Mining heritage of riverside in TV spotlight
Highlights of a stretch of river in Shropshire are to be brought under the spotlight as part of a television pilot show using a format similar to the BBC hit "Coast."
Andrea Edwards and Trevor Jones, of Alveley Mining Heritage management committee, met Paul Barnett of Gosh! TV at Severn Valley Country Park, Alveley, to help with the television team's research on the coal mining history of Alveley's colliery, which closed 50 years ago next January.
Andrea said: "Paul explained that his company had been commissioned to film a 30-minute pilot episode of 'River Walks' over a three day period, along a stretch of the River Severn between Bewdley and Bridgnorth.
"The format is similar to the BBC production Coast where points of interest are explored along the way."
The episode, for which River Walks is a working title, is scheduled to be broadcast some time in the first two weeks of December.
Andrea, who chairs Alveley Mining Heritage Group, added: "Severn Valley Country Park was identified as a specific point of interest along the route and Edward Andrews, Shropshire Council Country Parks and Heritage Sites Officer (South) had been approached to take a stroll and explain about the heritage and countryside conservation work carried out on the site and all the people who make the place what it is today.
"The production team also wanted to tell the story of the coal mining history of the site before the remarkable transformation from slag heap to a country park, so Ed put them in touch with Alveley Mining Heritage Group.
"The group felt that Trevor would be the ideal candidate to tell the coal mining story and, armed with his pit axe and token, he took to this role like a professional. The presenter, Shobna Gulati, took quite a shining to our Trevor and he flew the flag for this former mining community brilliantly."
