Megan Wallace explores the Barnsley Chronicle archives from 1983.
BARNSLEY pits made a substantial profit during the first three months of the year - and there’s more good news on the way.
The £420m coalfield made a remarkable recovery after losing 360,000 tonnes of coal through industrial disputes in the last financial year - the equivalent of £16m in revenue.
John Keirs, the NCB’s Barnsley area director, said in January, February and March the coalfield made a handsome profit, and the full benefits of reconstruction had still to be felt.
The completion of the programme will bring to fruition the area’s plan to concentrate production at three key centres known as East, West and South Side projects.
“The area invested £134m during the year, mainly on its major reconstruction schemes. The year 1983 heralds the start of a new era for the Barnsley coalfield,” he said.
A GROUP of transatlantic pilgrims and a CND walk from Wakefield made peace the overall theme of May Day celebrations in Barnsley.
Fortunately for the organisers Barnsley’s Trades Union Council - together with the district and constituency Labour Party - the heavy rain held off until after Saturday morning’s demonstration and addresses.
Some 400 people took part in the march from the Churchfield car park to May Day Green, among them a team of sponsored walkers from Wakefield’s Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament group, and three of a 19-member American peace pilgrimage to Bethlehem.
BARNSLEY Women and Health Group is campaigning for a ‘Well Woman’ clinic.
A public meeting to discuss ‘Women’s Clinics For Barnsley’ will be held at the lecture theatre in the Central Library.
The meeting, organised by the local health group and Barnsley Community Health Council, is part of the campaign to drum up support for ‘Well Woman’ centres.
The centres are specifically designed to meet the needs of women of all ages for comprehensive health care.
The emphasis of these clinics is on preventative medicine and self-help.
At present there are no such establishments in the area, and if a new centre were opened, its services would include screening for cervical cancer, teaching self-examination of the breast, contraceptive advice, general health checks which may detect conditions such as blood pressure and diabetes, where appropriate counselling for women experiencing anxiety and depression and providing information, reassurance and support on an individual basis and through self-help groups.
THE last passenger train from Sheffield to Penistone on the direct line will pull into Penistone station tomorrow afternoon.
British Rail is putting on extra coaches all day, as the train is expected to carry many rail enthusiasts taking a last ride.
After tomorrow, the line, which has been open since 1845 when the Woodhead tunnel was opened, will close - the stretch between Sheffield and Deepcar being retained for the service to Stocksbridge Works.
A new train service between Sheffield and Huddersfield via Barnsley will start on Monday morning. Engineers have been working frantically to prepare the line between Penistone and Barnsley in time for the planned launch.
