Nigel went round his first mine in 1964 and understood nothing of it. Since then, he has visited, recorded, and photographed mines and collieries throughout Britain. He spent 10 years of Sundays helping to sink and create the Racecourse Colliery at the Black Country Museum. He has researched, studied, and drawn the buildings remaining of collieries and mines. From these studies he has written up and had published articles, several having helped to preserve unique mining buildings. More recently he has been, as part of the Welsh Mines Preservation Trust, engaged in recording by drawings and photographs Welsh metal mining remains. This has included the excavation of structures and examples of machinery. Remains of mining tend to be located in remote places providing opportunities to get out in to some superb places and landscapes.