Wallaw Cinema - Bedlington

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Aaah..sorry to hear that,Keith.No doubt the inquest laid blame on him saying lack of timber in,or something like that.

When you go to the Durham mining museum's archives and records of fatalities,whatever the job the poor fella,or in some cases,very young boys,did,it

was always some "infringement of the Manager's rules",that was the blame for the accident.

I was a coalcutterman,Keith,and cutters hadn't changed from them being invented,to the ones we used right until the pits all closed under thatcher-the-hatcheter...they only got more powerful,and more vicious.

I have told everybody I ever spoke to,about coalcutters,especially young trainees who came under my wing to learn how to cut coal,that the coalcutter was the most VICIOUS machine,ever invented,grossly over-powered,and under-weighted,with the ability to throw itself around like a "Jumpy-jack" firecracker.

Three and a half tons,with a long jib full of picks similar to a giant chainsaw.

When the picks were in gear and you were cutting the face,it only took a really hard piece of stone [maybe from the roof breaking up,to be carried into

the cut,and the back of the jib,to throw the cutter out of the cut,and start it dancing around like a toy,drawing timbers out,closing the face,etc.

Frightening to see for the first time,but you got used to the dangers,and expected the unexpected,when you were cutting.

My heart goes out to your family Keith,and every other miner,whatever part of the world they live and work in,we all faced the same dangers....with very little,if any,thanks,for doing a dangerous job.[we faced mostly unjustified critisicm from most people,due to ignorance...]  

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Apologies for drifting off-topic,like I always do,that's hoo a taak...!

A can mind being in the Gaff when a was aboot three years aad!Me aadaa Sister used ti tek me and me other Sister and Aada Brother,on the

Sediti eftanoon Matinee.."Fatty and Skinny" flics,Charlie Chaplin,and cartoons.....a used ti faal asleep and get carried yem,whey,it wasn't far back ti

Storey's Buildings,doon the Willow Bridge Bank.

Bliddy hard planks an aal!

A was aalwis fascinated by the projection light beams flickering,and wondered what it was...inquisitive little mind a had even at that age....

...that's hoo aam a genius.....and that's hoo a ended up doon a black hole!

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

If anybody here went ti Lucy's in the latter years,up until it closed down,ye's wud hev knaan me big aad Marra

Bill,who was on thi door for a canny few years,even when he was still workin' at Ellington pit.

He was owa 60 years aad,and hoying drunk youngins oot,who were battling on,sumtimes one in each hand,cos he was,

and still is,strong as an ox!!

That's him on me pit photo's on Flickr,sitting at thi handles of thi coalcutter,for those of you who might have visited the site,and checked oot High Pit Wilma's photostream,of Bates's Pit.[Adam's Dad's up on thi cage wheels heedgear!]