THE Save the Cage campaign is continuing to make good progress towards realising their dream of having a mining heritage site at Lochore Meadows Country Park.

Only two days after their successful fundraising event run at the Red Goth, in Lochore, on Sunday, which realised over £750, they have had a highly productive meeting with people from the National Mining Museum of Scotland.

STG's Iain Chalmers and Brian Menzies had a meeting with Nicola Moss, Curator of the NMMS, at the Lady Victoria Colliery, at Newtongrange on Tuesday, at which they were able to answer a few questions.

The Museum have had people visit the park and view the Mary Colliery Pithead gear which the Save the Cage committee feel has to be at the centre of any heritage project.

Iain Chalmers said: "Nicola had raised a few points that needed clarification on the items we have requested and how we intended to display them. "We explained that the way they would be displayed would describe a miner's journey from the pithead to the coal face using Man Ridding Bogies, Material Bogies, Roof Supports and Coal Cutters.

"The machinery would be displayed in the vicinity of the former Mary Colliery head frame, this would create a mining related theme park so that people could see and interact with the artefacts".

The Mining Museum management have been encouraged by the lay-out of the park and the presence of the pithead gear and Iain added: "I am pleased to say the proposals we have made were met in a positive manner and we await a decision from the NMMS."

Save the Cage would like to use a number of the artefacts that the National Museum has stored to create the heritage site and park manager Ian Laing is highly supportive of the project.

Save the Cage has been raising funds to cover the costs of transporting the artefacts from Newtongrange to the Meedies, along with setting them up at the park, and the community has been very supportive in getting behind the project.

If the Museum agrees to allow the use of their artefacts, the committee can start to organise a programme of how they can get the implements to the park and consider the final lay-out of the site.