Heritage Officer Alan Davies has swapped the archives for the anthracite by agreeing to help Britain's best known steeple jack with his latest project. Keen-eyed television viewers will be able to get a glimpse of Alan on BBC2 on Thursday night (Jan 8) as one of the gang helping out with the spadework on Dig With Dibnah. The programme sees Bolton's favourite son Fred Dibnah attempting to sink a 100ft mineshaft in his own back yard.

Alan, who is usually based at Leigh Library, is himself a former miner. He became involved in the project because of his long friendship with Fred and his extensive knowledge of mining history. Alan, who was formerly the curator of the Lancashire Mining Museum in Salford, said: "I've known Fred for a number of years. He has a very strong interest in coal mining and its history.

"He has a detailed memory of the smaller collieries which once existed around Bolton and has the greatest admiration for those who toiled and often died in the industry."

He added: "About two years ago I dug out an old photo of a 1930s pit at Blackrod for him to base his colliery headgear on. He set to work and the end result is an eight-metre high fully proportioned pit headgear made of pitch pine. Those of us who had worked in mining, including myself, set to work sinking the shaft, really as an ornamental feature in which a pit cage could be wound up and down, and not actually to mine coal."

Alan said: "Fred's thrilled with the honour but is one of the most modest people you could ever meet. During the filming of the programme I had to keep reminding him which award he had won.!"

Dig With Dibnah is on BBC2 at 8pm on Thursday January 8.

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