Coal Mining R.I.P.

[Jill Sparrow 10,307]

The building to the left of that shot looks of a similar age to the houses I remember but isn't the house where the Tomlin family lived. I suspect it no longer exists.

[notty ash 371]

Holden Square was opposite the Headstocks, just off the main road

 

https://i.postimg.cc/Tw0jxBjt/Holden-Square.jpg

 

 

[Annesley Red 80]

On 12/18/2015 at 3:35 PM, Ayupmeducks said:

I posted this, this morning elsewhere. To those who don't understand the "jargon" "Magic Carpet" Conveyor belt. "haulage chain" the 22mm heavy chain the coal cutting machine used to haul it's way through a face. Heavy, under spring tension and deadly when it broke....It was replaced eventually by rack and pinion haulage.

"Shearer" was the coal cutting machine.

"AFC" was the face conveyor, used chains in a race with flights of heavy steel to haul the coal off the face.

"Convergence" is when the strata closes up, usually takes months to years to close a road up, but can happen in minutes on a working face..SCARY!!

"Manriders" like trains, the ones I was used to were rail mounted, either hauled by endless rope haulage, diesel or electric battery locomotives.

In a few years time, when you're asked "what was it like "dahn pit" How will you answer them??

It was dark, so dark that when your caplamp failed, it was as close to being blind without being blind.
Noisy, very noisy on the face when the shearer was cutting coal, and yet so quiet that the silence hurt when away from machinery.
Cramped and tiring after crawling up and down a low face, getting cramps in the legs in the worst possible positions.
Wet from continuous drippers from the roof, hot in humid faces, cold in over ventilated faces.
Long walks to and from the coal face through weighted roadways to and from the manriders.
The fear at the back of the mind from fire or convergence all shift.
A ride on the "magic carpet" when there was less chance of being caught by a senior mine official.
That damned haulage chain breaking on the face, broken flight chain on the AFC in 36 inch high faces, or a shearer motor changeout mid face.
Ripping lip, get under it pretty fast in case you get caught in a fall of rock.
That long walk back to pit bottom when the man rider broke down after a hell of a shift.
The sweet smell of haymaking coming down the shaft in Autumn, or fogs and smogs in winter.
That grand ride up the shaft at the end of the shift.
Then that most glorious thing we all loved at the end of a tough shift, a shower, a hot shower!!
Then to the canteen for a hot cup of NCB tea, and a few moments to sort the worlds problems out with a couple of mates, then home.

Thats what I was gonna say , well put.

[Jill Sparrow 10,307]

I've checked Harold Edward Tomlin in the 1939 census, thinking it might give the exact address of the house but he, apparently, didnt live there at that time. His address in 1939 was 11 Park Road, Bestwood Village. His occupation given as colliery enginewright. He must have moved to Babbington later on.

[katyjay 5,091]

4 hours ago, notty ash said:

Holden Square was opposite the Headstocks, just off the main road

 

https://i.postimg.cc/Tw0jxBjt/Holden-Square.jpg

 

 

I am not familiar with The Headstocks, but think it's nr Bagnall Rd/ Cinderhill Rd?  Holden Square was on the corner of Nuthall Rd and Cinderhill Rd. On the right of the photo above are the grounds  of Basford Hall. I climbed over that wall many a time, as did all the local kids, to get sticklebacks etc out of Fowlers Pond. Those huge trees in the photo are now on Bells Lane Island.

[Marrowman 34]

The Headstocks is on the corner of Bagnall Road and Cinderhill Road. I think it was built in the 1970s and was a Kimberly Ales pub. A relative of mine frequents it and it is a nice friendly place.

Another relative used to live in one of the prefabs nearby on Cinderhill Road. He was dead upset when they finally demolished them. He had a lovely cosy house with a beautifully kept garden. He said it was the best place he ever lived. 

[Hey Arnold 88]

12 hours ago, Marrowman said:

The Headstocks is on the corner of Bagnall Road and Cinderhill Road. I think it was built in the 1970s and was a Kimberly Ales pub.

The Headstocks was a Home Ales pub until sold off. Kimberley's did buy quite a few of Home Brewery's pubs but I'm not sure if it was one of them and I couldn't say who's it is now

[MelissaJKelly 2,122]

Went to the Headstocks pub for a birthday party in the function room back in March. Clientele seemed nice enough if not a little rough around the edges!

[Marrowman 34]

You're right Arnold, it was Home Ales. I should have looked it up in my Home Ales pub guide!

[katyjay 5,091]

23 hours ago, Marrowman said:

 

Another relative used to live in one of the prefabs nearby on Cinderhill Road. He was dead upset when they finally demolished them. He had a lovely cosy house with a beautifully kept garden. He said it was the best place he ever lived. 

Looking on street view, I think the prefabs are still there. All prefabs were modernized in Nottingham many years ago. They bricked the outsides and put C.H etc inside.  They definitely did the prefabs in Bulwell across from the old lido.

[Oztalgian 3,298]

On 7/5/2023 at 4:07 AM, katyjay said:

I think the prefabs are still there.

There were council owned prefabs in the pit village I was brought up in,.I lived in one up until I got married and left home. They were built on a polished concrete slab with timber wall framing. The roof was iron sheeting, the windows had steel frames and the external walls were aluminium sheet clad. They had three bedrooms, living room, full separate kitchen, bathroom, separate toilet and a large hallway useful for storing bikes. Heating was via a coal fire in the living room which also heated the water. They were built in 1950, in the 70s the lower third of the external cladding was replaced as the bottom had corroded. In the late 80s the cladding was removed and replaced by brick, the roof replaced with tiles and windows with PVC. Originally built as post war temporary homes they are still giving sterling service after 70 years.

[Dark Angel 138]

 

 

@Beekay : a bit before your time, unless you’re Dorian Grey!

[Beekay 5,152]

What's this fixation wiv me age DA? As a matter of fact, I have worked on that screening plant, and not only that, but !, I've also worked on that rope haulage underground.

Bet yer weren't expecting that response were yer ?  

[mary1947 2,083]

Morning Bie ears  ??

 

Just read that you  were at Bestwood Pit . Did you know a Mrs Batherwick (Norma ) who worked in the offices? Did you know one of the bosses called Jack Holms? we thats master and myself used to play snooker with Jack and his friend.

[Beekay 5,152]

Morning Noddy,

You don't say what year you are talking about, nor which offices, which were nowhere near t'owd pit. Us mere mortals never knew any bosses, we just curtsied or bowed down when we passed them. Staff and workers never really mixed. We were two different tribes. For your records, I WAS THERE FROM 1958 TO 1960, (I left because of an incident coming up the shaft which caused me to lose my nerve. Wouldn't go back down again so I left).

[DJ360 6,730]

As far as I can tell...   'Noddy', a.k.a. Bulwellbrian, stopped posting on here a few years ago.

 

 

I can confirm that I worked alongside him at the Coal Board Laboratories from 1966 to 1968.  He had been there for some time before that, though I can't supply dates.  He was still there when I left. He is a few years older than me.

 

Somewhere here there is an exchange of posts between the two of us, as we reminisced, and tried to remember the names of other staff from 40-50 years ago.

 

When I have more time, I'll try to find it.

 

[DJ360 6,730]

P.S.  From this post.. 'Noddy' was at the Coal Board Labs from 1959 to 1969.

 

Preceding and following posts in that thread may be of interest.

 

'Noddy'/''Bulwellbrian' seems to have stopped posting both on here and on another site about mining, in 2017.

 

If he joined the NCB in 1959, after leaving school at 16, that makes him 6 years older than me.. i.e. 80.. If he left after 6th form he could be 82. I hope he is well.

[Beekay 5,152]

Not the Noddy I was talking to.

[DJ360 6,730]

Oops. My mistake.

[Beekay 5,152]

9 hours ago, mary1947 said:

master and myself used to play snooker with Jack and his friend.

Personally, I prefer to play with a cue and snooker balls, oh, and a table. 

[Dark Angel 138]

@Beekay: if I wore a cap, I would doff it. As I don’t, I’ll touch my forelock.

[LizzieM 9,510]

Less of that dirty talk on here Dark Angel

[trogg 2,016]

Beekay I started at Bestwood in 62 as apprentice electrician I couldnt stand the classroom at Arnold and Carlton college so I left. Started there again on general mining early 64 on the screens then underground on haulage with me pony, left again mid 65 to join the Fire Brigade, so I followed you about for a while.

[Beekay 5,152]

Heyup Trogg, I worked a pony for a short while. He were a Sod and half. I used to gang to an opening face about 2 1/2 miles away from pit bottom, (where the stables were). Would hitch up the required materials and bugger off to the face. That bloody pony ! If you didn't tie him up properly while unloading, he take himself off and walk back to the stable. I lost count of the number of times I had go after him and bring him back to collect the empty wagons.

DA., if you're reading this, I've still got me safety lamp from all those years ago.

Trogg, if you're following me, why aren't you down here?  

[mary1947 2,083]

4 hours ago, Beekay said:

Personally, I prefer to play with a cue and snooker balls, oh, and a table. 

Yes it is better with cue and balls , oh and a real snooker table,   so I take it that you did not know Norma Batherwick but hold on a minute Norma if you went to get your wages at Bestwood office's Norma was the wages clerk.