April 17, 201610 yr Thanks Eggy! This is a great film,a cudn't leave it ti gaan and put thi kettle on! Browt back a lot of memories again. Aa was 15 yrs aad,and working on thi screens,when a had my first experience of a fatality. The fella was a real canny owld sowl,and he went in ti oil and grease aal thi shakers,and conveyor belt gearboxes,which he had done for many many years,till that fateful day. We didn't actually witness his accident,but got graphic details from those who did witness it,and it lived with me for the rest of my life. It was a case of Jimmy was cracking jokes and getting he's bait with us one minute,then when he didn't return from he's tasks,after a half-hour had passed,we were told he had been fatally injured. It was a traumatic event for a 15 yrs old kid to experience. When I got home and told my Parents ,sitting at the dinner table,my Father went daft with me,cos he hadn't wanted me to work in the pits,especially THAT pit,cos he had worked there as a 14 yr old laddie as well,in 1929. His words were,"Thi bugga's aal rough and ready,and ye'll get bliddy killed doon that bugga"...[exact quote!"] That pit didn't change right to the day they closed it in 1966!....it was STILL rough and ready....I never witnessed so many accidents at any other pit as I did at Choppington High Pit! I've still got deformed and disfigured hands and other scars yet from my six years down that hell-hole.
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