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Post by bibobs on Mar 14, 2012 16:22:21 GMT -5
Training Started at Gedling April 1953 all underground training done at Bestwood, Mining legislation at old Hucknall No 1 offices Hucknall. Back to Gedling for underground work. At sixteen and a half started coal face training. Twenty days with a collier twenty days on three yards twenty days on six yards. Fourty days packing fourty days ripping. Aged just over seventeen I was a full collier throwing nine yards of coal on. As far as I know Gedling was the only pit that allowed training of boys under eighteen on to coal face training They were the first in the East Midlands to introduce face training in 1946 the then training officer received the BEM. I stayed 35 years went on staff in 1965 became a deputy and was NACODS secretary 1980-1988 when I became top of the redundancy list. Bibobs
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Post by John on Mar 14, 2012 18:04:46 GMT -5
The old Hucknall No1 pit couldn't have been a training centre that long when I first started then, I started early 1964. I do recall there was a longwall face hewn out by mining trainees, an underground classroom again hewn out by trainees, and some of the surface buildings, mostly old Nissen huts were modifies for our use. I did my face training at my own pit, Clifton under one of the electricians, so missed what mining trainees had to do.
I remember having to go to Bentinck training centre for my final practical trade tests in 1968.
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Post by bulwellbrian on Mar 16, 2012 6:20:01 GMT -5
I did underground training at Hucknall No.1 in about 1961. The training face was in the High Main seam and was at the edge of the Airfield which had not been mined to protect the runway.
I am quite tall and remember a hydrant sticking out which knocked my helmet off more than once.
Hucknall 1 was quite an interesting place. the intake shaft was what the trainees used and its ventilation was from the return at Hucknall 2
Hucknall 1 upcast had been deepened and had become Babbington No7 shaft.
There was no coal winding and no coal prep plant but materials went down both shafts. The PHB were still used.
There was also a timber impregnation plant there which used a by-product from Avenue coke ovens to fire proof cover board used in the Area 6.
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Post by John on Mar 16, 2012 6:56:23 GMT -5
I only recall one shaft Brian, I think the other had been filled and capped when I started. I have seen photos and think I have one of the old tandem headgear, but the shaft, a downcast, we rode when I did my underground training had a small cage and counterweight. I don't recall the wood treatment plant, it may have been there, but don't recollect it, yes the PHB and canteen was there plus the old office black where the training centre Manager, Mr Cresswell had his office. We also took our first aid training in that block under the Area Medical Officer, who could swear and cuss with the best of them...
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Post by bulwellbrian on Mar 16, 2012 8:30:21 GMT -5
The second shaft was there upcast with winder and fan. It was deepened to the Deep Soft seam and ventilated Babbington whose workings went well to the north of Hucknall No.1. Some men were bussed in minibuses from Babbington to No.1 and went down No.7 shaft. I think it must have continued in use for ventilation at least until Babbington merged with Hucknall No.2.
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Post by John on Mar 16, 2012 8:47:30 GMT -5
It must have had a concrete cap over the shaft then Brian as what I recall there was a large vacant space between the winding engine house and the downcast shaft we used to ride down. That shaft was unique too, still had it's furnace basket in place at the top of the shaft just below bank level. I also recall it wasn't very deep to onset level. One day after we'd completed our days task, our instructor took us through to the rope hauled manrider road that went to either Bestwood or the bottom pit, can't recall which now. He also took us to see some of the old roads over 100 years old and still in perfect order. Lot of history was in that old colliery!!
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Post by John on Mar 16, 2012 8:54:04 GMT -5
There's a site with some old photos of the Eastwood pits taken by some clergyman in the 1800's, I never bookmarked it. But I recall several underground photos at Hucknall No1, the ladies wore full gowns, they must have got pretty filthy too!! I can't even remember how I came across the site, was some time back now.
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Post by mineruk on Apr 3, 2012 11:36:15 GMT -5
I did my face training at New HUcknall where I did packing on afternoons then coal filling on days and ripping on nights that was 1969 and i seem to recall some miners wore clogs.ALSO we were in the Piper seam where the roadways to the coal face was on slopes The coal used to just flopped over and one face trainee got buried they were pit ponies at the pit as well. The rest of the coal faces were shearer faces after I finshed at New Hucknall I was offered a job there. I know the last hand got face at Gelding was a training face.
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