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[Beekay 5,159]

I well remember those baths and canteen. Always went in on a Friday, after collecting wages when on early shift. Used to love the chips and gravy, followed by two custard tarts. Rest of the week had to make do with just a mug of tea. Remember buying PHB soap (pit head bath) and bath towels. My older brother worked in High Main seam and I worked below him in Main Bright. I recall another seam below us, near the bottom of the shaft and I think it was called Top Hard, I don't think anybody worked down there though, only the occasional safety officers visits. This was back in 1958. About 25 years later, when I rejoined NCB as an x-ray technician I bought some commemorative plates from various pits that we visited. Still got them, buried in some boxes that we've never unpacked since moving to East Sussex.

[Marrowman 34]

Great memories. I never went to that pub but I wish I had now! Pubs are too sanitised now and a lot of them don't really want you in unless you're ordering food. 

[Mess 618]

On 6/23/2023 at 8:20 AM, Jill Sparrow said:

The cousin of a friend of mine worked for Coca-cola for some years in a managerial capacity, including a stint in the USA. He said he wouldn't drink it if he were dying of thirst.  I gather it's excellent at dissolving Superglue should you manage to bond your fingers together with it and is also one of the most effective spermicides known to man! 

There's a lot of negativity about Coca Cola some of it justified like the high sugar content, but the nonsense talked about phosphoric acid and caffeine is just that. Speaking for myself I just love the stuff. Ice cold Coke from a glass bottle is IMHO quite delicious especially on a hot day. 
It's spermicidal properties are news to me. I suspect any high acid substance such as vinegar or lemon juice would have a similar effect but my wife and I are getting too old to experiment.

[Beekay 5,159]

Oh what a pity Mess. And here's me thinking you were going to give us an depth fact finding episode. 

[Beekay 5,159]

Correct me if I'm wrong @DJ360, but wasn't Bestwood Miners Welfare further down the road from B.H., on the right hand side?

[philmayfield 6,145]

1 hour ago, Mess said:

There's a lot of negativity about Coca Cola some of it justified like the high sugar content, but the nonsense talked about phosphoric acid and caffeine is just that. Speaking for myself I just love the stuff. Ice cold Coke from a glass bottle is IMHO quite delicious especially on a hot day. 
It's spermicidal properties are news to me. I suspect any high acid substance such as vinegar or lemon juice would have a similar effect but my wife and I are getting too old to experiment.

If you look at the list of published ingredients of Coca Cola you will see that phosphoric acid is in there.

[mary1947 2,085]

If you want to Dance then Bestwood Miners  was the place to go on a Friday night, Beekay are yiu taking about Bestwood Hotel or Basford Hall collage? I seem to think its Bestwood  Hotel and I think that it was quite a way from the Wefare.  I'm not sure  if any of you worked at Bestwood pit but Master and I used to play snooker with Jack Holms and his Partner Jack was one of the manager's at the pit.  One of the ladies who worked  in the officers was a Mrs Braithwaite  and she used to come into the salon to have her hair styled.

[Beekay 5,159]

As I've mentioned previously, yes I did work at Bestwood colliery and yes I know where the hotel is. It were next to the baths. You came straight out of the baths into the hotel, or stood at the bus stop.

What I was enquiring was the location of Bestwood miners welfare, which I thought was further down the road. If there was no Makemson bus, then I used to walk down the road and across 'Bonemill ' to the 44 trolleybus terminus, ( to Colwick road).

[Mess 618]

Yes Phil I know that but what's the problem?

Wow it cleans pennies.

The pH of Coke is about 2.5, Lemon juice is about 2 as is vinegar. Stomach acid is 1.5 to 2.
Phosphoric acid is part of the unique taste of Coca Cola as is the bitter taste of caffeine.

Coke (and MacDonalds) is much maligned usually based on ignorance of food chemistry.

[trogg 2,017]

Bestwood Miners welfare was a the bottom of the road on the left hand side looking up the road to the pit. I am not sure but I believe it is still open and run by the community. Beekay you passed it many times same as me when you either missed the bus or never had the bus fare.

[Beekay 5,159]

Thanks Trogg, that's what I thought. Went in a few times ( as a 15 year old, seasoned miner). We young uns thought we knew all about pits, when in fact, we knew bugger all.

If memory serves me correct, wasn't there some public gardens or bowling greens near there?

As an aside, when on earlies, many times I walked to the 44 trolleybus and went upstairs for a fag. And many times I dozed off and went past my stop, instead of alighting at Forest Road. On one occasion the conductor woke me up outside Parliament Street depot, on Manvers Street. "Where are you off to mate"? All I could do was apologise and get off and catch a 44 back again.

[trogg 2,017]

Beekay I feel sure it was a bowling green, I never fell asleep going to work as I was on Mackos buses. I did fall asleep on the loco back to pit bottom once but an old miner grabbed me to stop me falling out the loco and woke me up. there was much room between side of loco and tunnel I would have made a right mess of my clothes.

[Beekay 5,159]

Trogg, I too worked part time for Makemsons.  That was about 1968/9.

I did an evening run from top of St Albans Road to Calverton colliery, taking night shift workers and bringing afternoon shifts back home. On occasions, I was asked to do weekend work on the Bulwell market to Bestwood village (pit). Once or twice I  even did conducting when they were short staffed. I was trying to keep my psv licence up to scratch.

I've still got my red drivers and green conductors badges. Don't know if you are supposed to return them.

[LizzieM 9,511]

I’m with you about Coke @Mess.  It’s always been my preferred refreshing drink, with ice and a slice of lemon, and preferably a measure of Bacardi too, in fact I’ve just had a couple while head banging listening to Guns n Roses at Glastonbury!   

[MRS B 522]

Lizzie, they were so good, how do they still keep going at that pace for two and a half hours.? I had more than a couple to keep up! Roll on Elton tomorrow.

[Mess 618]

9 hours ago, LizzieM said:

I’m with you about Coke @Mess.  It’s always been my preferred refreshing drink, with ice and a slice of lemon, and preferably a measure of Bacardi too, in fact I’ve just had a couple while head banging listening to Guns n Roses at Glastonbury!   

Lizzie, I had my first Coke out a glass bottle with a straw back in the early 60s. I've loved it ever since. The Beatles used to drink Whisky and Coke but I think Bacardi goes better.

They've got a Coke slush machine here on Bournemouth beach. Very nice.

[LizzieM 9,511]

@Mess we’ve just got back from Lilliput this afternoon!  We rarely go into Bournemouth, (although we were at Castlepoint on Friday) as we’ve got plenty of beach over our end.   If we go over to Bournemouth beach I’ll look out for the slush machine!  
Watching Elton at Glastonbury now, with another B & C!  

[DJ360 6,730]

On 6/24/2023 at 2:45 PM, Beekay said:

Correct me if I'm wrong @DJ360, but wasn't Bestwood Miners Welfare further down the road from B.H., on the right hand side?

 

It was indeed..  Or looking at it the other way, it was on the left in Park Road just after you turned right into the village off Moor Road. Last time I was in Bestwood Colliery, the building was still there.

[DJ360 6,730]

On 6/24/2023 at 4:56 PM, Beekay said:

You came straight out of the baths into the hotel, or stood at the bus stop.

What I was enquiring was the location of Bestwood miners welfare, which I thought was further down the road. If there was no Makemson bus, then I used to walk down the road and across 'Bonemill ' to the 44 trolleybus terminus, ( to Colwick road).

 

Yep. The entrance to the Baths was on the corner of the building and literally across the narrow alley, or access Rd to the colliery yard, which ran between the pub and the baths. There was a bus shelter, which I recall as being concrete, but not certain... When I was very young I was puzzled by the strange smell in the bus shelter.  When I got older I realised it was the result of people..presumably men, relieving themselves in there.

 

The private entrance to the pub was also in the side alley, and led by stairs up to the living quarters.

 

If we were walking to or from my Grandparents in Bestwood Colliery, to my Mum's parents in Grindon Crs on Bulwell Hall, we usually went via the 'Bone Mill' and past the 'Forest Hotel', or 'Swinger', along past the 44 terminus and Moorbridge.

[DJ360 6,730]

On 6/24/2023 at 10:52 AM, Beekay said:

My older brother worked in High Main seam and I worked below him in Main Bright. I recall another seam below us, near the bottom of the shaft and I think it was called Top Hard, I don't think anybody worked down there though, only the occasional safety officers visits.

 

When I worked in the Coal Board Labs at Cinderhill, from about 1966-68, there were many coal seams mentioned, and many coal samples we got in for analysis were identified by the colliery, location (this or that 'face', or 'gate') and I think,  the seam.

Seam names I remember iniclude, High Main, Main Bright, Top Hard,, Waterloo and Hazel's., but I have no real knowledge of the sequence.

I decided to have a bit of a look at this and found the following...

 

https://coalmine.proboards.com/thread/1627/comprehensive-list-nottinghamshire-coal-seams

 

It does what it says on the tin, and some members may note the names 'bulwellbrian', and 'Colly0410' amongst contributors. Both have previously posted on here. I worked with 'bulwellbrian' at the Cinderhill labs.

 

[DJ360 6,730]

On 6/24/2023 at 8:16 PM, Beekay said:

If memory serves me correct, wasn't there some public gardens or bowling greens near there?

 

There was a 'Flat' bowling green, where the game was played in what amounted to 'lanes', and as opposed to the Crown Green game more associated with further north, where play is in any direction within the Green.

 

Memory fades, but as I recall the Bowling Green was also on the left as you entered Park Road from Moor Road, and before, or just next to the welfare. There were some very nice trees etc, and it all seemed idyllic on a Summer's evening.

When I visited more recently, there was no sign of a Bowling Green, but what appeared to be a run down tennis courts.

 

The link below is to Google Maps and shows the area in 'satellite' view dated 2023. There is still an area that looks like a bowling green or two in the corner of Moor Rd and Park Road, but it looks like it's not kept in good condition. The whole area enclosed by Moor Road, Park Road, School Walk and Church Street looks a mess, which is a pity.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@53.0239733,-1.1788404,183m/data=!3m1!1e3?entry=ttu

[Beekay 5,159]

Looking on that link, I noticed Mill Lane and a place called 'Old Forge tea rooms', I wonder if that's where the original Bone mill stood. If memory serves me right, they used to mill bones to make fertiliser. From looking at the aerial view it all looks totally alien to me now.

[Stuart.C 491]

B-K

The Tea Rooms was a Corn mill, in 1915 according to this map,

 

[Beekay 5,159]

Thank you Stuart,  alas I wornt around then, in 1915, but me mum were born that year.

Seriously though, from memory, when I were walking to Bestwood colliery from the 44 trolleybus, I seem to think that the Bone mill was on the right hand side after crossing the railway line, heading to Moor Road. I can't really remember very much about the route or what was on either side. Thanks for the memory jogger.

Edit..Just had another look at your map and I was right about the Bone mill being a fertiliser manufacturer. I always thought it were a farm opposite. Mind you this is 65 years ago.

[trogg 2,017]

I can remember going to Bone Mill many many years ago to purchase different types of chicken food, thats when i had an allotment and kept chickens.