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Ex miners or interested in mining.


redial
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3 hours ago, redial said:

I know very little about coal mining but recently read a book called King Coal, which I couldn't put down.

Looking for further reading recommendations please.

Hoping to visit Big Pit next month.

 Thanks.

Our family, we, the kids, and my parents, did the Big Pit 30 years ago. Very impressive. The utter darkness and sense of isolation. 

I would have had to be paid a lot of money to do mining as a job.

 

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11 minutes ago, hawkfanz said:

another story to bring tears to your eyes,i grew up in haydock there were some bad events here as well,wood pit disater 198 killed an injured i pass the site often,

We have a road called 21 oak with 21 oak trees after 21 died.

my grandad started at 14 in the pits. 1930 ish . Imagine that . It’s got to of been scary

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i spent a couple of years doing my family history,and i feel priveliged to still be alive,i am 68 now and none of my male ancestors on my dads side ever reached this age the oldest died at 64,my dad.what a horrible place it was for these people.

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On 11/08/2018 at 10:35, redial said:

I know very little about coal mining but recently read a book called King Coal, which I couldn't put down.

Looking for further reading recommendations please.

Hoping to visit Big Pit next month.

 Thanks.

My Gt Granddad worked the Black Country mines most of his working life (mainly West Bromwich) from around 1860s to 1913, during my family research I have read many sad stories of mining disasters, and just how hard it was with long hours and the consent fear of fire, cave-in or being gassed.

The link gives some interesting reading, its a bit long but if you have a spare hour it lists lots of collieries, pay and conditions, number of deaths at each colliery etc….http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/11331/1/621436.pdf 

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The National Mining Museum is good.  I was going to Big Pit a couple of years ago, but it was closed due to industrial action (it must be a very realistic museum!) - so went to the Black Country museum instead - which is also very good and has quite a bit on mining and a simulated pit.  I have also been to a mining museum just south of Edinburgh which also has a simulated pit, but interesting surface works still there.

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Used to travel past Gresford with my Dad in the early 70s going to the swimming baths in Wrexham. The pit head gear was still standing. Terrible disaster at that pit.

 

I saw some photos/video of some enthusiasts in Standish digging out a coal tub with wheels from an abandoned pit/drift. The ultimate garden ornament!

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My Grandad helped sink the pit at Ollerton Notts. My Dad and his two brothers started work there aged 15. My Dad came out and went to work at Thoresby Park estates as his bad eyesight was being made worse by working down the pit. He went back to the pit to work on a topside job in 1954 which came with a pit house which he bought from the NCB in the late 1970's. He retired from Ollerton pit in 1985.

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