Old King Coal

[Katzenjammer]

A sad day in my opinion for a once great British industry. Sure we still have surface mines but this is the last of the deep mines. It brings back happy and sad and angry memories. I dealt with the NCB and visited and inspected many mines and machinery across the North East and saw its demise......

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-yo ... e-35124077

I knew miners, some who worked in narrow seams hand picking at valuable coal as well as others from the whole gamut of that industry. Pat G can tell you more I'm sure and with more passion.

I am not convinced the green energy can keep pace with the world populations demand for energy. It has to be HEP or nuclear imo

I salute the brave generations of miners from a dangerous industry. As we sit behind a computer screen "working" in a cosy environment it is easy to forget the sweat and blood shed and still being shed in dangerous industries - all to satisfy our desires...

[Blackbaronfish]

A real shame as i live around areas that have thrived on the trade, and sadly slowly died from it. Many have lost family and will always have mixed emotions.

There are a lot of folk around here that are glad the pits have closed,as they did not want their siblings following in their foot steps .

BBF

[Raj]

Out of respect for the miners, watch this for the full 5 mins 48 seconds .... and if you have some more time, pull up the movie and watch the whole painful but poignant story unfold.
The first 16 years of my life in England were spent socializing with miners or mining families in Staffordshire.
End of an era.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo8hIc7DpuE

[Raj]

Fatal error .... I sat here thinking about the lives of the miners, their families, the history ... while watching the link on my own post and the hot tears just wouldnt stop. I've got a lump in my throat the size of a melon ... and I am not even from the country originally. Just think how it must be for the guys living it.

[Pat g]

It was indeed a sad day yesterday Steve. Broke my heart and i'm the first to admit that at lunchtime yesterday i shed a tear for those lads at Kellingley colliery or the "BIG K" as it was affectionately known as. My Brother and i went out for a couple of pints last night and we were both in a somewhat sombre mood to say the least.
My mining roots go back a long way after my Grandfather left Co Mayo in southern Ireland in 1923 to work as a shaft sinker at Vane Tempest colliery Seaham Co Durham. The lure of big money i should imagine as he was originally from a farming family. An incredibly dangerous job the two shafts were sunk to a depth of 2100ft using a German system of Freezing as the shafts were dug.
My Grandfather settled in Seaham, married and then went onto work at Vane Tempest followed by my Dad and 5 of his brothers. After that my cousins and other family members and friends worked there.
My Dad worked there for 45 years. Sadly like so many miners he passed away in his mid seventies having being diagnosed with Pneuoconiosis or the "dust" as miners called it.
Vane Tempest closed in June 1993 shortly after millions had been invested in state of the art coal cutting equipment they were only several feet away from a Seam that would have provided another 16 years of coal production !!!!
True to his words of "no son of mine will go down that place" i entered the construction industry where i remain today.
So i know only too well how those lads at Kellingley must feel right now. I wish each and everyone of those lads the best for the future and sincerely hope each and everyone of them find employment but whatever job you may find you'll always be miners. Its in the blood. God bless each and everyone of you.
Thanks to the members who have bothered to reply to this topic. All good posts but especially Raj's
ATB,
Pat

[Katzenjammer]

I remember being at Horden Colliery in the control room with cctv screens showing the face miles out to sea. Water was dripping past the lens at ever increasing speed. The foreman came on from the face and said its above our waists now! Better come out now and we'll get the big pumps on it was the reply.

I had a plumber in the other day doing a job. Rather significantly he said you can't get the young lads trained up now, they don't want to get their hands dirty. Has to be clean computer based stuff or they're not interested. But he did say some girls were interested. I find that now. My daughter will fling herself into anything but the lads seem like wimps. Of course there will be some out there prepared to get mucky. Saying that I watched a young lad at the allotment mincing around with a look of distaste as he spread well rotted horse muck - it's only s***!

This is our industrial heritage disappearing. Just as important as the Spitfire, the Vulcan etc. Funny enough my Dad was talking about call up the other day and the risk of being called up as a Bevin Boy. For years we have exalted and remembered the fighters but only lately "those who also served" and contributed to the war effort.

[Pat g]

I remember being at Horden Colliery in the control room with cctv screens showing the face miles out to sea. Water was dripping past the lens at ever increasing speed. The foreman came on from the face and said its above our waists now! Better come out now and we'll get the big pumps on it was the reply.

I had a plumber in the other day doing a job. Rather significantly he said you can't get the young lads trained up now, they don't want to get their hands dirty. Has to be clean computer based stuff or they're not interested. But he did say some girls were interested. I find that now. My daughter will fling herself into anything but the lads seem like wimps. Of course there will be some out there prepared to get mucky. Saying that I watched a young lad at the allotment mincing around with a look of distaste as he spread well rotted horse muck - it's only s***!

This is our industrial heritage disappearing. Just as important as the Spitfire, the Vulcan etc. Funny enough my Dad was talking about call up the other day and the risk of being called up as a Bevin Boy. For years we have exalted and remembered the fighters but only lately "those who also served" and contributed to the war effort.

Aye Horden was always a very wet pit Steve as were all in the Durham Coalfield that were coastal. Hard to imagine but Vane Tempest were over 20 miles out under the north sea when it closed in 1993.
I can remember my dad telling me they often worked waste high in water sometimes doing 12 hour shifts. The last 10 years of his work saw him on what was called the "Drawing Team". This task was only given to the most experienced men in the pit and involved Removing the Dowty roof supports and letting the roof come in on worked out seams Yup hard to imagine but true!
I'm so proud what my family did within the coal industry.
ATB,
Pat

[eboswan]

I remember being at Horden Colliery in the control room with cctv screens showing the face miles out to sea. Water was dripping past the lens at ever increasing speed. The foreman came on from the face and said its above our waists now! Better come out now and we'll get the big pumps on it was the reply.

I had a plumber in the other day doing a job. Rather significantly he said you can't get the young lads trained up now, they don't want to get their hands dirty. Has to be clean computer based stuff or they're not interested. But he did say some girls were interested. I find that now. My daughter will fling herself into anything but the lads seem like wimps. Of course there will be some out there prepared to get mucky. Saying that I watched a young lad at the allotment mincing around with a look of distaste as he spread well rotted horse muck - it's only s***!
two plumbers i know have young lady apprentices as you say couldn't get young lads too do the work
Rolls are being reversed young lads are more feminine (spelling hhmm)girls are more tomboy ish
This is our industrial heritage disappearing. Just as important as the Spitfire, the Vulcan etc. Funny enough my Dad was talking about call up the other day and the risk of being called up as a Bevin Boy. For years we have exalted and remembered the fighters but only lately "those who also served" and contributed to the war effort.

My grandfather,father and uncle were all foundry workers ,my dad used too say that jeans would last about a month as the sweat used too rot the cotton.
The only connection with the mines was my great grandfather was a saddler/making and repairing harenesses for the pit ponies
I have all his leather working tools in my shed.

[Katzenjammer]

Quite right too Pat. Those mining sculptures are marvellous. You feel like I do about my Grandfather the blacksmith, taken off the line the night before the Somme along with many other skilled men, worked at Ropner Shipyards, started his own blacksmithing and engineering company. Teesside breathed steel, shipbuilding and engineering along with all the other great rivers in the NE. Proud to have witnessed and experienced our great industrial heritage. I drive past stuff he made regularly, ornate park gates and the like and years ago met old managing directors who remembered him. Remind me on to bring that tailored topcoat of his up to show you. Made in the early fifties, he died in 54 the year I was born so I never knew him though he knew me as a babe in arms. One of my biggest regrets not knowing him. The coat pockets still have flakes of Balkan Sobranie pipe baccy in them......

[Katzenjammer]

[
[My grandfather,father and uncle were all foundry workers ,my dad used too say that jeans would last about a month as the sweat used too rot the cotton.
The only connection with the mines was my great grandfather was a saddler/making and repairing harenesses for the pit ponies
I have all his leather working tools in my shed.

So Brian have you tried using them and developing the skill?

I agree with your comments on boys and girls - the lasses to appear to have more get up and go. Is that feminism at work inspirationally? Has feminism and women's rights knocked the masculinity out of men?