The Pendine Park care organisation has a poignant reason for supporting the commemorations to mark the 90th anniversary of the Gresford Colliery Disaster.

Wrexham and Caernarfon based Pendine looked after the last survivor of the tragedy, Albert Rowlands, in the latter stages of his life when he was a resident at their Gwern Alyn Care Home.

Albert, who passed away in 2020, was a 15 year old lamp boy at the colliery at the time and his father, John, was among those who lost their lives on that terrible day in 1934.

After leaving the pit, Albert went on to have a remarkable career which included a stint working at the world-famous Carlton Club in London.

He celebrated his 100th birthday at Pendine and sadly passed away in 2020.

As well as being the headline sponsor of the North Wales International Music Festival in St Asaph, Pendine supported the premiere of a new opera about the tragedy that premiered at the opening night.

The care organisation backed the festival via the Pendine Arts and Community Trust, which was set by proprietor Mario Kreft MBE and his wife, Gill, to support arts and community-based activities across Wales.

Albert Rowlands with documents relating to the Gresford Mining Disaster Albert Rowlands with documents relating to the Gresford Mining Disaster (Image: Pendine Park) The opera, Gresford – Up From Underground, was written by musician and composer Jonathan Guy and conducted by his brother Robert, with the words by poet Grahame Davies. It was co-commissioned by the festival’s new Artistic Director, royal composer Paul Mealor.

The production by the brothers’ Wrexham-based NEW Sinfonia is also being taken to St Giles’s Church, as part of the Remembering Gresford weekend in Wrexham, from Friday, September 19 to Sunday, September 22, which is the exact anniversary of the disaster.

Mario said: “The premiere was particularly poignant occasion for us as we were privileged to be able to provide care for the wonderful Albert Rowlands who survived the trauma of the disaster and went on to live a remarkable and very full life.

“We dedicated our support of the premiere to Albert’s memory as well as remembering the 266 men and boys who perished, along with their families who suffered such a grievous loss.

"I thought the piece was absolutely amazing, it really got the whole sentiment of what this is all about, remembering those miners from all those years ago and bringing the community together. The choir was in fantastic voice and it's a wonderful piece of music.

“It was such a powerful and moving story and an illustration of how music and the arts generally can touch people’s emotions in all kinds of ways.

“That’s why the arts are so central to daily life at Pendine. They’re like a golden thread running through everything that we do to enhance the lives of our beloved residents and staff alike.”

Artist in residence Sarah Edwards with Phil Davies and Tony Ithel and some of the 266 lanterns they made to remember the victims of Gresford Colliery Disaster Artist in residence Sarah Edwards with Phil Davies and Tony Ithel and some of the 266 lanterns they made to remember the victims of Gresford Colliery Disaster (Image: Pendine Park) Meanwhile, the art group at Pendine made commemorative lanterns to remember the victims of the disaster.

Each of the 266 lanterns has the name of a victim written in white on their bases which were painted black to represent coal.

They were displayed and illuminated during the premiere and will also be lit during the performances at St Giles Church.

The project was led by Pendine’s Artist in Residence, Sarah Edwards, who said: “The anniversary has a special significance and resonance for everyone here.

“So many of our staff and residents grew up knowing the history of the disaster. It’s true to say this has been quite an emotional project for us all, but one which we were determined to complete to the best of our abilities in honour of those killed and their families still surviving today.”