One Moment in time. Don't let time slip you by. Please submit your memories.Click below to Email your Memories. Thanks for sending this to us Marty. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this terrible disaster. Tallmansville. The miners headed down at first light for that coal provision, no clinkers or cinders here, this is black gold called anthracite. Miners are brothers and the fire boss is the first to go in to smell the air to make it safe for the others. The company’s been fined for one infraction or another, but this was the miners’ bread and this was their butter. Who would have known that they would have punched the clock for the last time? As they headed down, they had no fear from the clap of thunder; cause lightin’s no friend of the mine. It happened in a flash and down went the fire boss. They ran for the sun and found none and the passage was blocked across. The gas fire ignited coal and now it’s a dark hole except for some burning ember. Who knows what inspections revealed? Knowing they were trapped with only one hour of air they went in deeper cause these men are from Tallmansville, but the company was out for the almighty dollar. Miners are courageous, quiet, and proud. They go down as fathers, spouses and brothers and all that is left are the men’s names, the family memories, and one sole survivor. They found a letter it said I’ll see you on the other side and I love you and tell them we didn’t suffer. by Marty Costello Chesapeake, VA Dedicated to the memory of the twelve coal miners who lost their lives in Sago Mine on January 2, 2006. I started in the mines in 1963, at Snydale Colliery near Featherstone, I remember my dad Cyril taking me to see the training Officer and asking him if there was a job. Of course there was, and I started on the screens and loading supplies until training at Whitwood. When that was over I was a pit bottom lad seeing to the empties lashing them onto the rope and sending them inbye. Then as a pony driver, (a job I loved), until Snydale closed in 1965. I transferred to Acton Hall as a trainee Linesman and left in 1966 and went in the old West Riding fire service until returning to Acton Hall in 1974,as a button lad, beltman, then faceworker, and finally Deputy in the Warren House/ Barnsley bed seams. I then transferred to Denby Grange Colliery near Wakefield where I was a deputy until closure in 1991. I would go back tommorow if I could, I miss the crack, mates, smells, and banter. C.M.Woodhead. (Mo). I worked at Wearmouth colliery Sunderland for 20 years. The coal seam was eight feet high and enough coal to last fifty years then Thatcher closed the mine. Now we hear they want to open another northeast mine. Ex-pit man Sunderland. I WORKED AT WARSOP MAIN COLLIERY IN THE EARLY SEVENTIES ONE DAY IN THE CANTEEN BEFORE WE WENT TO GET CHANGED BEFORE WE WENT DOWN THE PIT, SOMEONE SAID HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE GHOST ON 16s IN THE MAIN BRIGHTS NO ONE HAD OF CAUSE. WELL, THERE WAS A CHOCK FITTER SENT UP 16s TAILGATE ON THE PRE SHIFT 6PM THE OTHER NIGHT TO DO SOME WORK ON THE CHOCK PUMP AT AROUND 8PM ONE OF THE NIGHT SUPERVISORS ON THE FITTING STAFF TRIED TO CONTACT THE CHOCK FITTER ON THE PHONE BUT HE COULD NOT GET IN TOUCH WITH HIM. THEY TRIED ALL THE PHONES EVEN THE TANNOYS BUT THEY COULD NOT CONTACT HIM SO A PRE-SHIFT DEPUTY WAS SENT UP TO SEE WHAT WAS THE MATTER. 16s WAS A LONG WAY OUT 100-YARDS OR MORE. VERY LOW IN PLACES DUE TO THE WEIGHT ON THE RINGS WHEN HE GOT UP THERE HE COULD NOT SEE ANYONE SO HE WALKED UP TO THE LIP AND SHOUTED THE CHOCK FITTERS NAME. I CANNOT REMEMBER IS NAME NOW ANYWAY NO ONE ANSWERED. HE LOOKED UNDER THE LIP OR THE FACE ENTRY NOT A SOUND SO HE WENT INTO THE HEADING, THE RIPPING WAS DOWN READY FOR THE NIGHT SHIFT TO CLEAN UP AND SET THE RING, HE THEN HEARD A NOISE SO HE WENT UP THE RIPPING HEAP TO HIS SURPRISE FOUND THE CHOCK FITTER ON TOP OF THE LAST RING SET SHAKING LIKE A LEAF. H IS HANDS WHERE BLEEDING WHERE HE HAD TRIED TO RUSH UP THE HEAP WHEN HE GOT DOWN FROM THE TOP OF THE RING THE DEPUTY SAT HIM DOWN NEAR THE FACE ENTRY AND ASKED HIM WHAT WAS THE MATTER. THE FITTER SAID WHEN I WALKED UP THE GATE NEAR THE SUMP HOLE THERE WAS A LOT OF WATER ON 16s COMING FROM GLAPWELL COLLIERY, ANYWAY, HE SAID, WHEN I WALKED THROUGH WATER A LIGHT CAME OUT OF THE RINGS AND BLINDED ME I TRIED TO LOOK AT THE LIGHT BUT IT WAS SO BRIGHT. IT WAS NOT A WHITE LIGHT MORE A GREENY COLOUR IT WAS VERY BRIGHT FOR A FEW SECONDS THEN I SAW A FACE OF A MAN SO I JUST PANICKED AND RAN. THE DEPUTY TOOK HIM STRAIGHT OUT OFF THE PIT. AND THE NEXT DAY THE CHOCK FITTER CAME BACK TO THE PIT TO TELL THE MANAGEMENT WHAT HE SAW . A FEW WEEKS AFTER THEY HAD JUST STARTED THE DRIFT DOWN TO THE DEEP SOFT SEAM, IT WAS STARTED BY THE AREA DEVELOPMENT, ONE OF THE AREA MEN CAME INTO THE CANTEEN AND LOOKED ON THE NOTICE BOARD IN THE CANTEEN AND SHOUTED WHO'S PUT A PICTURE OF OUR YOUTH IN HERE. WHEN ASK DO YOU KNOW HIM HE SAID YES HE WAS KILLED HERE ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO ON 12s WHEN THEY WERE TAKING ALL THE CHOCKS OFF THE FACE. THAT IS TRUE P. BETTS 734 Warsop Main Ghost No.1. I started worked at Warsop Main Colliery in the early seventies to the late seventies. I had not been there long, I had just finished my underground training it was 1974s summer holiday. I had to work the 2-week holiday because I had not worked there long enough. I was sent down the south side i.e. High Hazel seam, there was only me, a deputy, the methane pump attendant, and the South-East car road paddy driver. Going inbye the deputy and me went to 90s and 91s. The methane pump was left running 24/7 it was very gassy at Warsop we had been round 90s and 91s and we sat at the bottom of 88s having a rest and a drink. The phone went, Terry the deputy answered, it was John on the methane pump, can you come down here straight away Terry, some men have just come down 88s tail gate. But there's only us down here said Terry. I know said John that's why I want you to come back. So the deputy and me went back to the methane pump and when we go there he was shaking all over. We sat and calmed him down a bit when to our amazement the airdoors just below us opened. There was a booster fan and 3 airdoors near the methane pump the doors sounded as if they were being opened. So Terry and me went out of the methane pump office and we saw three cap lamps. They went back through the airdoors so I ran down to the airdoors and went through with Terry. On the other side of the doors was a 100- yard plus gate as white as snow with stone-dust you could see 500 yards easily, there was nothing in sight, nobody could move that fast not to be seen. So Terry said go down to the first paddy road and ask if any one had come down. I didn't want to go but I had no option so off I went I phone the paddy driver if anyone had come down. He said no, so I went back. Terry and John were coming down to the paddy when I told them no one had come down here only us three. This was not the first time it had happened and it was not the last. There was several sightings. Terry was a very religious man, a Catholic; he had the priest to visit Warsop Colliery to try to stop the sightings. They closed the seam off about one year later so I think there still there. P. Betts 734. My dad worked down the pit at Park Hill, Wakefield. First of all down on the face an then as a loco driver an then was moved to Wistow in Selby. I remember the strike in 1984,mam an dad went to see if they could find owt to eat, they both came back with a carrier bag full of peas so that day we had mash, yorkshire pud, peas an gravy. Everything went down well apart from the peas, as soon as you tried putting your fork in they shot off the plate. A few days later dad went to walk the dog an the local farmer stopped him telling him that some one has been nicking the crop, but not to worry, he said, there only for the cattle (not for human consumption). No wonder we couldn't keep em on plate. Love to hear from any one who worked at Park Hill or Wistow. Dads name was John Parkin. Hi Bill, I worked as an apprentice mining surveyor in Hickleton Main Colliery from 1961 -1964. Although I only spent a short time in the industry the memories never left me-I think that short period affected my life more than any other. I remember in the 90's weeping when I heard on the car radio of all the pit closures. Having started folk singing in the meantime I wrote this song which probably wouldn't mean much to anybody other than a miner. I still sing it at folk festivals; Apprentice Dialers Got me dudley and me snap tin, got me cap lamp and me dial I've left me tally on the battery rack There's Kenny, me and Malcolm stood at upcast no.3 It'll be nigh on six hours 'fore we're back Chorus For we are apprentice dialers, keep yer gates and faces true In Meltonfield and Parkgate East and West When the trepan shearer's turning and the coal it is a churning For we all know Yorkshire coal it is the best I'm sitting on the paddy and the driver's spanned the wires The engine's started and the rope's away We're headed for 323's our traverse for to do Four hundred yards of face to thurl today Chorus Well I'm spragged across the scraper crouched in three foot six of seam There's noise and dust and bedlam all around With me back against a Dobson and me eye up to the lens Six hundred and fifty yards underground Chorus Well there's Yorkshire Main and Brodsworth, Hickleton and Markham Main There's Highgate, Goldthorpe and there's Rossington And each pit's turning twenty thousand tons of coal a week It'll be a hundred years before we're done Chorus Well it's thirty years hereafter and the winding gears all gone Kenny, me and Malcolm's on the dole For the grocer's daughter's government that plays with people's lives Are pretending there's no market for our coal And some day in the future when you need the coal again And the colliers trained to win it are all gone You'll curse the bloody Tories and there lying cheating stories And you'll feel the nuclear poison creeping on For we were apprentice dialers, kept yer gates and faces true In Meltonfield and Parkgate East and West Now the trepan shearer's dying and the good coal it is lying For we all know Yorkshire coal it was the best It's not strictly accurate: 323's in Parkgate East was five foot; they used a disc shearer not a trepan shearer; I know not all those pits turned 20,000 tons, but I can remember Hickleton, Brodsworth, Yorkshire Main and Rossington turning nearer 30,000. Kenny and Malcolm existed - they were pit lads at the time and probably went into coal at a later stage as many pit lads did. Anyway I hope you like it. I love singing it. Terry Armitage WHp Quantity Surveying Limited ONE FRIDAY NIGHT I HAD JUST GONE OUT FOR A PINT OR TWO AT MY LOCAL PUB. I HAD ONLY BEEN IN FOR ABOUT AN HOUR WHEN THE PHONE WENT SOMEONE BEHIND THE BAR SHOUTS ITS FOR YOU PHIL SO I PICKED UP THE PHONE IT WAS ME DAD HE SAID CAN YOU GO TO DOWN TO THE PIT THE NIGHT OVERMAN WANTS TO SEE YOU STRAIGHT AWAY. TELL HIM TO GET STUFFED I SAID NOT ON A FRIDAY NO WAY, I WILL PHONE THE PIT FROM HERE I SAID, SO I PHONED THE PIT. THEY PUT ME STRAIGHT THROUGH TO WILF THE NIGHT SHIFT OVERMAN WHAT"S UP WILF? HE SAYS CAN YOU COME TO WORK TONIGHT? I SAID NO OF CAUSE NE HE SAID I NEED SOMEONE WHO KNOWS HIS WAY ARROUND THIS PIT AND HE KNEW I DID. WHY WHATS UP? I SAID. THERES A MAN GONE MISSIND ON THE AFTERS SHIFT ALL THE DEPUTIES HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR HIM BUT THERES NO SIGN OF HIM ANYWHERE. SO ME DAD TOOK ME DOWN TO THE PIT WARSOP MAIN BY THE WAY, I WENT INTO THE BATHS GOT CHANGED, WENT TO SEE WILF. HE SAID THE MAN HAD BEEN ON 52s OR 59s INTAKE NEAR THE PIT BOTTOM BUT KNOW BODY AS SEEN OR HEARD FROM HIM ALL THE SHIFT. THERE'S A DEPUTY WAITING FOR YOU IN THE PIT BOTTOM. HE WILL GO WITH YOU HE DOESN'T KNOW THE PIT BOTTOM AREA AS YOU DO [NEW DEPUTY FROM GLAPWELL, JUST CLOSED]. SO I WENT IN THE PIT MET THE DEPUTY HE SAID THEY HAVE HAD THE TWILIGHT SHIFT LOOKING FOR HIM SINCE 9 OCLOCK. THEY HAVE BEEN EVERYWHERE, NO SIGN ANYWHERE. SO WE STARTED OFF UP 60s NO ONE UP THERE, THEN I HAD A THOUGHT WHO IS IT THAT GONE MISSING I SAID BELIVE IT OR NOT NO ONE TOLD ME WHO IT WAS THEY CALL HIM NO-JOB [DAVE BROOKS], THE DEPUTY SAID. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN HE NEVER STAYED ON ANY JOB HE WAS SENT TO, ALWAYS WONDERING AROUND THE PIT. HE HAD BEEN WARNED NOT TO LEAVE HIS BUTTON JOB BUT HE STILL WANDERED OFF. WHERE HE HAD BEEN WORKING WAS NOT VERY FAR FROM THE OLD TOP HARD DRIFT. I SAID TO THE DEPUTY I BET HE"S GONE DOWN THERE. SO WE WENT TO THE TOP OF THE DRIFT PHONED THE OVERMAN TO TELL HIM WE WERE GOING DOWN TO THE TOP HARD. WELL ITS LIKE A RABBIT WARREN DOWN THERE WHEN YOU GET AWAY FROM THE PIT BOTTOM. I USED TO GO THROUGH WITH A DEPUTY ON THE EGRESS RUN TO CLIPSTONE COLLIERY ON A MONDAY, HE USED TO SHOW ME AROUND. I KNEW IT QUITE WELL ANYWAY WE HAD BEEN WALKING FOR ABOUT HALF AN HOUR. I SAID TO THE DEPUTY PUT YOUR LAMP OUT SO HE DID AS I DID, NEXT MINUTE A FLASH OF LIGHT, HE"S IN THE OLD PADDY HOUSE, SO WE WALKED IN HE WAS ALMOST CRYING HE WAS COMPLETLY LOST. HE GOT A RIGHT ROLLOCKING OFF THE DEPUTY AND ME RUINING MY FRIDAY NIGHT. I SAID YOUR LUCKY WE CAME DOWN HERE IF YOU HAD GONE ANY FURTHER IN YOU WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN FOUND ITS ALL OLD BOARD AND PILLAR YOU WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THERE. SO WE TOOK HIM OUT THE PIT WILF THE OVERMAN WENT CRACKERS . NO-JOB HAD TO SEE THE MANAGER ON MONDAY MORNING. THE MINING INSPECTOR HAD TO BE NOTIFIED ABOUT THIS INCIDENT; IN THE END HE GOT THE SACK AND WAS TOLD HE WOULD NEVER WORK IN A COAL MINE AGAIN ANYWHERE. HE NEVER WORKED, ANYWAY I STILL SEE HIM UP TO THIS DAY, ALWAYS WALKING ABOUT. PHIL734 Mail: Webmaster Back Home www.pitwork.net pages copyright © by Bill Riley and his contributors Website copyright © 1999-2017 by The Durham Mining Museum and its contributors Registered Charity No: 1110608 Privacy Policy Terms & Conditions Search Print
Thanks for sending this to us Marty. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this terrible disaster. Tallmansville. The miners headed down at first light for that coal provision, no clinkers or cinders here, this is black gold called anthracite. Miners are brothers and the fire boss is the first to go in to smell the air to make it safe for the others. The company’s been fined for one infraction or another, but this was the miners’ bread and this was their butter. Who would have known that they would have punched the clock for the last time? As they headed down, they had no fear from the clap of thunder; cause lightin’s no friend of the mine. It happened in a flash and down went the fire boss. They ran for the sun and found none and the passage was blocked across. The gas fire ignited coal and now it’s a dark hole except for some burning ember. Who knows what inspections revealed? Knowing they were trapped with only one hour of air they went in deeper cause these men are from Tallmansville, but the company was out for the almighty dollar. Miners are courageous, quiet, and proud. They go down as fathers, spouses and brothers and all that is left are the men’s names, the family memories, and one sole survivor. They found a letter it said I’ll see you on the other side and I love you and tell them we didn’t suffer. by Marty Costello Chesapeake, VA Dedicated to the memory of the twelve coal miners who lost their lives in Sago Mine on January 2, 2006.
I started in the mines in 1963, at Snydale Colliery near Featherstone, I remember my dad Cyril taking me to see the training Officer and asking him if there was a job. Of course there was, and I started on the screens and loading supplies until training at Whitwood. When that was over I was a pit bottom lad seeing to the empties lashing them onto the rope and sending them inbye. Then as a pony driver, (a job I loved), until Snydale closed in 1965. I transferred to Acton Hall as a trainee Linesman and left in 1966 and went in the old West Riding fire service until returning to Acton Hall in 1974,as a button lad, beltman, then faceworker, and finally Deputy in the Warren House/ Barnsley bed seams. I then transferred to Denby Grange Colliery near Wakefield where I was a deputy until closure in 1991. I would go back tommorow if I could, I miss the crack, mates, smells, and banter. C.M.Woodhead. (Mo).
I worked at Wearmouth colliery Sunderland for 20 years. The coal seam was eight feet high and enough coal to last fifty years then Thatcher closed the mine. Now we hear they want to open another northeast mine. Ex-pit man Sunderland.
I WORKED AT WARSOP MAIN COLLIERY IN THE EARLY SEVENTIES ONE DAY IN THE CANTEEN BEFORE WE WENT TO GET CHANGED BEFORE WE WENT DOWN THE PIT, SOMEONE SAID HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT THE GHOST ON 16s IN THE MAIN BRIGHTS NO ONE HAD OF CAUSE. WELL, THERE WAS A CHOCK FITTER SENT UP 16s TAILGATE ON THE PRE SHIFT 6PM THE OTHER NIGHT TO DO SOME WORK ON THE CHOCK PUMP AT AROUND 8PM ONE OF THE NIGHT SUPERVISORS ON THE FITTING STAFF TRIED TO CONTACT THE CHOCK FITTER ON THE PHONE BUT HE COULD NOT GET IN TOUCH WITH HIM. THEY TRIED ALL THE PHONES EVEN THE TANNOYS BUT THEY COULD NOT CONTACT HIM SO A PRE-SHIFT DEPUTY WAS SENT UP TO SEE WHAT WAS THE MATTER. 16s WAS A LONG WAY OUT 100-YARDS OR MORE. VERY LOW IN PLACES DUE TO THE WEIGHT ON THE RINGS WHEN HE GOT UP THERE HE COULD NOT SEE ANYONE SO HE WALKED UP TO THE LIP AND SHOUTED THE CHOCK FITTERS NAME. I CANNOT REMEMBER IS NAME NOW ANYWAY NO ONE ANSWERED. HE LOOKED UNDER THE LIP OR THE FACE ENTRY NOT A SOUND SO HE WENT INTO THE HEADING, THE RIPPING WAS DOWN READY FOR THE NIGHT SHIFT TO CLEAN UP AND SET THE RING, HE THEN HEARD A NOISE SO HE WENT UP THE RIPPING HEAP TO HIS SURPRISE FOUND THE CHOCK FITTER ON TOP OF THE LAST RING SET SHAKING LIKE A LEAF. H IS HANDS WHERE BLEEDING WHERE HE HAD TRIED TO RUSH UP THE HEAP WHEN HE GOT DOWN FROM THE TOP OF THE RING THE DEPUTY SAT HIM DOWN NEAR THE FACE ENTRY AND ASKED HIM WHAT WAS THE MATTER. THE FITTER SAID WHEN I WALKED UP THE GATE NEAR THE SUMP HOLE THERE WAS A LOT OF WATER ON 16s COMING FROM GLAPWELL COLLIERY, ANYWAY, HE SAID, WHEN I WALKED THROUGH WATER A LIGHT CAME OUT OF THE RINGS AND BLINDED ME I TRIED TO LOOK AT THE LIGHT BUT IT WAS SO BRIGHT. IT WAS NOT A WHITE LIGHT MORE A GREENY COLOUR IT WAS VERY BRIGHT FOR A FEW SECONDS THEN I SAW A FACE OF A MAN SO I JUST PANICKED AND RAN. THE DEPUTY TOOK HIM STRAIGHT OUT OFF THE PIT. AND THE NEXT DAY THE CHOCK FITTER CAME BACK TO THE PIT TO TELL THE MANAGEMENT WHAT HE SAW . A FEW WEEKS AFTER THEY HAD JUST STARTED THE DRIFT DOWN TO THE DEEP SOFT SEAM, IT WAS STARTED BY THE AREA DEVELOPMENT, ONE OF THE AREA MEN CAME INTO THE CANTEEN AND LOOKED ON THE NOTICE BOARD IN THE CANTEEN AND SHOUTED WHO'S PUT A PICTURE OF OUR YOUTH IN HERE. WHEN ASK DO YOU KNOW HIM HE SAID YES HE WAS KILLED HERE ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO ON 12s WHEN THEY WERE TAKING ALL THE CHOCKS OFF THE FACE. THAT IS TRUE P. BETTS 734
Warsop Main Ghost No.1. I started worked at Warsop Main Colliery in the early seventies to the late seventies. I had not been there long, I had just finished my underground training it was 1974s summer holiday. I had to work the 2-week holiday because I had not worked there long enough. I was sent down the south side i.e. High Hazel seam, there was only me, a deputy, the methane pump attendant, and the South-East car road paddy driver. Going inbye the deputy and me went to 90s and 91s. The methane pump was left running 24/7 it was very gassy at Warsop we had been round 90s and 91s and we sat at the bottom of 88s having a rest and a drink. The phone went, Terry the deputy answered, it was John on the methane pump, can you come down here straight away Terry, some men have just come down 88s tail gate. But there's only us down here said Terry. I know said John that's why I want you to come back. So the deputy and me went back to the methane pump and when we go there he was shaking all over. We sat and calmed him down a bit when to our amazement the airdoors just below us opened. There was a booster fan and 3 airdoors near the methane pump the doors sounded as if they were being opened. So Terry and me went out of the methane pump office and we saw three cap lamps. They went back through the airdoors so I ran down to the airdoors and went through with Terry. On the other side of the doors was a 100- yard plus gate as white as snow with stone-dust you could see 500 yards easily, there was nothing in sight, nobody could move that fast not to be seen. So Terry said go down to the first paddy road and ask if any one had come down. I didn't want to go but I had no option so off I went I phone the paddy driver if anyone had come down. He said no, so I went back. Terry and John were coming down to the paddy when I told them no one had come down here only us three. This was not the first time it had happened and it was not the last. There was several sightings. Terry was a very religious man, a Catholic; he had the priest to visit Warsop Colliery to try to stop the sightings. They closed the seam off about one year later so I think there still there. P. Betts 734.
My dad worked down the pit at Park Hill, Wakefield. First of all down on the face an then as a loco driver an then was moved to Wistow in Selby. I remember the strike in 1984,mam an dad went to see if they could find owt to eat, they both came back with a carrier bag full of peas so that day we had mash, yorkshire pud, peas an gravy. Everything went down well apart from the peas, as soon as you tried putting your fork in they shot off the plate. A few days later dad went to walk the dog an the local farmer stopped him telling him that some one has been nicking the crop, but not to worry, he said, there only for the cattle (not for human consumption). No wonder we couldn't keep em on plate. Love to hear from any one who worked at Park Hill or Wistow. Dads name was John Parkin.
Hi Bill, I worked as an apprentice mining surveyor in Hickleton Main Colliery from 1961 -1964. Although I only spent a short time in the industry the memories never left me-I think that short period affected my life more than any other. I remember in the 90's weeping when I heard on the car radio of all the pit closures. Having started folk singing in the meantime I wrote this song which probably wouldn't mean much to anybody other than a miner. I still sing it at folk festivals; Apprentice Dialers Got me dudley and me snap tin, got me cap lamp and me dial I've left me tally on the battery rack There's Kenny, me and Malcolm stood at upcast no.3 It'll be nigh on six hours 'fore we're back Chorus For we are apprentice dialers, keep yer gates and faces true In Meltonfield and Parkgate East and West When the trepan shearer's turning and the coal it is a churning For we all know Yorkshire coal it is the best I'm sitting on the paddy and the driver's spanned the wires The engine's started and the rope's away We're headed for 323's our traverse for to do Four hundred yards of face to thurl today Chorus Well I'm spragged across the scraper crouched in three foot six of seam There's noise and dust and bedlam all around With me back against a Dobson and me eye up to the lens Six hundred and fifty yards underground Chorus Well there's Yorkshire Main and Brodsworth, Hickleton and Markham Main There's Highgate, Goldthorpe and there's Rossington And each pit's turning twenty thousand tons of coal a week It'll be a hundred years before we're done Chorus Well it's thirty years hereafter and the winding gears all gone Kenny, me and Malcolm's on the dole For the grocer's daughter's government that plays with people's lives Are pretending there's no market for our coal And some day in the future when you need the coal again And the colliers trained to win it are all gone You'll curse the bloody Tories and there lying cheating stories And you'll feel the nuclear poison creeping on For we were apprentice dialers, kept yer gates and faces true In Meltonfield and Parkgate East and West Now the trepan shearer's dying and the good coal it is lying For we all know Yorkshire coal it was the best It's not strictly accurate: 323's in Parkgate East was five foot; they used a disc shearer not a trepan shearer; I know not all those pits turned 20,000 tons, but I can remember Hickleton, Brodsworth, Yorkshire Main and Rossington turning nearer 30,000. Kenny and Malcolm existed - they were pit lads at the time and probably went into coal at a later stage as many pit lads did. Anyway I hope you like it. I love singing it. Terry Armitage WHp Quantity Surveying Limited
ONE FRIDAY NIGHT I HAD JUST GONE OUT FOR A PINT OR TWO AT MY LOCAL PUB. I HAD ONLY BEEN IN FOR ABOUT AN HOUR WHEN THE PHONE WENT SOMEONE BEHIND THE BAR SHOUTS ITS FOR YOU PHIL SO I PICKED UP THE PHONE IT WAS ME DAD HE SAID CAN YOU GO TO DOWN TO THE PIT THE NIGHT OVERMAN WANTS TO SEE YOU STRAIGHT AWAY. TELL HIM TO GET STUFFED I SAID NOT ON A FRIDAY NO WAY, I WILL PHONE THE PIT FROM HERE I SAID, SO I PHONED THE PIT. THEY PUT ME STRAIGHT THROUGH TO WILF THE NIGHT SHIFT OVERMAN WHAT"S UP WILF? HE SAYS CAN YOU COME TO WORK TONIGHT? I SAID NO OF CAUSE NE HE SAID I NEED SOMEONE WHO KNOWS HIS WAY ARROUND THIS PIT AND HE KNEW I DID. WHY WHATS UP? I SAID. THERES A MAN GONE MISSIND ON THE AFTERS SHIFT ALL THE DEPUTIES HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR HIM BUT THERES NO SIGN OF HIM ANYWHERE. SO ME DAD TOOK ME DOWN TO THE PIT WARSOP MAIN BY THE WAY, I WENT INTO THE BATHS GOT CHANGED, WENT TO SEE WILF. HE SAID THE MAN HAD BEEN ON 52s OR 59s INTAKE NEAR THE PIT BOTTOM BUT KNOW BODY AS SEEN OR HEARD FROM HIM ALL THE SHIFT. THERE'S A DEPUTY WAITING FOR YOU IN THE PIT BOTTOM. HE WILL GO WITH YOU HE DOESN'T KNOW THE PIT BOTTOM AREA AS YOU DO [NEW DEPUTY FROM GLAPWELL, JUST CLOSED]. SO I WENT IN THE PIT MET THE DEPUTY HE SAID THEY HAVE HAD THE TWILIGHT SHIFT LOOKING FOR HIM SINCE 9 OCLOCK. THEY HAVE BEEN EVERYWHERE, NO SIGN ANYWHERE. SO WE STARTED OFF UP 60s NO ONE UP THERE, THEN I HAD A THOUGHT WHO IS IT THAT GONE MISSING I SAID BELIVE IT OR NOT NO ONE TOLD ME WHO IT WAS THEY CALL HIM NO-JOB [DAVE BROOKS], THE DEPUTY SAID. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN HE NEVER STAYED ON ANY JOB HE WAS SENT TO, ALWAYS WONDERING AROUND THE PIT. HE HAD BEEN WARNED NOT TO LEAVE HIS BUTTON JOB BUT HE STILL WANDERED OFF. WHERE HE HAD BEEN WORKING WAS NOT VERY FAR FROM THE OLD TOP HARD DRIFT. I SAID TO THE DEPUTY I BET HE"S GONE DOWN THERE. SO WE WENT TO THE TOP OF THE DRIFT PHONED THE OVERMAN TO TELL HIM WE WERE GOING DOWN TO THE TOP HARD. WELL ITS LIKE A RABBIT WARREN DOWN THERE WHEN YOU GET AWAY FROM THE PIT BOTTOM. I USED TO GO THROUGH WITH A DEPUTY ON THE EGRESS RUN TO CLIPSTONE COLLIERY ON A MONDAY, HE USED TO SHOW ME AROUND. I KNEW IT QUITE WELL ANYWAY WE HAD BEEN WALKING FOR ABOUT HALF AN HOUR. I SAID TO THE DEPUTY PUT YOUR LAMP OUT SO HE DID AS I DID, NEXT MINUTE A FLASH OF LIGHT, HE"S IN THE OLD PADDY HOUSE, SO WE WALKED IN HE WAS ALMOST CRYING HE WAS COMPLETLY LOST. HE GOT A RIGHT ROLLOCKING OFF THE DEPUTY AND ME RUINING MY FRIDAY NIGHT. I SAID YOUR LUCKY WE CAME DOWN HERE IF YOU HAD GONE ANY FURTHER IN YOU WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN FOUND ITS ALL OLD BOARD AND PILLAR YOU WOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THERE. SO WE TOOK HIM OUT THE PIT WILF THE OVERMAN WENT CRACKERS . NO-JOB HAD TO SEE THE MANAGER ON MONDAY MORNING. THE MINING INSPECTOR HAD TO BE NOTIFIED ABOUT THIS INCIDENT; IN THE END HE GOT THE SACK AND WAS TOLD HE WOULD NEVER WORK IN A COAL MINE AGAIN ANYWHERE. HE NEVER WORKED, ANYWAY I STILL SEE HIM UP TO THIS DAY, ALWAYS WALKING ABOUT. PHIL734
