August 29, 2026 - Tributes to supporters of the coal mining community, including actor Ricky Tomlinson, filmmaker Ken Loach and author Barry Hines, have been included in a poignant memorial sculpture at the National Coal Mining Museum for England in Wakefield.

The memorial, Lives Lived, Lives Lost, located in the Museum's Miners' Memorial Garden, is helping preserve the stories of coal miners, campaigners, artists, families and communities whose lives have been shaped by coal mining.

Among those remembered through handcrafted glass checks are actor Ricky Tomlinson, acclaimed filmmaker Ken Loach, Kes author Barry Hines, campaigners Anne Scargill and Betty Cook, and folk singer Kate Rusby, alongside many others who have played an important role in mining history and culture.

The colorful glass checks form part of a growing memorial that celebrates the dedication, sacrifice and camaraderie of mining communities across Britain.

The memorial, Lives Lived, Lives Lost, located in the Museum's Miners' Memorial Garden, is helping preserve the stories of coal miners, campaigners, artists, families and communities whose lives have been shaped by coal mining.

Families can commission their own personalized glass check to honor loved ones and ensure their stories become part of the museum's living legacy.

The impressive corten steel sculpture rises almost three meters high and curves in a sweeping arc, holding hundreds of individually crafted glass checks that capture personal stories and memories.

Each check is handmade by glass artists Gary and Annette McMillan, who fuse multiple layers of glass in a kiln with personalized text embedded within, creating a permanent and unique tribute designed to endure for generations.

Lynn Dunning, CEO, National Coal Mining Museum, said: "We are incredibly proud to provide a space where people can remember loved ones, celebrate their lives and ensure their contributions are never forgotten.

"To see the number of glass check grow and grow, shows how much the sculpture means to people.”

The memorial takes inspiration from the traditional identification checks carried by miners as they entered and left the pit, transforming a familiar symbol of working life underground into a lasting act of remembrance.

Funds raised through the purchase of Memorial Glass Checks directly support the ongoing care and enhancement of the Miners' Memorial Garden and the preservation of the sculpture, ensuring future generations can continue to learn about and honor the mining communities that shaped the nation.

Visitors can view the memorial and find out more about the glass check here.