"It might seem strange, but it should be painted purple"

Ambitious plans to restore the last surviving headgear in the Lancashire coalfield before giving it a coat of purple paint at a cost of £1.5m might sound a bit outlandish, but you wouldn’t bet against it.

Chair of the Lancashire Mining Museum and arch-bid-writer and fundraiser Peter Rowlinson has already had a big impact on making the Astley Green site on the border between Wigan and Salford a big attraction since taking up the reins in January.

The High Green Lane former pithead received more than £150,000 last year in funding and will receive £100,000 this year from a combination of organisations, such as Wigan Council, the Arts Council, and The Pilgrims Trust, for the restoration of its engine house.

Currently, the rusting headgear together with its winding house dominate the Ast