Did my induction and first visit down Hatfield Pit yesterday! Enjoyed it. The guys working down there every day are a different breed! Incredible. And the banter between everybody is fantastic. Like a big family. For any of you ex miners you would have had a laugh watching me trying to jump off the man riding conveyor on the way out!
Man riding conveyors, memories, First shift down Houghton Main, just about to get off on the platform and somehow got my foot stuck under the platform. I just carried on through the safety gate and thankfully it worked. The belt stopped just yards short of going down a metal tube that delivered onto the belt below. Luck escape with just bumps and bruise.
Man-riders were good but non man-riders were like summàt from Alton Towers......."Keep yer heeyad darn lad in case owts collapsed n watch art fot managers", "But ar du a gerroff?", "Jump when ar seh nar"!!!!!
Did a lot of work down Hatfield on safety on conveyors. The coal comes out via a main roadway that is in a seam cut off from general access. The brick workshop come office has been deserted for years. It was an eerie place. It was just as though some one had shouted get out quick there is a bomb about to go off. I went inside and there were newspapers and log books etc all covered in about 1inch of dust. I picked this paper up, which was just like new, and the sports headline was Johnny Conteh fighting for World championship. How old was that ???
LISTEN UP Hatfield Colliery........or any other deep mine.........my advice would be - not to go there in the first place - but if you are there now, then leave at the first opportunity. No matter how good the banter is. Deep mines are for numpties that know nowt better............believe me, I was one of those nupties that has lived to regret it the rest of my life.
Coal mining gave me a good living as an Engineer. Worked at All the mines. I agree now looking back. Some good strong young men reduced to old men quickly and ridden with disease of lungs. If they ever wanted experience to open the mines back up I would tell them to shove it. Been their, done that.
I don't work full time in the mines. I work for a company that provides servicing to electrical equipment in them and on oil rigs so just now and then. But thanks for the heads up!
