AN important part of the industrial heritage of the Cowdenbeath-Lochgelly area could be lost without more people joining the campaign to create some sort of mining museum.

The Fife Mining Heritage Group is struggling to find a base to store the huge number of items they have managed to save from being scrapped.

The Group's treasurer, Cluny man Tom Slaven, along with other members, have been storing some rare items from the days of when Coal Was King in Fife, in their homes and garages but unless something is done within the next few months, these could be lost forever.

Tom, 81, an electrical engineer who knew the importance of coal to the local economy from growing up in the area, has been striving along with the other members of the FMHG to see a mining heritage centre developed in the county without success.

He said this week: "Coal mining was what the economy of the Fife was built on at the end of the 19th century and for most of the first seventy years of the 20th century, so it is a key part of the history of the Kingdom.

"We have been lucky enough to gather a huge number of items ranging from pit equipment such as drills, a coal cutter and items that each miner took down the pit with them, along with photographs and paintings of life in mining communities.

"For a time we were able to store it in our museum in Kinglassie Institute but when we had to give that up, storage space became limited.

"Ultimately we now need to find the right place to not just store the items but display them for really that is what is needed to tell people the story of how the Black Diamonds helped Fife flourish.

"We have hoped for many years that Lochore Meadows Country Park might be the ideal place for a mining heritage centre at the Mary Colliery pit gear, but so far nothing has happened.

"Hopefully that can still happen as the park was built on the remnants of two collieries and the Mary Colliery gear is still a landmark at the Meedies."

Tom said that part of the items they have includes working model collieries, piece boxes, miners' checks, pit helmets, and a lot of data on the strike committees that were set up in communities during disputes.

Added Tom: "For a spell we took a lot of items to primary schools and the children just loved to hear about how coal was won from the ground and how members of their families had worked in the local collieries.

"The reaction of all the children spelled out to me that we cannot afford the legacy of mining to die and we need to have a mining heritage centre."

If anyone would like more information on the myriad of items the FMHG has Tom would welcome a call on 01592 720648.