HIGH PIT WILMA

Tell you what,Canny Lass,when I went down Choppington High Pit ,as a kid,I went straight inbye,to go onto heavy transport,which was taking anything steel and heavy,such as coal-cutters,conveyor belt driveheads,pipes..[21feet long and HEAVY!!],cutter cables which were 170 yards long and about3 inches thick,girders for supporting the roadways,etc etc! There were no rails on the ground in the Mothergates,[main air intake roadways],so everything had to be trailed inbye with my pit pony,and long " Tracing chains" attached to each side of his collar with hooks on the other ends,along rough stony ground through long swalleys of deep black stinking water,up the knees and above.Lots of physical demanding lifting and carrying,which after a few months turned me from being a small skinny kid from school,to a pretty-much athletic muscular sort of lad,through sheer hard work...and still only 16 yrs old! I never did any work at the shaft bottom area,which was always considered as ..."Light Work.."!! That is...until the High Pit was about to close in 1966,and I was sent to Bedlington A pit,in 1965,[a few months before closure],as a fully experienced coal-cutterman/coal filler faceworker.! For the first few months we High Pit Lads were treated as "Strangers" ...[pit terminology meaning we weren't Bedlington men!!] SO! We were sent to all sorts of places in the pit to fill in for absentees,which saw me and my Marra's doing work at the shaft-bottom for odd spells of a few shifts. The shaft lads had the worst deal in every pit in the country,lowest paid,longest hours cos there was no travelling time..you started work the minute you stepped out of the cage and hung your bait-bag up.....and worked until the Buzzer went, on the surface ,at the very last minute of the working day!....and it was always freezing cold,summer or winter!!,with a cold blast of downcast air which ventilated the whole of the mineworkings..which was a mighty big blast of air!! Now one day,the Overman said to me "Wilma,gaan onto the kip at the High Main..[seam],and tek Jockies oot.." "O.k Alan"..and away aa went up onto the kip. The kip was only about five feet high,so I was walking along for about twenty yards,back bent,meeting single tubs flying towards me at about ten miles an hour,free-fall,after being un-hooked ..[or "loused off" from the haulage rope..],and me having to quickly reach out at arm's-length,and quickly lift the jockies [front and back of the tub],from out of the cock-holes,and lay them in an arranged pattern,around a hatch-hole,on the floor where I worked,so the dish-lad,below the level where I was, could reach up and take them two at a time,to put back into the empty [chumming] tubs to send them back inbye to be loaded with coal again. Well,as strong as I was,THIS was a different ball-game!! The first half dozen tubs went flying past with me frantically running,bent-backed desperately trying to unhook these damned jockies which was a lot harder than I expected!! I had to use my right arm stretched out full,and synchronise the speed of the tub with my effort to lift [or "Snatch"],the jockie out,then as the tub flew past,reach out quickly,with my left arm,and snatch out the jockie from the back of the tub,whilst still holding the heavy jockie in my right hand.[the actions resembled a Matador with his cape to one side of a charging bull!...picture the elegant way he turns his body......that was me.....but swearing like hell at the stupid things for being so tight to snatch oot!!] Well,after a few weeks,the muscles under my arms became more developed,and I was snatching the jockies oot like they were made of wood,and light as a feather.....but being bent-backed for a full shift, and walking back and forward to snatch jockies out of thirty-score of tubs every day,took it's toll on my spine!..[30 score=30 x 20 tubs =600 tubs every shift!] All that was apart from the number of tubs that jumped off the way,with 15 cwt of coal in them,and had to be lifted back onto the rails["the way"] using arm and shoulder-power!!...and THIS was regarded by management as ..."LIGHT WORK"...!! More like hard labour!!

Hi Peter,welcome to the site!I thought the same as you even if you were cracking on!! It could have been one of many tunnels running from Bedlington main street down to the river,that we discussed a while ago on another thread. What was the purpose of these tunnels if it weren't for those in power to flee the town,or others [in power also!] to benefit from moonlighting licquor or even drugs in the aad days when peasants were held down by the rich!....romanticing?... Old-timers I worked at the pit [Bedlington A ],with,used ti tell me aboot thi hospital for Diptheria,Typhoid,and such contagious diseases,down by the river,where Doglover describes,noo was there also a bottle factory there or aam a mixed up wi sumwheor else?..[that was back in thi '60s]

This class looks mair like aboot 1960-ish ti me.

Heh heh! Eggy,a just got notification of your reply while I was typing that list oot! Ner,aa had moosy blackish hair.....er....when a had some that is/was! Also,until a left school and became a man quickly,[doon thi big black hole!!],me orders from me Faatha were aalwis ti get me hair cut ...."Short back and sides mind!!"[quote!]. A aalwis had a parting on me left side and a Crows wing-typical aad gadgy style of cut!...aaaannnnd!....me Mutha aalwis complained aboot a few strands of aakwaad hair which aalwis refused ti lie doon,reet inside the croon of where me hair was parted.[ivry photo tekkin of me since aa was aboot three years aad show this queer little sticky-up hair!]. Nae Brylcreem in them days,Butter!![then when we got a bit better off...[!!],it was a little tin of Vaseline!] Another thing aav noticed is the relaxed dress code,cos when the school first opened,it was mandatory for school uniforms to be worn,including collar and tie...boys AND girls!...nae open shirt collar owa the coat like sum on this pic....which AA wudda preferred ti dae..[and so wud me Mutha cos she couldn't afford the uniform,really,but had ti get them oot on tick...like it or not!that's the way it was]. Apart from Ray Barrett and the Hindmarsh Bros,a divvent knaa anybody on this pic. Thanks for the thought Eggy,Nice one!

Just to try and jog a few memories of anyone who might be browsing but not posting,here is a list of those who were in my class,in the Upper Remove up to the day I left school,in 1959. Class Teacher,a short very stocky,grey close-curled haired Mr Marley..[with a tongue like acid when he got ratty...but a great teacher otherwise!] Billy Brown,Trevor Hale,Ian Campbell,Jimmy Scott,[aka "the gang"!],Eddie Hedley,Micky Lucas,Derek McGregor,Dennis Green,Bobby Cross,Len Thompson,Ted Smout,Martin Nicholson,Barry ?[wore Buddy Holly specs..],Derek Goodall,Lorna Barker,Pat Purcell,Lynne Hayes,Barbara["Babs" Thornton,Isobel Bowman,Joan Henderson,Lilian Moore,Rosemary Oliver,Hilda Storey,Elsie Hall.[Joan Hogg..a think.. but could be wrong,might be thinking of my class at the Whitley School...and of course...myself.[Norman Turner tells me that he was in my class,but I can't place him at all!] This was the first Upper Remove that was ever formed from the school opening up,therefore it was a relatively small class compared to those we had been used to at the Whitley...which was normally anywhere from 40-43 pupils!! Next is a list of all pupils who came into my classes at the Whitley School,over the years,where pupils might have been in the class and either moved away from the area after a few terms,or were moved down or up a class through re-organisation of age groups..or sadly deceased while very young. Bobby Cross,Dennis Green,Alan Wilkinson,Billy Allison,Ronnie Leyland,Brian Richmond,Eddie Simpson,Sid Short,Brian Redpath,Joe Hale,Sid Newman,Bob Palmer,Gordon Parmley,Raymond Mack,Alan Lilico,Davy Weatherit,Tommy Holmes,Davy Walker,Jimmy Nealan,Jimmy Russell,Jim Hardy,Chris Watson,Alan White,Raymond Barret,Ian Darling,Norman Taylor,Norman Furness,Ronnie Hemsley,Micky Scrowther,Jimmy Ayres,Alan Stewart,Alan Spowart,John Henderson,Bobby Bell,John Wilkinson,Jimmy Brown,Terry Foote,Martin Sharpe,Billy Williamson,Jimmy Rouse. ....and now the girls.....! Ann Ayres,Joan Holdsworth,Lorna Barker,Joan Bell,Joan Hogg,Joan Henderson,Ann Pattinson,Lynne Hayes,Doreen Dagless,Elizabeth Maize.[or May?],Pauline Short,Lilian Moore,Rosemary Oliver,Margaret Thackeray,Rita Wheallans,Natasha Patti,Linda Sanderson,Elizabeth Ellis,Anne Thompson,Barbara Thornton,Helen Treyer,Sandra Short,Joan Hartill. There are a few who have escaped my memory,so this list is not complete! In my mind's eye,I can picture a lot of who sat next to who,and in what position in the class desks they say sat in!

Sorry a didn't reply ti ya forst mail ,Eggy,but a didn't see any pic and searched though them last neet..[whey till 2-0 am this morning!!],wondering which one ye meant! No,a don't know No 10. The only ones a knew were those in my class at the Whitley...Ray Barrett,Tom and Jack Hindmarsh,and John Alexander,[my young playmate at Hollymoont Square,as well as at school. It's hard ti see the pupils cos of the angle the pic was taken,of the original pic. It beats me hoo aal my class went en-block ti Westridge,having gone through every year as a unit,even sitting next ti ya deskmate in every class,then be aal scattered aroond in different classes at Westridge!! A wish we could get a pic of the upper remove wi Mr Marley,wi me and aal me gud mates on! [1957-8-9].

Just spent over an hour replying to you Canny Lass,in the Mining topic,and didn't know it was your Birthday gone....a bit late but a belated VERY happy Birthday to you,and hope you had a great day and many more to come!!

Canny Lass, just to re-iterate,"Jockier" had nowt ti dae wi horse's,nor did the term "Horsing-up" which I used in my long-drawn-oot answer to you![that term probably did originate from the days of pit ponies,when they would have had to use a few horses in tandem to do a similar task each day.] I have just realised noo,that I mis-spelt the word "Jockie", all the way throughout my posting!![this is the correct way that it is spelt!] Lbj just awoke and started giving me those big brown eyes![walkies early tonight....it seems!]

Hi Pete! Aal the best ti ye for 2018,and ye are spot-on wi your reply to C.L. Your reply came as I was in the middle of my hour-long typing session to answer C.L. also! Were ye ivvor doon the pit Pete? Cheers!

Hi Canny Lass! In case a didn't,then a wish you a happy and healthy new year! Noo!!, a "Jockey" was a type of haulage rope clip,by which means,a pit tub,or "Sets" of tubs would be hauled along the roadways underground...usually from the loader-end of a conveyor belt,where tubs were loaded with coal,then coupled up into "Sets" of whatever number of tubs in a set was applicable to a particular pit. To try and simplify it,start at the surface. "Chummings"..[empty tubs] were sent down the pit in the cages.At the shaft bottom,the tubs were pushed out of the cage by "Fullun's" [full tubs],being pushed in. The chummings ran down into the "Dish"..[a man-made swalley,or dip,in the road],which was a collection point for the chummings,and where the "Dish-lad" had the job of "Hinging-on" [Hanging on] sets of tubs at intervals of distance between sets,sufficient to allow his Marra inbye,to " Knock-off" the sets..and send them along to the "Loader-end,to be filled,and sent outbye,by the same method. Now this where the "jockey" comes in! I have explained about these in another comment a while ago,so here we go!...If you can picture a steel bar about 2ft-6inches long,and about an inch thick..[maybe a little more...],and with a two-pronged fork on the end,the prongs being about four inches long,then that was about the size and type of Jockey that i used while doing my training after leaving school at 15 yrs old. The jockey had to be dropped into two round holes which were formed from the steel banding which held the structure of the tub together,at each end of the tub. One hole was at the top of the tub,and the other hole was at the middle-height of the tub's body.[if you see any pictures of a pit tub you will see these holes.] Noo!Because of the nature of this forum,I feel it is important to adhere strictly to facts,and pit-terminology! The holes I describe were referred to as "Cock-holes",and it was an acquired difficult skill,to drop the jockey's,[which were canny heavy for a 15 yr old kid to hoy aroond!],into the holes,and quickly grab the MOVING! steel wired haulage rope,and press it into the fork,which grabbed instantly and jerked a stationary set of tubs into action,at a speed of aboot four miles an hour....doesn't seem fast....walking pace.....but it is really fast when you are standing directly in front of the set,and have to jump back like a cat as the set pulls away!![no H&S in those days!!] Now there were different designs and types of jockey's ,some had a swivelling fork-head,which could be awkward to get the rope into,and which were a lot heavier than the ones I have described. I can only suggest that the answer to your question,Canny Lass,was that in those days,when mechanisation,including rope haulages replaced pit ponies,the lad who we called the "Dish Lad",or his marra,up on the "Kip"[who removed the jockeys and sent them back down below him for the Dish-lad],were called "Jockey'ers". Does all that mek any sense ,Canny Lass?,sum things in pitwark were hard ti describe withoot ye actually being shown physically!! Aal these scum young'uns who create havoc on our streets,would just wanna get their dinner and have a sit doon at yem,if they had ti dae the job eight hours a day,after just leaving the comfort of their school desks....I can assure you!! Sets of tubs at Choppington High Pit were hung on in three'ses,20 yards apart,same at the High Main seam,at Bedlington A pit..,but down in the Harvey East plane,["Engine Plane"=Haulage roadway],my older Brother started in 1956,[15 yrs old],and he worked in the Dish,for a few years,and he had to hang sets on with 20 tubs [a "score"],in each set,only he used "Hambones"[another tutorial there!].He used to tell me stories about "Horsing" up to Forty-Score [800 tubs!!],all coupled together,and hung onto the powerful haulage rope,to take them to the shaft bottom area,ready for the next shift.That haulage road was about two miles long,stretching from the shaft-bottom area to the loader-end inbye. THAT was a sight I never saw or heard of even,at the other pits where I worked....an incredible feat for a rope hauler to perform!! I hope I have enlightened you even a wee bit,Canny Lass,if only to encourage you to further search for info and pictures of these methods of rope-haulage systems underground! Cheers!

......Late as usual!!!....HAPPY NEW YEAR CANNY LASS.....AND TO ALL !! Hope 2018 treats us all very well!! My resolution???????????????.....dinna even think aboot worrying aboot thi day....an' let thi morn luk efta itse'll...!!!!! AAL THI BEST!

Thanks for that info,James,I played down the free woods and in the river,from age 5 yrs ,Circa 1949-ISH....and when I grew too old for "playing",went down frequently for walks with my family/friends/etc...later on in recent years with my Little Black Jess.[Lab x].Noo for years,from being a wee kid in short pants,we aal referred to the stretch of woods on the Humford Baths side,from the steppy-stones up-owa,ti thi controversial dam[!],as "The Piper" woods.We smaa kids aalwis thowt that thi woods were so-named 'cos of the two huge pipes that spanned the river next ti thi dam.Ah weel.....!....ignorance is bliss!!The woods that lead ti thi left of the bridge,on thi Bedltn side of the waata,as yi tek the bend,where the tunnel entrances are,we aal caaled the "Battery".We nivvor thowt aboot it,it was just a nyem,but noo that we are on thi subject,wud it have been caaled that 'cos of an WW2 Artillery battery station being there at the wood-head? ,[what used ti be a bandstand],where the Salvation Army Brass Band used to give recitals on a Sunday mornings?

With regard to my last post regarding the sad loss of Brian Besford,may I take this opportunity to correct the date of the accident. It was on Friday , the 24th of November,and obviously this was a serious error on my part. I sincerely apologise for any distress or confusion this may have caused to anyone,especially Brian's Family. Bill.

Merry Christmas Brian,and hope ye hae a guid new yeor!

Friday 24th of December brought the tragic loss by road accident,of one of our old members,who went by the name of "The Lone Ranger". He was a very good old pit Marra,going back to my very first day underground at the Choppington B pit,[the "High Pit"]. Brian Besford was his name,and since we hadn't seen each other since Bates Pit closed,in 1986,it appeared that he couldn't remember me,when we posted comments in earlier topics such as the Mining pages. My condolences and thoughts go out to his Family and close friends,he was a reet canny lad. R.I.P. Brian Besford. Bill.

Geordie Burt in the front smiling away as usual! A reet canny fella,when I was in charge as a Deputy, he would dae owt that ye asked willingly. Nae relation ti Derek Burt in thi pic further up.

Gud ti hear that Andy!!

A went owa ti North Seaton a few days ago,ti gaa ti the "PlumbCentre,[beside Frank's Carpet warehoose],and tha was a notice in thi windae saying closed doon! So a nosed aroond the units,and found "FLAME",opposite Cavendish Kitchens. It's run by a lad caaled Gary,and even though a wasn't buying owt,a just wanted sum info,he was real pleasant and sociable,and gave me the time of day wi sum gud advice,even though he's phone was ringing,he let me finish wat aa was asking him. Aal be gaan ti him when a need any plumbing bits and bobs...as ye dae...! Well recommended! Noo,just this afternoon,a went ti Swarland Motor Parts,doon Glebe Road,up from Leanne Todd's Barber shop,ti collect a parcel delivery by UPS,[an online click and collect order]. Alan,who runs it,was exactly the same as Gary at "FLAME",and Leanne,the barbaress!!! Top marks for these guys,they knaa who ti treat people,like they were thier only customers....that's a dying oot skill nooadays!!! A like ti gie credit where it's due!

Naa!!...if it was HPW,ya ginger snaps wud just be crumbs on the floor!!...LBJ has a nose like Concord!!