Wheldale Colliery video 1987/88

[normylad]

I'm in the process of uploading to Youtube a video I filmed in 1987/88 on the Surface at Wheldale Colliery,Castleford. I started work at Wheldale in 1980 as an Apprentice Electrician. The pit closed in Oct 1987 (thanks to Thatcher). I ended up being the last 'sparky' at the pit before I transfered to Kellingley in Nov 1988. I worked as part of a small team overseeing the salvage at Wheldale, It turned out to be the best year of my working life. It was during this year that I hired a very heavy, shoulder mounted, full size VHS camera and shot this movie. I've split the movie into 15 min sections, as I write this I've uploaded 4 with another 5 to go.
Apologies for the dodgy camera work and ignore the dates on the film, they are wrong. Also apologies for any naughty pit language.
And remember, the pit was closed so you may see grown men acting like school children, we didn't act like that all the time....honest
bit.ly/T5RuiY

[John]

Here's the best way to post Youtube videos..

[John]

Nice bit of history preserved Norm, nothing more sad than seeing a pit without life, ie the sheave wheels stood still and silent..

[normylad]

Wheldale Colliery 1987/88 part 4

Thanks for that John

[boaz]

I didn't work at Wheldale but did sell equipment to the NCB including Wheldale. Did Mick Denton (DUEE) assist with the filming, it sure sounds like him

[Wheldale]

Hi Normylad, i'm looking forward to watching the videos tonight!! You will probably have know my dad Ernie Franks and my Uncle Len Franks at Wheldale. My dad left in Feb 88 but my uncle stayed on as Manager until demolition of the pit. It is sad that all that is left is a winding wheel!!

I see you say Wheldale is a victim of Thatcher?? My dad said it closed because of exhaustion (i do remember as a kid him telling my mum the pit had 4 years left) but he also said there was another seam that could have been worked. Have you anymore information about this???

Cheers!!

[normylad]

Mick Denton was the d.e.e. at that time, he didnt have anything to do with the movie but he makes a guest appearance later.
Len Franks was the acting manager during that last year until demolition, I seem to remember Ernie Franks being the personnel manager?
And as for Thatcher and the Tories, if they hadn't instigated the politically motivated 'pit closure programme', Wheldale would have survived at least another 5 years, we were just preparing to install a new face in the lidgett seam and had a viable 5 year plan.

[Wheldale]

My dad was the Personnel manager at Wheldale. He came from Kellingley in 76 where he was an Undermanager. My uncle Len came from Fryston to Wheldale in 86 I think where he was Undermanager and then became acting manager when Wheldale closed.

I remember my dad (he passed away a couple of years ago so cant ask him) telling my mum the pit had 4 years left, that would be around 82 ish I think. I wonder if the Lidgett seam was allocated to Glasshoughton or Fryston before they closed? Ive got a plan of the Flockton seam at Wheldale which I shows a development to the south east of the pit bottom, would that be drifts into the lidgett seam??

I watched the videos last night, they are fantastic! Its a great peice of history. Ive got some photos of Wheldale pit on FLickr, you can view them here

www.flickr.com/photos/wheldale/sets/72157622977681569/

www.flickr.com/photos/wheldale/sets/72157623094907230/

[normylad]

All the Flockton and Silkstone faces were at the South side of the pit, the Lidgett and Haigh Moor were at the north side. I have a large collection of seam drawings/plans which I managed to....erm....'salvage' when the pit shut, I intend to try and scan/upload a few of them.
Just been looking at your photos, bring back lots of memories. I remember the Steam loco, in the summer months we would hitch a lift on it through to Fryston Pit, have an hour in the canteen, then a steady ride back.... those were the days

[Wheldale]

My dad took me to see the steam loco when I was 5! For an 5 year old it was awesome. He took me underground when I was 11, that was about Feb 88 I think. We went onto 54's face that was in the process of being salvaged I think. Colin Ives gave me a Book full of photo's of when the skips were installed in 1949. I got a few pre 47 checks and a few other bits and pieces when Wheldale shut.

[normylad]

The 'Skip' Photos are interesting, as part of my duties as a surface 'sparky' I looked after the Skip equipment on the surface and pit bottom area, it wasn't in such a pristine condition when I worked on it

[John]

Jan 30, 2013 3:12:20 GMT -5 Wheldale said:

My dad was the Personnel manager at Wheldale. He came from Kellingley in 76 where he was an Undermanager. My uncle Len came from Fryston to Wheldale in 86 I think where he was Undermanager and then became acting manager when Wheldale closed.

I remember my dad (he passed away a couple of years ago so cant ask him) telling my mum the pit had 4 years left, that would be around 82 ish I think. I wonder if the Lidgett seam was allocated to Glasshoughton or Fryston before they closed? Ive got a plan of the Flockton seam at Wheldale which I shows a development to the south east of the pit bottom, would that be drifts into the lidgett seam??

I watched the videos last night, they are fantastic! Its a great peice of history. Ive got some photos of Wheldale pit on FLickr, you can view them here

www.flickr.com/photos/wheldale/sets/72157622977681569/

www.flickr.com/photos/wheldale/sets/72157623094907230/

Doesn't Flickr have the IMG code with the photo.

[Mick]

I worked at Wheldale from 73 to 87 last face i worked on 48 in the flockton,before that on 02s 03s and 04s 03s and 4s were retreat 02s was advance.
When i first went there i was working on 43s on the tailgate rip.
Mick.

[normylad]

I did my face training on 44's with chock fitter Jack Pycroft, came out of my time in 1985 and spent 3 years on the surface before moving to Kellingley. Been at Kellingley for 24 years but still think of myself as a Dale'r

[Wheldale]

Jan 30, 2013 7:36:30 GMT -5 John said:

Jan 30, 2013 3:12:20 GMT -5 Wheldale said:

My dad was the Personnel manager at Wheldale. He came from Kellingley in 76 where he was an Undermanager. My uncle Len came from Fryston to Wheldale in 86 I think where he was Undermanager and then became acting manager when Wheldale closed.

I remember my dad (he passed away a couple of years ago so cant ask him) telling my mum the pit had 4 years left, that would be around 82 ish I think. I wonder if the Lidgett seam was allocated to Glasshoughton or Fryston before they closed? Ive got a plan of the Flockton seam at Wheldale which I shows a development to the south east of the pit bottom, would that be drifts into the lidgett seam??

I watched the videos last night, they are fantastic! Its a great peice of history. Ive got some photos of Wheldale pit on FLickr, you can view them here

www.flickr.com/photos/wheldale/sets/72157622977681569/

www.flickr.com/photos/wheldale/sets/72157623094907230/

Doesn't Flickr have the IMG code with the photo.

I dont think it does John, i'll have a look into it.

[Mick]

Jan 30, 2013 8:24:18 GMT -5 normylad said:

I did my face training on 44's with chock fitter Jack Pycroft, came out of my time in 1985 and spent 3 years on the surface before moving to Kellingley. Been at Kellingley for 24 years but still think of myself as a Dale'r

Good old jack what a bloke he was he could dance any women off her feet lol and he was a very good rugby player but when it come to ordering parts for job one of us had to sit with him to help him write his sheet out
Really sad when he past away.
Mick.

[Wheldale]

Hi John, you can link Flickr pics via the img thingy.

[Wheldale]

Forgot to say. On Flickr you click the share button to view the bbc code. You then paste it between the img bracket things.

[normylad]

[Wheldale]

Jan 30, 2013 8:24:18 GMT -5 normylad said:

I did my face training on 44's with chock fitter Jack Pycroft, came out of my time in 1985 and spent 3 years on the surface before moving to Kellingley. Been at Kellingley for 24 years but still think of myself as a Dale'r

My best mates dad was an Overman at Wistow. He came from Wheldale as a deputy in 83 I think, his name was Bob Kidd. He told me that at Wistow he had a face team of ex Wheldale lads, he said it was the best face at Wistow.

[Wheldale]

Jan 31, 2013 6:44:27 GMT -5 normylad said:

Another great video Normylad! Got a couple of questions if you can help out? I see there is a shot of a cage with miners getting in and out of it. Is that the skips they are riding or were the skips replaced with cages, looks like the downcast shaft?

I read that there was a conveyor belt on the surface that went to Fryston colliery. Did you work on this at all, do you know were abouts it was located?

One last question, did you help out at all when the concrete landings were removed in the shafts? I remember something call Jetknife 2000 being used to cut through the concrete.

Thanks Normylad

Steve.

[normylad]

The skips had a false floor which could be lowered into place so the downcast shaft could be used for emergency manriding.
There was no surface conveyor to Fryston but there was an interconnecting rail-line, we used to send our coal to Fryston by rail to be washed until we got our own barrel washery installed in 1985.
Yes I was involved with the landing removal by Jetknife. I set up the electrical suplies for the lights and cameras. The whole cutting process had to be monitored from the surface. It was very interesting watching the monitor as the camera was lowered all the way down to the Beeston seam which hadn't been accessed since the 1920's. They had to check the structural integrity of the shafts due to the intention to use the shafts for methane powered generation.
Hope this anwers your queries

Paul

[normylad]

[Wheldale]

Feb 1, 2013 21:28:16 GMT -5 normylad said:

The skips had a false floor which could be lowered into place so the downcast shaft could be used for emergency manriding.
There was no surface conveyor to Fryston but there was an interconnecting rail-line, we used to send our coal to Fryston by rail to be washed until we got our own barrel washery installed in 1985.
Yes I was involved with the landing removal by Jetknife. I set up the electrical suplies for the lights and cameras. The whole cutting process had to be monitored from the surface. It was very interesting watching the monitor as the camera was lowered all the way down to the Beeston seam which hadn't been accessed since the 1920's. They had to check the structural integrity of the shafts due to the intention to use the shafts for methane powered generation.
Hope this anwers your queries

Paul

I must have got mixed up about the conveyor to Fryston. The few notes I have mention modernising in 82 after the steam loco had gone. Must be a conveyor from the screens accross the road then?

I bet the Jetknife experiance was really interesting. I wonder why the methane plant wasnt installed till around the year 2000. A good 11 years of just letting the gas escape into the environment?

[normylad]

Not sure why they waited so long but Methane powered generation was always the intention, we even knocked down the 'stoppings' (walls) in the pit bottom that led through to Allerton Bywater pit so as to drain their methane as well.

[Wheldale]

I believe the shafts at Allerton Bywater are unfilled and used to monitor the gas underground. They have special valves on them that were recenlty changed.

www.infomine.com/news/newsletters/websites/editorials/suppliers/000136.htm

I dont know if when the methane extraction finishes if the shafts will be filled in?

[dazbt]

Great videos normylad, thanks for sharing.

[normylad]

[Wheldale]

Another great video!! On the part of the film were you are on the side of the site near the river (were the 4 loco's are parked up), theres a couple of buildings and nissan huts, what were they used for?

Also, i've got a book that has a picture during demolition. It says the gantry is being left in place over the road as it contains power cabels to supply power during the removal of a "carpet of coal" on the side of the site near the river. Dont suppose you know how much coal was recovered??

Thanks again Normylad for another great video!!

[normylad]

The large brick building was the main stores, the smaller brick building was the oil-stores and the white huts stored conveyor equipment.
I returned to Wheldale in 1990 just for a nosey around and yes they left the gantry up for the power supply from the 'Power House' down to the staithe area where they seemed to be doing a small scale opencast complete with a portable barrel washery. Wish I'd taken some pictures but didn't have my camera with me :-(