ARCHIVES IN ACTION – MINING FOR MEMORIES: THE MOVIE! — Cheshire's archives: a story shared

Part of our mission with Cheshire’s archives: a story shared is to add to our collection of stories from Cheshire’s communities.

In the last 12 months, at pop-up displays of historic records from our archive collections, we have invited workers of Winsford Salt Mine past and present to share their memories about the impact the mine has had on their lives. We recorded conversations with groups of former colleagues and added them to our collection of oral histories.

Inspired by the recordings, local artist Gill Smith and animator Chris Murray created a short film celebrating the history of salt mining in Winsford.

The film premiered at Cine Window, based in Crosshatch Studios, Winsford Cross Shopping Centre. We were delighted to invite the people who took part in the conversations to witness the result of their efforts, and the overall project, on screen.

Those who attended the launch, some of whom came from families that have worked at the mine for generations, enjoyed the candid, sometimes poignant, and often humorous memories highlighted in the film.

One former worker remarked: “It brings it to life…how important the mine is and what it means to people”.