This section of the site is devoted to the history of the village from 1945 through to the closure of the pit in 1970 and is still being built up.

Click on the photographs opposite for captioned enlargements.

Much more to be added in due course. The current contents are as follows:

‘I’d come back I wanted to be in the Band and that was that.’ Tom Tunney’s memories of his last few months of Army service, his demob in May 1946 and return to civilian life as a bricklayer.

‘The Death of a Colliery.’ The impending closure of Thornley Colliery made the national headlines in late 1969. Click here to read a fascinating illustrated article from The Sun newspaper of November 25th 1969.

Hubert Tunney 1890-74 Index Page

Old Thornley Photo Index Page

Old Thornley Home

Thornley 1945-70