Who used to work down the pits?

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Heeeed the Ball

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I was once offered a job at Blackhall pit but I turned it down and went to work on the River Wear

I reckon there must a be few on here who worked in the pits

I often wonder what it would of being like?
 


My brother in law got trapped twice with roof falls, he also got his knackers caught once, he was a power loader whatever that is?
 
Only one member of my family worked down the pits. Died of lung cancer. Most of mine were shipyard then oil.

From what I heard working down the pit from the age of 14 to almost 60 was f***ing horrendous. He never wanted to talk about it.
 
Me, Westoe. Dark and water pissing in at places. Dry and warm other places. One thing i dont think people understand about bigger pits like westoe was the size. It went out to sea and veered off towards Whitley bay, about 8 miles out. The cage stopped at 3 levels 623 feet 923 feet and 1300 feet that they were just developing when it shut. if someone took you down and dropped you off somewhere far out there's a good chance you wouldnt find your way back. It was on 2 levels then there was the old workings that came out at the shaft near to the market. Also worked with a canny few mad bastards. Good times good lads.
 
My Grandpa did. He was really good at maths at school and the teacher desperately wanted him to stay on at school, but the family couldn't afford it so he was sent to work down the pit aged 14. Later, he ended up in charge of blowing the seams. No health and safety in those days so he had to drill holes, fill it with explosives, light the fuse and run like hell! One day, they hadn't put enough pit props in and the roof fell in on him smashing his legs and pelvis. There was no welfare state then, but thankfully due to him being good at maths, they offered him a job running the pit stores once he recovered. That's why he was always so keen for his children and grandchildren to get a decent education so they could get a better job.

His father worked down the pit too but then got a job on the surface supervising the loading of coal onto boats in the river at Fatfield.
 
rael said:
Me, Westoe. Dark and water pissing in at places. Dry and warm other places. One thing i dont think people understand about bigger pits like westoe was the size. It went out to sea and veered off towards Whitley bay, about 8 miles out. The cage stopped at 3 levels 623 feet 923 feet and 1300 feet that they were just developing when it shut. if someone took you down and dropped you off somewhere far out there's a good chance you wouldnt find your way back. It was on 2 levels then there was the old workings that came out at the shaft near to the market. Also worked with a canny few mad bastards. Good times good lads.
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Great post

becs said:
My Grandpa did. He was really good at maths at school and the teacher desperately wanted him to stay on at school, but the family couldn't afford it so he was sent to work down the pit aged 14. Later, he ended up in charge of blowing the seams. No health and safety in those days so he had to drill holes, fill it with explosives, light the fuse and run like hell! One day, they hadn't put enough pit props in and the roof fell in on him smashing his legs and pelvis. There was no welfare state then, but thankfully due to him being good at maths, they offered him a job running the pit stores once he recovered. That's why he was always so keen for his children and grandchildren to get a decent education so they could get a better job.

His father worked down the pit too but then got a job on the surface supervising the loading of coal onto boats in the river at Fatfield.
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Class post, I an almost picture the events
 
My Dad worked down the pit from leaving school around 1955, did his training at Nettlesworth Colliery, once completed returned to Langley Park pit, where for a couple of years he looked after the pit horses before moving down to the seams.

From what I understand he hated it, when he married my Mam in 1966 apparently he suffered really bad nightmares and would wake her up with his shouting in his sleep. She eventually managed to persuade him to leave the pit around 1973. Discovered recently that he cannot watch anything on the telly that involves anything like potholing.

His brother worked down the pits, Stoke area, he died in 2000 from emphysema. Their Dad (my Grandad) also worked the seams, he died when my Dad was in his early 20s.

In fact researching my Dad's family tree - going back to the late 1790s - five generations all pit yackers! (might be more but that's the point where I've hit a brick wall in my research)
 
My great grandad did.

Well until he was crushed to death by a big stone slab.
 
My great granda did, killed in a colliery accident at Monkwearmouth in the 1950s.
 
Thebumble said:
My grandad was pit manager at Dawdon, saw some horrible things but did get to meet Sigourney Weaver after a scene from Alien 2 (I think) was filmed there.
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Small bloke? If so I probably knew him. I worked on the surface there. Last time i saw him was in the 90s in the borough one afternoon.
 
Wow some real events which show strong men doing what they need to do to support their families.......great posts
 
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