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Ayup me ducks

I am new to this sort of thing so bear with me if I make a mess of it.

I worked at Cotgrave colliery from 1972 - 1979, does anyone remember the fitters v electricians football matches that were an annual event. Main players, that I can remember, were my old mate Keith "Aussie" Austin, my travel partner Don Parsons, "legend in his own mind" Paul 'Ando' Anderson and I think that the lad who sent a write up to the local paper every year was named Malc Woods.

We had some great times, especially during my last 3 years when I was permanently in the surface fitting shop. I had asked Charlie Brentnal if I could go on the surface as we were covering winders at college. He agreed and then forgot about me, I certainly wasn't going to remind him, I was getting underground rate all the time I was on the surface.

If any of the lads from the fitting shop, electrical shop or stockyard read this please respond it would be great to hear from you.

I have one question, however, that has always bothered me, who was 'UGGY and ARTY'? if you worked in the fitting shop you will know what I mean.

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I finished my last few months of my apprenticeship at Cotgrave after Clifton closed, there was no football matches at that time. I know my old mate Clem played footie, his wife Sheila is on my FB friends list, Clem's to lazy to get on a computer.

Mick Wolvin is a member of my coal and mining forum, I doubt he'd have played football..LOL

I worked under Mick in 68 up until I left that year.

Two leckos I worked with in the mid 70's at Boulby were ex Cotgrave leckos, George "Geordie" James and Malcolm "Wanker" Bell.

Couple of other old mates, served their apprenticeships same time as me John Booth and Bill "Lou" Blair, lost contact with them years back.

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I worked with a lad named Clem on, it was either 3's or 5's, I was just an apprentice fitter working with Jack Hallam on 3's or Bill Thompson on 5's.

If I remember right all Clem could talk about was fishing, this suited me as I was, and still am fishing mad. I remember him moaning for the whole shift about the number of 'Monsters' that had snapped him the day before at the Pod-Hole.

The name Mick Wolvin rings a very loud bell but I cannot put a face to the name.

My Dad has asked me to ask if any of his old mates are members. His name is Kenny Spence and he worked at Radford, then a short time at Cotgrave before transferring to Babbington where he stayed until he took early retirement in the 80's. I will try to get him to open up over the next few months, some of his stories are priceless.

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That's Clem, known him since the mid 60's, he's still an avid angler, well according to his missus.

Mick Wolvin was a shift elec engineer.

When I arrived at Cotgrave in early 1968, the last of the deep soft faces were being drawn off, all five operating faces were in deep hard.

I also worked with a Father and Son from Cotgrave in Australia, Clarrie Beresford, he was a Deputy and Mal Beresford, he was the leading hand elec on the shift I worked on. Ironically, I they were both at Cotgrave when I was there and I never knew either of them. I had to travel half the way around the world to meet them...

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#1: You might know Keith Bamford from Clifton. I believe he was at Cotgrave around the same time as yourself. Don't know what trade he was though.

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Thanks for your replies folks, I remember Mick Wolvin now that you tell me he was a shift charge electrician.

Back in the 70's all the mineworkers were given the option of buying their pit houses and a lot of them did so. Are there many still living there?

I transferred to Bentinck training centre in 1979 after gaining my AMEMME Hons. If you were a fitter or an electrician from 1970 ish through to 1986 you will surely remember, Barry Parnham, Bram Butt, Charlie Pass, Jack Clarke and co. They were all Instructors and you couldn't have wished for a more miserable bunch of so and so's.

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Click on "Forums" at the top of this page.

Scroll down till you find a suitable one to put your thread in.

Click on the heading of the chosen forum.

Then on the right-hand side near the top, click on the black "Start new topic" box.

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No Dave, Mick was a shift Elec Engineer.

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Thanks for the info on a new thread, much appreciated.

Thanks for clarifying Mick Wolvins' position, I think I can place him, do you know who his counterpart was on the fitting side? If I remember correctly they were Norman White, Norman Evans and George McNeil.

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I don't recall any names on the fitting side Dave, 47 years have flown by and I was only there a few months.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Chaps

Paul Taylor here... Fitter at Cotgrave from 1972 to 1992

Started on Regular days with Jimmy Gordon in the surface shops

Then onto Shifts on Brian Renshaws watch, mates with Aussie (Keith Austin)

Onto shifts down the pit with Alec Hannah Shift Charge Engineer and Norman Evans.

Apprentice with John Merriman on 63s and then onto my first face with Clem as the Sparkie - Mick Wolvin was their SCE

Played football with Clem and others for Star United

My dad is Ralph Taylor, Overman at the pit

Loads more to tell

Cheers

Paul

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  • 3 years later...

This post was made as a "Report" by a "Guest",  which means it won't be seen by anyone unless I copy it here. 

 

I was at cotgrave between 1986-1992 , on various jobs . Back up , materials and on loco's partnering Bob Law . I remember a short film of Graham Edwards and myself in the pit bottom and riding out on the cage . Many good memories with top lads but I can't find the short film from central news sadly . My name is Pete Giddens if anyone remembers , also remember the Loco fitters Bob and Stan

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On 6/29/2015 at 8:06 AM, Dave Spence said:

Ayup me ducks

I am new to this sort of thing so bear with me if I make a mess of it.

I worked at Cotgrave colliery from 1972 - 1979, does anyone remember the fitters v electricians football matches that were an annual event. Main players, that I can remember, were my old mate Keith "Aussie" Austin, my travel partner Don Parsons, "legend in his own mind" Paul 'Ando' Anderson and I think that the lad who sent a write up to the local paper every year was named Malc Woods.

We had some great times, especially during my last 3 years when I was permanently in the surface fitting shop. I had asked Charlie Brentnal if I could go on the surface as we were covering winders at college. He agreed and then forgot about me, I certainly wasn't going to remind him, I was getting underground rate all the time I was on the surface.

If any of the lads from the fitting shop, electrical shop or stockyard read this please respond it would be great to hear from you.

I have one question, however, that has always bothered me, who was 'UGGY and ARTY'? if you worked in the fitting shop you will know what I mean.

HI Dave .Do you remember my dad.

Gordon Lea. was a fitter turner from the early 60`s till 79.

He had polio and walk with a stick.He was on shop floor fitter turner.

 

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Welcome Cotgrave girl.

 

Dave Spence posted that message in June 2015 and only ever returned to the site for a few days after that, so you probably won't get a reply to your question. But there's a chance that someone else (who isn't Dave Spence) might know something, so don't give up hope.

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  • 9 months later...
On 6/10/2019 at 10:06 PM, Cliff Ton said:

This post was made as a "Report" by a "Guest",  which means it won't be seen by anyone unless I copy it here. 

 

I was at cotgrave between 1986-1992 , on various jobs . Back up , materials and on loco's partnering Bob Law . I remember a short film of Graham Edwards and myself in the pit bottom and riding out on the cage . Many good memories with top lads but I can't find the short film from central news sadly . My name is Pete Giddens if anyone remembers , also remember the Loco fitters Bob and Stan

Hi, my grandad worked at Cotgrave. George Henry Boultby. Where could I find records of him, please? 

 

Thank you.

 

Regards,

 

Carol Boultby

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  • 6 months later...

We as a family moved to Cotgrave in 1965, I was 15yrs old, My dad (Jimmy Milburn) worked at the Colliery from 1965 - 1983 as a Fitter. He was the Chairman (Manager) of Cotgrave Miners Welfare Football team in the late 1960's and early 1970's. I knew many of his friends, Don Parsons, Norman White, Billy Repper. Maybe some still alive who remember him?

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  • 2 months later...

Hi all  can you remember some of these guys on the fitting side at Cotgrave,around the late seventies and early eighties.Alec Hannah

Norman White,Norman Evans and George Mcneil as previously mentioned.

Alan Dickinson as i was his apprentice on 53s

Norman Dixon and also on my shift Jack Tye

Jack cant remember his surname but he was Squeaks father in law

Squeak

Jock Conlin 

Bill Thompson

John watson

Dave cant remember his Surname but a big Derby fan and his dad was an overman

Paul Taylor (talla)

Ray Hall 

And myself John Stephens.

And on the face i was on we had some cracking blokes to name some

Alan Brown

Al Jowitt

Big Ted 

Joe Rutherford

Mc driver Ivy Benson

Wyndham Trustam

Brian Taylor Larrys lad

Dougie hodgson

What a group of lads.

And i remember your dad Gordon Lea a nice bloke and well respected.

 

Just to say the derby supporter was Dave Aitkins prob spelled wrong,son of Don the overman.

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  • 5 months later...
On 7/12/2015 at 8:44 PM, paultay22 said:

Hi Chaps

Paul Taylor here... Fitter at Cotgrave from 1972 to 1992

Started on Regular days with Jimmy Gordon in the surface shops

Then onto Shifts on Brian Renshaws watch, mates with Aussie (Keith Austin)

Onto shifts down the pit with Alec Hannah Shift Charge Engineer and Norman Evans.

Apprentice with John Merriman on 63s and then onto my first face with Clem as the Sparkie - Mick Wolvin was their SCE

Played football with Clem and others for Star United

My dad is Ralph Taylor, Overman at the pit

Loads more to tell

Cheers

Paul

How is your finger mate

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  • 6 months later...

Hi guys, what a mess I’ve made of this. I started this thread as Dave Spence and forgot all about it. I then posted on my own thread after rejoining, inadvertently, as David spence. Told you I was a technophobe.

 

cotgrave girl… I was a very big mate of your dads and I actually worked with him in the turning shop after billy barret, sadly died. Your dad was the best lathe man I ever had the privilege to work with. My time with him was always guaranteed to be a laugh a minute and I often think about my old mate Ghandi, as we called him.

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12 hours ago, Dave Spence said:

cotgrave girl… I was a very big mate of your dads 

 

Welcome back Dave - or David.

 

Cotgrave Girl only ever made that one post and hasn't been back here since March 2019, so she probably won't see your message........unless she suddenly remembers Nottstalgia again.

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  • 7 months later...
On 6/14/2019 at 11:52 PM, cotgrave girl said:

HI Dave .Do you remember my dad.

Gordon Lea. was a fitter turner from the early 60`s till 79.

He had polio and walk with a stick.He was on shop floor fitter turner.

 

Yes I remember Gordon Well ,I worked in the Joiners shop next to the fitting shop .Sid. 1960.

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