the awe and wonder on children’s faces as they learn about their mining heritage.

Phoebe Cox

I’m a new member, active within the trade union movement from a lineage of miners. I volunteer alongside my studies as I’m extremely interested in working-class, mining history and proud of our community’s roots. I feel it is important to preserve our local history and honour the plight of working people, ensuring that generations to come can learn about it.

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Janet Spencer

I am a Director of the Museum. I have a background in Sales and I play an important role in fundraising for the Museum, generating ideas, and organising selling events at coalmining heritage and history events; I organise auction room events, raffles and tombolas. I also organise hospitality at the opening and closing of our exhibitions.

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Alan Spencer

My family is steeped in coal mining. My father and elder brother both worked at Welbeck Colliery and I worked at Welbeck between 1974 and 2010. In my working life I am currently the General Secretary of the Nottinghamshire National Union of Mineworkers and I volunteer for the Museum assisting Eric Eaton and the Museum volunteers in all aspects of the organisation of the Museum and in the work required to create our Pop Up Exhibitions. I do everything I can to assist in the development of the Nottinghamshire Mining Museum as I believe it is vital to record and save the history of the Nottinghamshire coalfield.

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Bev Morrell

I have a background in administration, selling and marketing.  I generate fundraising ideas for the Museum and have organised fundraising events, including raffles and valuation days.  I advise on other ways the Museum can generate income.  I volunteer at selling events and assist in the preparation and running of our Pop Up Exhibitions

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Mick Coakley

I am a Director of the Museum and served until recently as the Treasurer of the Museum.  As a former Fire Service Officer, I advise the Museum on health and fire safety issues.  I work with other volunteers to create, manage and organise the storage of our artefacts, making the best use of the space we have.  I also advise the Chair and other volunteers on a range of organisational and safety matters.