FOR years now there has been one man preserving and sharing the history of Barnsley’s mines.

John Greaves, who runs Mining Memorabilia To Lend, has dedicated his time and energy to ensuring that everyone has access to practical and real education about mining.

With a goal of ‘keeping mining alive’, the 70-year-old from Wath is sharing his great collection of mining tools and artefacts with anyone who cares to see them.

Travelling to local schools and care homes, the former miner has provided countless people with details they may have never known before.

John told the Chronicle: “I worked at Goldthorpe Colliery until it closed in 1994.

“Eventually I did a degree and became a librarian for Rotherham Council, working in schools.

“I was talking to a teacher at the school I worked at and she was asking how I got into this - I wasn’t a standard librarian, I was male, didn’t wear pearls and was quite friendly.

“When I told her about the mines she asked if I could do a talk for the kids and it exploded from there.”

During this time, John received donations of mining tools and memorabilia that upon his retirement he took with him in fear they would get thrown away.

Following this, John and his friend John Beard - who died earlier this year - began taking their expertise into the community.

“I still do some work with schools, but also for the charity B:Friend, care homes and various other places,” he added.

“At B:Friend and care homes it’s often women, but there are people there who are miners’ wives so know a side to it that I don’t.

“Every time I learn something that can go into future sessions.”

He was nominated for the Love Where You Live award at this year’s Proud of Barnsley awards by friends and fellow mining fanatics Rebecca and Dean Sills.

The filmmaking father-daughter duo received help from John during the production of their recent mining documentary, Regeneration.

John admits he’s ‘never been nominated for anything’ before and is ‘taken aback’ by it.

In their nomination, Dean said: “My daughter Rebecca and I would like to nominate John Greaves and Mining Memorabilia To Lend.

“John works hard going into our local schools to educate children on our mining past helping to keep our history going.

“Thanks to John, local schools will now get to watch Regeneration when we have a screening next week.

“He has supported us more than anyone regarding the film.

“Mining memorabilia To Lend also displays items from our mining past and he educates in a fun way to keep the children entertained.”