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Ravenshead Newsletter 03/2022 - 11

In loving memory of Barry Parkin
Local plumbing and heating engineer who sadly passed away 27th January 2022 aged 61.
Beloved husband of Lorraine and much loved Dad of Alexandra and Gregg.
The funeral service will be held at Mansfield Crematorium on Monday 28th February at 12:15pm.
Family flowers only please. Donations if desired made payable to MPN Voice and may be
forwarded along with all enquiries to Geo Hanson & sons Funeral Directors
at13 Watnall Road, Hucknall, Notts. NG15 7LD Tel 0115 9632013

In loving memory of Peter Fox
Peter was a resident of Ravenshead for 45 years and passed away on seventh December 2021
whilst enjoying a round of golf. He succeeded his wife Joan who died in 2007.
Peter will be greatly missed by his loving sons Darren and Paul, daughters in law Abigail and Karen,
grandchildren and great grandchildren and his friend and companion Pat.

A mine of information

st
Tuesday, 1 February 2022, our Society's meeting took place worked. As under
at Blidworth Miners’ Welfare and despite some technical manager and
issues with both the venue and the speaker's equipment, a manager of
splendid time was had by all. different pits,
We welcomed several new attendees. The room, heated by Steven saw the
temporary heaters, due to boiler problems at the venue, soon success and
warmed with the congenial company we had. downfalls of the pits. He remarked on the time whilst at
Linby pit the police rushed into his office shouting “Police,
Steven Wright, our speaker for the evening, entertained us you have pickets within the pit!”, about the time after the
with his “Mining Memories” presentation. Explaining that 1980s strike the miners return to work, walking up the lane,
his time in “mining” began over 60 years ago, when he was banners flying and chanting their way back to work;
th
in the 6 form and discussing his career options. At that time
there was a Coal Board course on offer, 1 week visiting local watched on by the newly formed UDM miners. His opinion
collieries, one of which was Cotgrave. was, that at work things seemed OK between the two factions
but felt it was more difficult at home where families had been
Whilst on the course, Steven was asked if he fancied a job – divided by the dispute.
his answer, yes! A few weeks later saw Steven starting work
Pit ponies hauled the heavy equipment/coal etc to the seam
at Gedling Pit. When Steven arrived at Gedling, he found a
and back, often over many miles. Their stables were
long line of men awaiting a job interview. Entering the office, underground, and although generally well cared for, he had
he was instructed to use an office next door and when his seen and heard of cases where they were badly treated (those
superior had “interviewed” an individual – by asking them to responsible; if found, were sacked). They would be fed in
read a pre-set passage of text, that same individual would be their stables with “Chop” which was hay. Where there was
sent to Steven, who would acquire a signature/ name on a hay the mice moved in, and as the coal face was advanced, the
document. The decision on who got a job or not, was
dependant on whether or not the individual could read and ponies moved forward as well as the mice, but no rats. A
sign their name. Steven remembers that the employment line member of the audience interjected that at a pit he had
worked at they had had rats, and the method of despatching
consisted of many West Indian men who had arrived looking
them was described, “the smell of the dead rats in the
for work in England. Gedling pit was known as the United improvised traps is a smell you will never forget! – just like
Nations pit, due to the high number of West Indians, and petrol!” Steven ended by explaining that when the two weeks
other countries. Visiting Gedling Country Park there are flags pit holidays came around, this was for the ponies too! Up the
of all nations representing the working force at the pit.
pit they came onto the top for two weeks of the year
Steven began showing slides, expanding on his memories of frolicking in the sunshine. Yet another task the young Steven
the pits he had worked at and the roles he had worked in. did in his career, a doddle of a job as the pony knew exactly
However, the technical glitch that had robbed our venue of its where to go and didn't need guiding, and at the top it was a
heating system, invaded Steven's slide show, making it sight, the ponies kicking their heels up and gambolling
impossible for him to show his slides. But, no matter, as around the field.
Steven weaved pictures in our minds eye of how the coal was
After the refreshment break, the Treasurer addressed the
collected at the seam; from hand filling to continuous mining
meeting, explaining that, as the Society's finances had dipped
and then retreat mining techniques. He showed us his own (for many reasons which he outlined) a discussion on how to
pick, demonstrating how it was dismantled (mining rule at address this issue took place. To increase the membership fee
that time, could not carry a fully assembled pick and attendance fee or drop the number of speakers in a year
underground, as could fall onto it) and carried underground.
from 11 for example to 8? The meeting unanimously said
Steven spoke his role as a Shot Firer, where he used a safety they prefer to keep the number of speakers at 11 and increase
lamp to test for gas; explaining that there were differences in in membership and attendance fees was proposed:
the lamps carried by the men to those carried by membership increase to £7 and attendance to £3. It was
management. He demonstrated using his own lamp decided to propose this at our AGM with the intention to
explaining about the properties of the gas and how the test implement from April 2022. Alan Higgins