Babbington Pit

[buttons]

Was there a hot spring in the pit yard at Babbington Colliery or was it my imagination? I went there a lot during the sixties after my father died, it would be nice if anyone knew him. His name was Albert Staley, he had red hair and he was an overman when he died. He was 49 in 1961.

I know this sounds morbid but I didn't know much about his working life and I would like to. He had a picture taken in front of the 'buttons' ( hope you know what I am talking about 'cause I don't) when it was not the done thing.

Thank you for your time.

A

[John]

buttons said:

Was there a hot spring in the pit yard at Babbington Colliery or was it my imagination? I went there a lot during the sixties after my father died, it would be nice if anyone knew him. His name was Albert Staley, he had red hair and he was an overman when he died. He was 49 in 1961.

I know this sounds morbid but I didn't know much about his working life and I would like to. He had a picture taken in front of the 'buttons' ( hope you know what I am talking about 'cause I don't) when it was not the done thing.

Thank you for your time.

A

Can't help you much, but knew where Babbington was, but you've already been there.
We had a lad in our group who was at Babbington when I was an apprentice.
We referred to the stop start buttons as "Buttons" on conveyor belts, I would presume thats what your after, and the piccie was a "sneaky" underground one when no one was "looking"??
I took several underground when I worked at Angus Place Colliery in NSW. Had to "make arrangements" with the district Deputy so as he would "not see" me taking them...

[tjsw]

no you were not hallucinating
that spring was the cooling pond for the
winding engine motor on #4 shaft
was liquid starter and the electricity
near boiled it up
the water was full of soda
so the electricity could pass through it
and thats why that pond was hot
the water came in through the fountain that you must have seen