Compare the gorgeous greenery of today with the grime and grit of 40 years ago. The transformation of the Easington Colliery site is staggering.

This landscape was vastly different altogether some 130 years ago, as the the pit was sunk in 1899. The village followed, and all this was arable land, quarries and farmhouses prior.

The colliery was opened to tap into vast royalties laying under the sea, held by the Haswell Coal Company who voluntarily wound up to form the Easington Coal Co. The deepest shaft when 1500ft underground, leading pitmen miles under the coastline. Incredibly efforts to withdraw coal didn't even begin until 1910 because of the complexities of water passing through the workings. This had led to the death of a pit sinker Mr Atkinson in 1909, who died after a sudden rush of water 400ft beneath. A kibble was on hand to rescue the other men, but Atkinson's body was found embedded in frozen sand. Of course, the verdict was "accidental".

Once operations started some 2000 men were employed at the pit, reaching over 3200 by the 1930s. These men came from everywhere in the hope of a stable, decent paid job and a new start for many. As such, this fairly large village developed with hotels, churches, picture theatres and schools.

Its demise is of course well documented through the media and its central role in the strikes. British Coal first mooted closure in 1992 unless there was a major output or market change, with Vane Tempest having already been axed. This was despite a profit of £457,000 in the first quarter of that year, but was noted it was not enough to stop it. This left 2,000 jobs gone in a snap. The legacy of this pit is not just physical - it's under the skin too.