A school’s new £150,000 canteen saw delighted staff and parents gather in June 1988.

Oakthorpe Primary School celebrated the opening of the new canteen with a medieval-themed party, which was officially opened by Councillor Horace Sankey.

The new canteen was necessary after British Coal was forced to pull down the old building so it could dig a 60ft trench.

Fires started burning underground at Oakthorpe in 1986 and the only way to stop them was to dig a massive fire break. It was unfortunate for the school that the old canteen stood exactly where the hole needed to be dug.

Staff had to cope with noise and dust as they continued to teach while the fire break was excavated.

After the underground coal had burnt, it left ash that could not support the ground above, leading to subsidence.

British Coal had to pump thousands of tonnes of grout underground to support the main school building and the playground.