It was tough, dirty work and thousands of people did it over the decades.
Today, we are paying a picture tribute to the people who made Wearmouth Colliery in Sunderland tick. The very workers who went to the pit face, worked in the canteen and did other jobs as well.
Let’s pay tribute to them all.
For those of you who loved to look back at Sunderland’s past, there is plenty more nostalgia for you to enjoy every day.
Catch it on the Sunderland Echo website by heading to the retro section, or why not have a look at our Wearside Echoes Facebook page.
It is a Sunderland Echo-run page which is dedicated to Wearside’s past and already has more than 21,000 members.
Find out more by heading to https://www.facebook.com/groups/wearsideechoes where you will find a daily dose of old photos, links to Sunderland Echo stories and more besides.
1. One last shift
Men in their pit clothes leave the cages at Wearmouth in December 1993 as they complete their last ever shift. | se
2. Pit cage recollections
Coming out of the pit cage as the Sunderland Echo caught the last shift at Wearmouth Colliery 33 years ago. | se
3. End of an era
Some of the team at Wearnmouth Colliery were pictured on the day of the last shift in 1993. | se
4. A final look round
Tell us if you recognise any of the people in these pictures, including this one which was taken on the last day of the colliery in 1993. | se