AROUND 750 people were on hand to wish Blaenavon’s Big Pit a happy 30th birthday this weekend.

Billed as Big Pit’s Gala day the hugely popular coal mining museum hosted a family funday in the grounds on Saturday.

With go-karts, and a bouldering climbing wall there was action packed fun for thrill seeking families.

But there was also displays in keeping with the museum’s heritage, with craft displays of wooden clog making and the famous Welsh lovespoons as well as music from the Blaenavon Brass Band and a special choir of people suffering with Alzheimer’s.

There was even a guest appearance from a couple of celebrities in the form of Peppa and George pig.

The popular children’s cartoon characters were seen wandering the grounds although they did stay well clear of the mining left.

A working coal mine from 1860 until 1980, the site was then turned into the current visitor attraction under the umbrella of the National Museum of Wales.

A spokeswoman for the museum said: "It was a fantastic day and it was lovely that so many people came down to say a big thank you to Big Pit."

The Welsh minister for culture, heritage and sport, John Griffiths AM hailed the landmark as "a fantastic achievement," for a venue the whole of Wales was proud of.

"You have to remember that for a long time Wales was the engine of for economic development all over the world and we must remember that heritage," Mr Griffiths said.

"I recently came to the Ironworks in Blaenavon to launch our Heritage Bill. Both the Ironworks and Big Pit are up there with the top attractions in Wales.

"The underground tour at Big Pit is fantastic and hugely popular and I know people all over Wales and particularly South East Wales are rightly hugely proud of Big Pit.

" It’s a fabulous achievement."