Stokes 'the oatcake' forum


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My dad was a coalminer for 47 years. There were many miners in Stoke who originated from Durham. One of my close schoolfriend' s family, originating from Durham, were staunch Sunderland supporters.........but he was a Stoke fan!
http://theminershymns.com/experience/2013/09


'I have arranged a supporting programme for The Miners' Hymns to feature two particular films: an extract from We Are Not Defeated and the short archive film Miners' Transfer Scheme (1964), which charts the moving of many Durham miners to live and work in Stoke-on-Trent.

Preserving the shared heritage ( may also explain why we are ugly ☺) :

RETIRED miner John Lumsdon has been buried alive twice, has battled raging fires underground and has worked with pit ponies on the coal face.

Now the 86-year-old's memories are to form part of a new £10,000 lottery-funded social history project, which will research the stories of people who worked down the pits.

It is being brought to life by Age UK North Staffordshire, who will spend the next year talking to former colliery workers and their families to provide a lasting legacy and education resource.

For John, who lives in Longton, it will also be a chance to meet up with other former miners.

Families attend memorial service for Diglake Colliery Disaster
Remembering the 4,700 miners who died in North Staffordshire's coal industry
Memories of a mining past: Children in 1842 working down the pit


The great-grandfather spent almost 34 years in the industry, retiring in 1985 when Florence Colliery faced closure.

John's first mining experience was in 1952 in his native County Durham. He can still recall his first £5 pay cheque.

But as Durham's mines began to shut, he knew he would have to move.

"I thought about going to Australia as one of the 'Ten Pound Poms'. They were giving flights for £10 at the time," he said.

"But it seemed a bit too far, so I moved here instead."

John's early life as a miner was before mass machinery.

He said: "At first, we had pit ponies. They would wear leathers and chains. It was all timbers and wooden props.

"I remember one particular day, I was working a split shift. I was cutting down the face.

"There was water four inches deep. Then suddenly, I heard a snap in the timber and the roof collapsed on me. It pushed my head into the water.

"I was still conscious. The man working with me tried to get this big stone off me. He lifted it off, but then slipped. My head hit the water again. The other shift wasn't due on for another hour so I said, 'Give it another go'. I had my arms on the ground and used all my strength. I managed to get out."

John was left nursing several broken fingers. It was one of a number of injuries he sustained underground.

But it inspired his later work as a member of the mine rescue brigade, which also took him to pits like Chatterley Whitfield and Victoria in Biddulph.

"I didn't get called to any explosions. But we did have fires," he said.

John has been so determined to preserve the memories of miners that he has created his own website dedicated to the 4,700-plus workers who lost their lives.

Now he hopes Age UK North Staffordshire's project will encourage others to share their stories.

He said: "They should be recorded. It's a way of living that should never be forgotten."

The Heritage Lottery Fund money will go towards a part-time project worker and the costs of materials and room hire. A social group for ex-miners and their families will also meet regularly.

Peter Bullock, chief executive of Age UK North Staffordshire, said: "The primary focus is going to be on collieries in the Newcastle area, such as Silverdale and Chesterton.

"But anybody who has got an interesting mining story can get involved."

Ray Johnson, director of Staffordshire Film Archive, is supporting the work, along with volunteers from Apedale Heritage Centre.

It is likely to culminate in a DVD and exhibition.

The testimonies will also give a fascinating insight into the role North Staffordshire's mining industry played in championing multiculturalism. Miners from across Europe moved to this area, with estates built by the Coal Board to accommodate their families.

Joan Hadley, who now lives in Clayton, was just seven years old when she arrived from Scotland.

The 65-year-old said: "My dad moved here to work down the pits. He worked all over, from Hanley Deep Pit to Wolstanton.

"When we arrived in 1955, we moved to an estate in Baddeley Green. It was still being finished and was a sea of mud.

"It was like the United Nations. We had Polish, Italian, Irish, Geordie and Stoke-on-Trent families. We all got to know each other."

Now the project will try to rekindle that sense of community.

Peter said: "We're trying to connect with isolated, older miners in particular.

"They can get involved in the group, talk to other former miners and share their stories.
 
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Aye there are specific reasons for that, there isn't a reason to hate a club like Stoke

I agree - I can understand why they might not like us for historical reasons - but that's no reason to reciprocate. It's a bit like 'boro - I don't mind them at all - they sold us Brian Clough and Stan Cummins. A 'boro lad I know hates us and it really p*sses him off when I make the above point and call them our feeder club.
 
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