Unearthing the site -a wander round Florence Mine

Took photos of the site. Things that caught my eye. Like barriers and danger signs. Interested in the tape barriers connecting spaces and at the same time sectioning things off.I have already been eyeing up the space we were in for the workshop – I like the metal structures for the lighting and could easily do an installation connecting the roof and the structures.

Could use significant numbers connect to the site to influence size of installation eg 1000 stitches to represent depth of shaft and 10 stitches to represent the 10 men that fitted in the lift. ( I immediately felt claustrophobic just looking at it- miners aren’t claustrophobic I was told!)

Mr.G appeared (works at the mine). He started working there in 1950. He asked me why I was taking photos and I said that I did textile work and just wanted to get some visual reminders of the place to begin to put some ideas together. Any way he showed me round the main areas of the mine and told me some of the stories. The importance of the man who worked the machine that moved the lift. He had to sit and wait for instructions as he was working blind(not a job for women I was told as we don’t listen- apparently!:). Mr G showed me the mine shaft- flooded at the moment. He threw a stone in the water and the noise was great. Could be a really interesting place to trace the sonic imprint. The shaft is 1000 feet deep. From textile perspective interested in the shapes and weight and colours of material.

Mr.G still moves iron ore and it gets taken off to be turned into a icing sugar substance – used in lipsticks and the like. He handed me a piece of iron ore – very heavy – but very beautiful. The mine is 4 miles long and there were lots of small mines doted a crossed Cumbria  competing with each other or the business.

The other thing that struck me is that the mine is essentially male environment. But mining communities are held together by family/kinships/ women – would be interested in hearing the stories of those who were emotionally connected to the space.

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Off to ponder…