Photographer Josh John has visited former coal mining communitties to capture the impact of pit closures almost three decades after the miners’ strikes.
The 22-year-old is now exhibiting his array of thought-provoking images taken in ex-mining heatlands in Wales and Nottinghamshire..
The Chipping Norton resident believes his pictures, which can be seen at Chipping Norton Theatre’s Owen Mumford Gallery from now until Sunday, capture a “sense of loss”.
They include this image of the empty shower block at Tower Colliery in the South Wales Valleys. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s government announced in 1984 plans to close 20 coal mines, with a loss of 20,000 jobs. It prompted a year-long strike.
The former Chipping Norton School pupil said: “One of our largest industries has been turned into a museum piece almost.
“Some pits closed because they were non-profitable but others were privatised and profitable for years.”
The exhibition runs until Sunday.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here