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Post by John on Jan 9, 2011 15:44:28 GMT -5
And it was a true story too, I used to have a hell of a job opening those man doors and I was pretty fit those days, two fans with something like 8 inches on a water gauge, that's a lot of psi on those doors. Poor feller was sat down between the doors stuck!! If he'd have been a miner I think I'd have left him... As he was one of us, an electrician, I took pity.. ;D ;D ;D
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Post by John on Jan 9, 2011 16:01:07 GMT -5
Here's another story, but this one was at BG's Marbleagis Mine at East Leake.
Christmas if we were on nights that week, last shift we'd go in early to be finished before the last bus home, public transport, not works buses.
One of the fitters decided to save time by putting his overalls on over his street clothes, he'd set himself an easy clean shift so he didn't need a shower.
Yeah right!! He got underground and his job was to remove the hydraulic pumps off a scooptram. The machine was over the pits in the diesel shop, I gave him a hand, I held a long vee belt to take the weight while he removed the bolts. It was a cow too!! but he finally eased it loose and he got covered in oil from head to toe.......... ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D I felt sorry for him, he had to get a shower and change into his work clothes to go home.
Another year, last shift I was on nights again, Jack Nelson the Mine Foreman had let everyone go home real early, his discretion! We'd had a report snow was heading our way, he asked me to stay behind to keep him company while he waited for the ICI explosives truck to empty the surface magazine of explosives. It started snowing real heavy, I was clock watching because of my last bus to get home. Phone rang, it was the ICI driver, he was running very late due to bad road conditions, Jack said I should get myself off home, he'd got to wait whether he liked it or not. The bus I got was the last one running due to the weather, so was pretty lucky!
I got on well with Jack, he was the better of the two mining foreman at Marbleagis.
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Post by John on Jan 9, 2011 16:10:26 GMT -5
Another Marbleagis story. I was authorized to drive the Landrovers for manriding and general use, we'd just had a full diesel manrider commissioned and I was authorized to drive it for maintenance purposes only. Bottom of the drift, day shift, short of a regular driver, I was on the back of one of the Landrovers when Jack asked me to take the manrider inbye as far as the inbye workshops, no problem. I climbed in the drivers seat, started the engine, when one of the miners asked if I was authorized, yeah for maintenance, they all climbed out, so I drove it inbye empty. End of the shift a two pieces of paper were thrust in my hands to sign, one for me to keep, new authorization to drive the manrider with men onboard. ;D Things moved quickly at British Gypsum. ;D
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Post by Sam from Kent on Jan 9, 2011 16:51:04 GMT -5
It was funny how us electricians were all "authorised" to drive virtually everything even if we had never seen it before. I bet that wouldn't happen now
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Post by John on Jan 10, 2011 8:23:08 GMT -5
But you will see on most authorizations "For maintenance purposes only"
I learned to drive most rail mounted equipment, battery locos, personnel carriers both battery and diesel when the outbye belts stopped for a problem, so took the opportunity to test the rail mounted equipment and check the belts to kill two birds with one stone..... ;D
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Post by Sam from Kent on Jan 29, 2011 9:42:53 GMT -5
I agree it wouldn't happen now. We used to drive manriders, and how many times did we "borrow" a pit bottom loco?
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Post by Sam from Kent on Jan 29, 2011 9:52:06 GMT -5
The buckets we used underground were emptied by the s*** bucket man or Turd Engineer. The man who did it at Tilmanstone was a comedian (you had to be to do that job!!) One day he was walking down the gate with me and he said " I've just had a week off and the work has piled up on me" he then undid his overalls to show lots of toilet rolls and he said " Then theres all the paperwork to catch up on!"
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Post by John on Jan 29, 2011 11:06:26 GMT -5
I agree it wouldn't happen now. We used to drive manriders, and how many times did we "borrow" a pit bottom loco? Pit bottom locos at Clifton were furry and had four legs.. ;D Cotgrave, they'd throw the book at you unless you were duly authorised. Private enterprise was a tad different, although they did prefer us authorised just in case anything went wrong.
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Post by John on Apr 15, 2011 7:26:24 GMT -5
I see CPL is going for a new mineral below the salt seam and have been given a grant to build a processing plant for it, I'll dig up links later and post them. It must have been the mineral that the bottom of the shafts intersected. I can recall a thick seam of Anhydrite under the salt.
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Post by John on Apr 15, 2011 8:31:42 GMT -5
Still looking for the links, "I must take notes when surfing" LOL
Here's the mineral........
Rich seam found below the sea at the huge shaft where dark matter is tested. Plus Otley renames all its pubs, and a chance to shout at England's oldest Parliament I didn't know that there was such a thing as a new mass production mineral nowadays, but a £15 million grant from the Government to Boulby's huge potash mine on the Yorkshire coast of north of Whitby doesn't leave much doubt. The money will help to maintain Cleveland Potash's 850 existing jobs and should create more in part of the north which badly needs them. It will combine with £12 million from the company to burrow into a seam of polyhalite, which was thought to be very rare but has been found in large quantities out to sea from the mine. I was never any good at chemistry at school but always enjoyed exotic charts such as the Krebs Cycle and the mysterious language which describes polyhalite as K2Ca2Mg(SO4)4·2(H2O). The mineral has much potential as an organic fertiliser according to Cleveland, which found the seam under..
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Post by John on Apr 15, 2011 8:47:24 GMT -5
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Post by John on Apr 15, 2011 8:51:23 GMT -5
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Post by garryo on Dec 21, 2011 8:59:20 GMT -5
Bit more info on the tailings shaft at CPL The tailings shaft building as described earlier did in fact look like an old church standing high up on the cliffs. (couldnt do much to hide the main shafts though)
The tails shaft was indeed ex NCB and was a secondhand staple shaft winder from Lea Hall colliery in Staffs. From memory it was about 150-200HP and the resistors for the wound rotor motor were in FLP enclosures which acted like radiators on cold winter days. The tunnel from the bottom of the shaft went seawards for about half a mile and where the sea water came in to the pipe work were fitted with masicators to chop up any sea life. Sometimes they would jam and the motors would trip on O/L. It was quite a job unblocking them due to the tight seawater isolation valves.
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Post by John on Dec 21, 2011 10:40:04 GMT -5
I never had the opportunity to check the tailings shaft out Garry, the process plant elecs used to service that. I do recall Keith Tomlinson telling me about it though. The housing was built of local stone to blend in with the local farm buildings, and unless one knew what it was, could be convinced it was a farm barn or whatever. It's clearly visible on Google Earth.
Remember the old North Workshops, up the hill to the west of No2 shaft?? I was on nights and had just got back from a call, and Peter Elliot, one of the fitters said come with me, we walked into the stores right at the back. There was the storeman sat down head on his hands on the desk fast asleep. Pete walked over to one of the bins and pulled one of those compressed air horns out, walked over to the storeman and let rip with the horn. Storeman never flinched, he could have been dead, but for the fact he was snoring and never missed a beat. ;D
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Post by John on Dec 21, 2011 22:00:34 GMT -5
Garry, do you remember the Georges at CPL??? One was in the medical centre, he had a Son on our staff as a labourer and his youngest Son, who started after you left was also a labourer on our staff. Young Bryan was a hard worker, he was my labourer or as they said, Vehicle Maintenance assistant. Talk about hungry for overtime!! He'd be in with me twelve hour shifts as long as I needed him. I lost contact with him after he married, I have some wedding photos he sent me when I was in Oz. Tried to contact him, last I found was he was a paramedic, but still not made contact with the lad. We had some good lads at Boulby, hard working and willing to learn.
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Post by John on Dec 21, 2011 22:08:22 GMT -5
Can you also recall the "C" shift mining supervisor??? Dave? Ex NCB and like all shift supers had at least a class2 ticket. I've racked my brain and can't come up with his last name. Him and his missus didn't get on, he was the trouble, she adored him and tried a couple of times to commit suicide, she eventually succeeded after he left her and went to South Africa with one of the office Managers. Henry Stuckey(SP) the Manager and CEO said he'd blacklist him in SA, he was a lay minister at one of the local churches. Jeeze there's so much comes back when one thinks back, I loved my time there, made loads of friends, sadly some have departed others I lost contact with over the years.
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Post by garryo on Dec 22, 2011 8:59:19 GMT -5
John Did the mining supervisor live in North Skelton, if he did the only one I can remember was a Tony Grice? I think he was originaly from Yorkshire but had either worked in Africa and then went back overseas.
Also a further sparky was Trevor Atkinson
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Post by John on Dec 22, 2011 9:40:08 GMT -5
John Did the mining supervisor live in North Skelton, if he did the only one I can remember was a Tony Grice? I think he was originaly from Yorkshire but had either worked in Africa and then went back overseas. Also a further sparky was Trevor Atkinson That's the feller Grice, but I think it was Dave Grice Garry. His wife was found dead in her car on the Moors with a hose from the exhaust through a window after he'd "eloped" with his girlfriend. Trev was A shift elec foreman. B shift was "Wanker" Bell, C shift was Keith Tomlinson and D shift was John Richards. How on earth Malcolm Bell was ever promoted to foreman still has me puzzled!! He was neither a good electrician, not even a mediocre electrician!!! And he had no idea of how to deal or handle men working for him. There was no respect for him from anyone on the tools. Trev Atkinson and Keith Tomlinson were the most respected foremen on our staff followed by John Richards. Blower and myself were once asked if we'd apply for a recent foremans vacancy, we looked at each other, then the person asking and burst out laughing. As far as I was concerned, I can't speak for Blower, but I was better off as an electrician on the tools, I had no wish to be management. Although, the last couple of years I was there, the four of us covering the central district were treated as unpaid chargehands. We were issued with a stores requisition book, took responsibility to make decisions like leaving the central area to give district electricians a hand when they were in over their heads with breakdowns etc. Took some time to convince mining shift supervisors though, as the Managers orders were we were not to leave the central area for any reason whatsoever. Safety! But like I'd say, "I'll keep in touch with the mine clerk at all times I'm out the district"
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Post by John on Dec 22, 2011 9:56:52 GMT -5
When Grice left, Gerry Meade took over as shift super mining, he was originally from the Kent coalfield where he worked as a collier, then moved up to Bevercotes before working at Boulby. He held an U/M ticket as all shift supers did at that time. Gerry left for Oz in 1978 and John Nielson took over as C shift mining supervisor. If you reacll he was Bill McCluckies son in law.
I worked under Gerry at Wongawilli Colliery near Wollongong for a while, he was the U/M in Charge and was studying for his Managers ticket, he didn't stand for much nonsense either!! At over 6ft tall he lived up to his nickname at Wongawilli, the "Big C" I'll leave you to guess what the C meant...LOL. He was respected though by the workforce at Wonga
Correction on that, it wasn't the big "C" but the big "effer". Gerry accentuated his "U" He outright refused to pick up any Australian accent like many of us drifted into.
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Post by John on Dec 26, 2011 9:20:14 GMT -5
Some other names you might remember Garry.
Albert Todd, little feller was ex NCB Deputy or U/M, was a mining supervisor at Boulby, he was also Captain of the Boulby Mine Rescue Team. So far from the nearest Rescue station we had to have a full time trained rescue team made up of volunteers off the four shifts and fully trained to "station standards."
Bill Ions, "C" shift mine clerk, he was there before me and in the old control room which was just past the pit bottom bunker when No2 shaft was used for mucking.
Working Ore Handling I knew all the mine clerks from covering shifts on overtime, but names elude me now.
One of the things that astounded me was we didn't have fitters assigned full time to Ore Handling, many many times I had to accompany a fitter and show them where the solenoids were shaft side on the tipping level. Most still didn't know what did what and why...
I recall one shift I was called to bank to find out why the first skip of the day wouldn't tip, skip door was jammed. I phoned back down to the control room to call the shaft men out. About half an hour later two of them turned up and said we will be running in a few minutes. They both had pull lifts over their shoulders, lifted the safety fence out, climbed onto the girder than ran across the shaft at back of the skips and walked across without any safety harness hooked up!!! I watched in awe as they worked with no safety gear hooked up, 30foot fall down one side and 3/4 of a mile fall the other side.... They hooked their pull lifts up to the skip door and one of the shaft girders and cranked the door open. It was ore that had been wet, dried and set like concrete. After they had got out of the way, I opened and closed the skip door via the solenoids a few times, then got the banksman to ring it off.
Do you recall using No1 shaft to ride down prior to it being commissioned?? I rode down with Keith Tomlinson one day shift and a couple of other blokes. We climbed down the ladders to the minus 30ft level, next thing, Keith said be careful and don't look down!!!! We jumped across the gap into the temporary cage ...Scary!! Wasn't much longer after that that the No1 winder was commissioned and then roped up to the new 20 tonne skips.
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Post by John on Jan 20, 2012 17:55:04 GMT -5
Garry, was just reading back on electrical equipment and you mentioned Boulby and FLP. When I started CPL was running the mine as a safety lamp mine voluntarily.. Not sure when this happened, but I know it must have been around late 75 or 76, we started a district to the south and west on a one shift basis, about 100 yards south of the shafts. The crew were using a Joy cutter and had a flare up around the jib while cutting, they put the flames out with a fire extinguisher and the HMI was called. His response at the visit to the Mine Manager was "You are now officially a safety lamp mine".
Wouldn't have been that much after that, maybe a year or so, but a heading was charged and blasted in that district, and set a new world record for ore being blasted in one firing ;D
I didn't believe what was being stated and took a trip to have a look as I was central duties at this time. I found the heading, waiting to be mucked out, I climbed to the top of the heap of muck, and there was about three feet gap at the top, I shone my lamp over it to the back, I could not see the face!!!!!! It appeared there was a shale deposit full of gases, mostly co2 from the lab air sample test, but it was way over 100 yards of muck in one blasting!!!
In another episode, the mine was evacuated one shift after a round of shots had disturbed another shale deposit, this time containing thousands of cubic feet of flammable gases!!
All power was shut off except pit bottom pumps and the two main vent fans and the general body of the air was tested at N01 shaft bank. Nobody was allowed underground until gas levels had dropped to safe readings, which was several hours later.
I myself was ordered on a backshift when I was east district electrician to kill the power after a round of shots was fired, the shotfirer came running up to me, his D6 was off the scale!!
I'd love to have a current employee of CPL on this site to find out how gas problems if any, they still have.
Incidently, all gas samples tested in the labs showed, CH4, CO2, Hydrogen, Pentane and several of the other flammable gasses, more associated with the petro chemical industry.
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Post by scottishooo on Mar 25, 2012 13:57:22 GMT -5
Hi John, can't recall much of the names you mention I worked there for A few months in '79 Iam an Electrician and they were using Joy shuttle cars and loaders and cutters, at that time there was quite A lot of uncertainy if the mine was going to close I already had A visa for to bring my family to Canada. Actually I could not make up my mind whether to bring my family down from Scotland, and settle in the mine area, But yoou know what I actually flipped A coin, I said to A friend there OK HEADS ITS CANADA TAILS WE STAY HERE well it was heads so I have been in Canada for over thirty years, I might have kicked myself if I had never tried Canada, I have A Brother here, I worked in the mining industry here, but for the last fifeteen years have been working for myself as an Electrical Contractor, People I can remember Andy Stark Electrician good friend but we lost contact would love to contact him and shoot the nuts There was Bob Lewis from Wales also A electrician and Aurthur can't remember his name also A electrician There was He was called the Brummy Scot A shiftboss called Joe, We all lived together in A big house belonging to Steve and Mary Moore, Lost touch with with them as well They lived in Staiths, It is great to see the mine is still going strong And the mine manager was Frank Chilton I knew him when we were in South Africa for Anglo American
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Post by John on Mar 25, 2012 18:24:13 GMT -5
Frank Chilton, I've been racking my brain for months, that was him, took over the job from a South African Manager.
I don't recall those names you mention, they must have joined the company After I left in August 79.
There were only two helis when I left, one in the West Links driving the road westwards with two Joy SC10 cars and one in the South District, again with two Joy SC10's. The miners were 3.3Kv from Belmos KFG's low profile GEB's, and the cars ran from B&F GEB's at 550 volts.
Welcome to the site!
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Post by John on Mar 26, 2012 7:28:02 GMT -5
Just came to me, the name of the Manager before Frank Chilton was Mr Gabitas, before him was Henry Stucke, who was also a senior company director too. He was the boss when I first joined the company in 1975. A gentleman and lay preacher.
One thing that struck me was CPL's attitude to qualifications of senior engineering and mining staff. Mech and Elec Engineers had to have a minimum of a BSc, and all mine managers were BSc and higher. Even shift supervisors mining had to have a minimum of a 2nd class certificate. (Under Managers ticket) I think a couple had a Managers ticket.
The only electrician I recall from Wales was Roger Williams, he was on "B" shift.
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Post by scottishooo on Mar 26, 2012 9:48:50 GMT -5
John if you left in August, well Frank Chilton was there then as mine manager I hired on around June 79 and left for Canada in October 79, It was A guy called Peter that hired me, I worked at the seven panel just before I hired on there was an Electrician killed at the seven panel area so between June and August we might have crossed paths there was another Electrician there called I think John but his last name was Sinclair infact he went to Canada A coal mine in Alberta, Cheers
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Post by John on Mar 26, 2012 10:35:13 GMT -5
I think Frank Chilton started in 78. Sounds like Peter Allen set you on, Peter was a gentleman, very good to work for and always said thankyou if you'd done him a favour. Like his beer though....LOL Most mornings he'd be hung over, I've lit his ciggie many a morning because he had the shakes... ;D
John Sinclair, aka Womble, because of his height and build, was on "C" shift with me, started shortly before me in 75. Nice lad, I wondered where he'd gone too, I'll have to try doing some searches and see if I can locate him.
The only electrician I who got killed while I was there was Lee Selwood, he was crushed by a huge chunk of sidewall rolled over and got him and a miner while doing a GEB move one Saturday morning. His Brother was a district supervisor on I think "B" shift, Lee was on "D" shift, I was on an overtime shift doing a PPM on 6/3 conveyor, something one cannot forget when I mate gets killed....
I was informed a year or so back, that Eric, the MCC electrician who changed over to CPL staff, was found dead underground at side of a GEB with the isolator chamber open, he'd been electrocuted. No idea when this happened, maybe that was the lecko you are on about??
After I was informed I'd been accepted by the Australian Authorities for my Visa, I asked Peter if I could tender my notice finishing when I got my passport back, he agreed, I didn't have too much time as I had a job waiting in Tasmania for me, and I wanted to spend a couple of weeks with my parents and get some new clothes etc and close up any loosed ends, I think I left CPL about the end of July, mid August I was on my way out of Heathrow.
I had a leaving "party" at the Tiger Inn shortly before I left. You were probably there with the rest of the blokes who could make it.
If You gave me your name it might help... ;D
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Post by scottishooo on Mar 27, 2012 10:55:01 GMT -5
Yes My name makes sense, I am Charlie Welsh and if my memory is right I was at you'r party with Andy Stark and Bob Lewis, as I said they were both Electricians, Bob from Wales and Andy from Kilmarnock,''up the road'' And that was the same Peter that hired me on,and that is the same John Sinclair, I remember me and him talking regards immigrating to Canada, he was going to work on A coal mine called Grande Cash I think thats how you spell itand the mine is in Alberta, I was going to work for Rio Algom in A Uranium mine in Ontario and I remember I said to Womble Hey we might bump into one another in Canada, and he agreed little did I know how far apart the two places were, That is the same Electrician that the wall came down on, I could remember the Electricians had A few wildcat walk outs, I travelled back and forward from Scotland till I could find accomodation for my family I seem to recall it was very hard to get anywhere to rent or rent with the intentions to buy, but I guess it was A sort of boom time then, We used to hang out in A nice little pub down Staithves way if my memory is corect you could walk right down to the water inA couple of minutes, It was A really nice place to stay and we all had A great time there in and out of the mine A great bunch of guys,
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Post by John on Mar 27, 2012 12:15:27 GMT -5
Yes My name makes sense, I am Charlie Welsh and if my memory is right I was at you'r party with Andy Stark and Bob Lewis, as I said they were both Electricians, Bob from Wales and Andy from Kilmarnock,''up the road'' And that was the same Peter that hired me on,and that is the same John Sinclair, I remember me and him talking regards immigrating to Canada, he was going to work on A coal mine called Grande Cash I think thats how you spell itand the mine is in Alberta, I was going to work for Rio Algom in A Uranium mine in Ontario and I remember I said to Womble Hey we might bump into one another in Canada, and he agreed little did I know how far apart the two places were, That is the same Electrician that the wall came down on, I could remember the Electricians had A few wildcat walk outs, I travelled back and forward from Scotland till I could find accomodation for my family I seem to recall it was very hard to get anywhere to rent or rent with the intentions to buy, but I guess it was A sort of boom time then, We used to hang out in A nice little pub down Staithves way if my memory is corect you could walk right down to the water inA couple of minutes, It was A really nice place to stay and we all had A great time there in and out of the mine A great bunch of guys, What shift were you on Charlie, I'm damned if I can place you, the other two names I don't recognize either. Been doing my best to work out who our third electricain was on "C" shift, I covered the central ore handling district and Wets Links if it was cutting, Womble covered the South district.
With all the overtime I worked, I kept a diary of hours worked when I had been transferred from the East side to central. I seem to have misplaced the one for 1978, can't be too far away, but that was the year Lee died, I was still with my wife when that happened, wasn't much longer afterwards she left with the kids. That's when I decided to try and fulfill one of my old dreams and make a new life for myself in Oz.
I think we had a pretty industrial trouble free year in 79, we had a few strikes in 77 and 78, most of those were moral related, short staffed and having to do many hours of overtime, plus we got so sick of having breakdowns and not having the spareparts to repair machinery, both on the fitting side and our side. That's one thing Chilton straightened out, he made sure the stores were stocked with all the more common parts we needed to keep the job running.
One thing I recall vividly about John Sinclair, he had stomach problems, not his fault, but he had a fair amount of time off sick. Just before the mine went on full production, it was decided to overhaul all the machines, that would have been around mid 1975. We were told each shift would have one electrician to just cover breakdowns on each shift. It was to be around three months, and to make it fair, to split the three months up into two six week periods, I got the first six weeks on "C" shift...TBH, I have never worked so hard in my life!!! I was on the move as soon as I got U/G. I'll give Dave his due, he was C shift supervisor mining, he made sure I was not bothered during my half hour meal break.
My six weeks were nearly up and I was ready for a day shift rest!! Wasn't to be, Keith Tomlinson pulled me to one side and pleaded with me to cover the next six weeks, reason being John was to cover it if I refused. What Keith was worried about was John falling sick. I opted to cover the next six weeks as a favour to Keith. After that I was assigned to cover both the East and South East panels, the East had two sets of machines in use and a spare being maintained, the South East one set in production.
End of 76, Fred Fletcher was migrating to South Africa with his family, so I took over his job , Central and Ore Handling, that was Friday 14th Jan on Afters... And that's where I stayed until I left in 1979.
On Strikes, we went out with the fitters after the "S" grade pay scale that the shotfirers were getting. We were out for two weeks and the company dug their heels in, no way were we to get it. Then a compromise, I think mainly because of a voltage limit of 1.1Kv was in force by Dave Horner for all electricians and the Helis ran on 3.3Kv.. Management wanted foremen off shifts, Keith became Continuous miner electrical foreman and the others took up different duties. So we were left totally unsupervised on shifts.
So all shift electricians were put on the "S" grade pay scale and our voltage limit was raised to 3.3Kv... Not sure if any fitters were on "S" grade though, too long ago now..
I was also issued a stores requisition book, as was the other three central electricians and we were authorized to draw stores out of both the U/G and surface main stores, sort of unpaid chargehands.
I was pretty lucky, I always had a labourer to assist me, I made sure I looked after them with plenty of overtime too.... ;D
I enjoyed my time at Boulby, I learned a lot that helped me some years after, I applied what I'd learned when I became leading hand at Angus Place where I had several electricians under me.
All the strikes we had during the last three years I was there are in my old diaries, as soon as I locate 1978 I'll catalogue them here.
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Post by John on Mar 27, 2012 12:45:49 GMT -5
Here's some of the names I recall.
Dave Horner Electrical Engineer in Charge.
Peter Allen Electrical Superintendant.
Trevor Atkinson (A Shift Elec Foreman.) Malcolm Bell. ("B" shift Elec Foreman.) Keith Tomlinson.("C" shift Elec Foreman.) John Richards. ("D" shift Elec Foreman.)
Fred Fletcher "C" shift ore handling electrician before me. Migrated to South Africa around 1976.
Kevin Ashton. Became "C" shift electrical Foreman.
John Sinclair, "C' shift electrician.
Phil Chapman. "B" shift electrician.
John Dufty. Day shift electrician.
Norman Logan. Winding engine electrician.
Alan Winding engine electrician.
George James "B" shift electrician. He was the eldest electrician when I started at Boulby, the average age of the electricians must have been around 32, but if George was ommitted, it would have been about 28!!
Roger Williams. "B" shift electrician.
John Blower. "D" shift electrician.
Peter Luke. "B" shift electrician.
John Hobson. Day shift electrician.
Brian Marsden. Electrician.
Brian Hogg. Electrician.
John Scott. Electrician.
Rod Blackham. "B" shift electrician.
Dave ? . Day shift electrical Foreman.
Some other staff:
Harry Smith. "C" shift No1 shaft Onsetter.
Allan Perrow-Smith, Harry's son and a miner on "C" shift.
Bill Ions. "C" shift U/G mine clerk.
Tommy Hume. "C" shift maintenance assistant, Tommy was my labourer for a couple of years.
Bryan George. "C" shift maintenance assistant, young Bryan was my labourer up to the time I left for Australia.
Albert Todd. Mining Supervisor.
Peter Roberts Mining Supervisor. Now Deputy U/G production Manager.
Gerry Meades. Mining Shift Supervisor. Migrated to Australia a year before me.
John Neilson "C" shift mining supervisor. Scotsman, a bit younger than me, took over when Gerry Meades left.
Dave Grice Mining Shift Supervisor "C" shift. Left for South Africa with one of the office girls!!
Peter Woods. Chief Geologist.
Bernie Walker. "C" shift district mining supervisor. Nearly had a mental breakdown due to production pressures!
Harold Peart. "A" shift ?? district supervisor.
John Davis. "A" shift miner.
Billy "Drummer" Wilson. Vehicle maintenance assistant in the workshops. "C" shift.
Danny Thomason. Cutter driver, an ex-coalminer from South Yorkshire. "C" shift.
Mick Kilpatrick. Roofbolter driver, ex-coalminer from South Yorkshire. "C" shift.
Peter Elliot. "C" shift fitter.
Eddie Callendar. "C" shift fitter.Another name came back to me, Alan??? Dixon, he was a little local electrician, who had worked at Boulby before I started, emigrated with some mates to Australia. His mates decided they didn't like it and returned to the UK, Alan did the same and rejoined Boulby staff around 1976. He was on "C" shift, then left after a few months.Don't know how I forgot John Littleton, winder and ore handling elec foreman, he was my immediate superior when I was shafts and ore handling electrician. Another name , Jim Gardener, he was the fitters shop steward and works convener. One of the first men Frank Chilton had a go at and caused a walk out of the mechanical and electrical engineering staffs... All ended well with an apology and a change in policy for the better. I think Frank Chilton gained a lot of respect from all of us after that episode.Garry O'Hagan, Winder electrician, can't forget him....Sorry for the omission Garry!
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Post by John on Mar 27, 2012 13:27:26 GMT -5
When Dave Horner took on the Elec Engineers job for the whole Boulby complex, we had a temp mine Elec Engineer, I think his name was Ernie Gladman, he was only with us a few weeks, then Ron Mitten took the job, he was the Elec Engineer for the mine when I left. He gave me a damned good reference too.
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