Who used to work down the pits?

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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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My brothers Dad used to work down Westoe pit too. Tom R.
 
Both me granda and me fatha worked here, granda as a labourer and fatha as a Fitter. He swore blind that i was never going to go work at the pit, i never did.

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My granddad worked at Cotia Pit (my primary school was built on the same site) but refused to let my dad go down. He said it was no life. A great uncle of mine used to set the explosives and lost a leg when he was caught up in a blast.
 
Heeeed the Ball said:
Only the rich got rich, the poor paid with the lives....
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How sad that during the period of great British industry and empire, creating untold affluence for those at the top, that this was the case.
And now we have Trump over here still peddling the myth of 'trickle down economics'. Didn't work for us in the empire, didn't work for Reagan and Thatcher in the eighties. Doesn't work - the end.
 
my dad and my granda did
vane tempest and wearmouth

i remember towards the end of my granda's life my nana had to run to the next door neighbours in the middle of the night for help as he was reliving the time he'd dug some poor bloke out of the ground with his bare hands. she couldn't snap him out of it
:(
 
My Great Granda on my Mam's side was killed at South Hetton Colliery . My Granda died of pneumocilicosis ( 70% of his lungs were coal dust ) . My Dad died with it as well ( he was 94 though) .
My Dad wouldn't even let me apply for the NCB when I left school .
My Grandad worked at Boldon . My Dad worked at Waldridge , Sacriston and Wearmouth . My Brother in law worked at Kibblesworth and Dawdon .
 
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