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Post by colly0410 on Feb 7, 2014 12:36:29 GMT -5
I've heard people talk about 'happy pits.' My Granddad said that Ormonde was happy, my Wifes Granddad said Shonkey pit was a happy pit, but didn't think Babbington was. Any other pits known as 'happy' or 'not happy' ?
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Post by John on Feb 7, 2014 14:38:23 GMT -5
I've heard people talk about 'happy pits.' My Granddad said that Ormonde was happy, my Wifes Granddad said Shonkey pit was a happy pit, but didn't think Babbington was. Any other pits known as 'happy' or 'not happy' ?
Clifton was like a "family pit", lots of the men had family members there, it was an easy going pit too, lots tolerated that wasn't tolerated at pits like Cotgrave. |
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Post by colly0410 on Feb 7, 2014 16:04:11 GMT -5
[/quote]Happy pit, not sure what you mean Steve, I was happy at Clifton Colliery, but unhappy at Cotgrave..Cotgrave had a very high turnover in labour in the 1960's.
Clifton was like a "family pit", lots of the men had family members there, it was an easy going pit too, lots tolerated that wasn't tolerated at pits like Cotgrave.
[/quote]
I suppose I mean pits that people liked working at, a lot of blokes who transferred to Hucknall didn't like it, a bloke called Hector who came from Cossal pit hated Hucknall, he said it was too big, he left to be a bus driver for Midland General. Hucknall seemed OK to me but I never really worked anywhere else, I don't count Moorgreen as I was only training there..
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Post by John on Feb 7, 2014 16:43:03 GMT -5
I disliked Cotgrave because of the way it was run, everything was by the book, our staff wasn't allowed to help the fitters, miners etc, if our boss found out we would be "on the carpet" Management went out their way to stir industrial trouble up, one instance, elecs and fitters mostly took the last two draws down at manriding.
We had ten minutes left before last wind down one dayshift, phone rang and the banksman was ordered to single deck, which meant we would be past winding time so eligible for our shift to be docked half an hour through no fault of our own.
One of the lads got on the phone to both fitters and elecs workshops underground and informed them of the situation and we were on our way to get showered and home!!
Lads down stairs said they were on their way to pit bottom to follow us, then news came from the five faces, miners would not cut coal without safety coverage from elecs and fitters!!
We'd clocked off and were in the dirty side lockers when our engineers rushed in to stop us, they knew once we'd got showered it was a shift and maybe the whole days worth of production would be lost.
It was docked pay and no work, or a full shift and we'd go underground..Took about an hour, but management admitted they'd screwed up!!
I'd been at Cotgrave to finish my apprenticeship, or I'd probably have left the industry after Clifton had closed.
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Post by tygwyn on Feb 7, 2014 16:58:16 GMT -5
I`d imagine the pits in Notts and Leicester must have been the happiest around for the majority of the workforce.
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Post by fortythreesflyer on Feb 7, 2014 20:46:42 GMT -5
Hi, I worked at Wheldale from 1969 till 1985 I was a qualified fitter and I have to say Wheldale was a very happy pit. We was also known as the sunshine pit it seamed if the sun shone we would be out on strike. My own perspective is that on all the areas underground that I worked the men all ways made you welcome. They would tell you about their families, quite a number who had teenage daughters would be trying to get me hooked up with them, I was constantly being asked to meet them. Even now 29 years on when I come into contact with the few old timers that are still living it is like meeting long lost relatives, Wheldale was a true family pit.
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Post by Wheldale on Feb 8, 2014 8:22:55 GMT -5
Hi, I worked at Wheldale from 1969 till 1985 I was a qualified fitter and I have to say Wheldale was a very happy pit. We was also known as the sunshine pit it seamed if the sun shone we would be out on strike. My own perspective is that on all the areas underground that I worked the men all ways made you welcome. They would tell you about their families, quite a number who had teenage daughters would be trying to get me hooked up with them, I was constantly being asked to meet them. Even now 29 years on when I come into contact with the few old timers that are still living it is like meeting long lost relatives, Wheldale was a true family pit. My dad always said Wheldale was a nice pit to work at. He said Kellingley was a nightmare! |
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Post by smshogun on Feb 11, 2014 13:39:09 GMT -5
Moorgreen, Pye Hill, Annesley, Newstead, Calverton, Linby all happy pits and the men were always pleasant when we visited and vey helpful.
Cotgrave, Gedling (called the league of nations pit) Babbington, and Hucknall were notorious as miserable places and I delegated rather than go to them unless I was forced. |
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gaz
Trainee
Posts: 15
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Post by gaz on Sept 20, 2014 10:28:59 GMT -5
Everyone I knew down the pit always said the first pit they worked at was there favourite, me included I started at Newstead then later went to Annesley and it was only cos I was an Annesley lad that I took to it . But I still rated Newstead as the best
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Post by John on Sept 20, 2014 11:14:44 GMT -5
Everyone I knew down the pit always said the first pit they worked at was there favourite, me included I started at Newstead then later went to Annesley and it was only cos I was an Annesley lad that I took to it . But I still rated Newstead as the best
I enjoyed several years at Angus Place Colliery in NSW Oz, great set of lads, good conditions, thick seam and good pay. Was more like a coal factory than a pit. Four weeks annual leave, plus statutory holidays, seven hour shifts, nights paid at time and a half, swing shift time and a third, afters time and a quarter. Good bonus too.
The NCB was good to me, they taught me a trade, but leaving the NCB, I "honed" that trade, I think I was a better tradesman by gaining experience away from the NCB. As a late mate of mine said, "The NCB made us lazy" Looking back, it did, and outside industry knocked that out of me. |
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Post by John on Sept 20, 2014 11:16:19 GMT -5
I've heard people talk about 'happy pits.' My Granddad said that Ormonde was happy, my Wifes Granddad said Shonkey pit was a happy pit, but didn't think Babbington was. Any other pits known as 'happy' or 'not happy' ? |
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