Bates Colliery - Blyth

[Duncan E Henderson]

Hi This is my father he was a overman down the 3/4drift tally number 453 ..locker row 4 bottom ..All ways seen him on the Golden mile before going down the pit .

I worked with him had the locker above him . All ways looked after the lads that worked for him ..

Great fellow everytime I when to see him at home he give me a job to do then watched me do it .Once an Overman all ways an Overman ..Dad xx

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Hi Duncan,welcome to this excellent forum!

If you are talking about Ju-Jitzu Geordie,then you have come to the right place!

I was transferred to Bates pit in 1971,from Bedlington A pit,when it closed,and the Manager Mr Fenwick,[an old friendly fella who was my Manager at Choppington High Pit,in 1959],asked me and Alan Dixon to go onto the next Deputy's course,which we did.

We were both sent to Bates,and Alan was posted up in the Plessey seam,while I was posted to the Beaumont seam.

As time went by,plans were laid out to drift down to the 3/4 seam.

My first impressions of Geordie,[he was also a Deputy ],was that he was a cocky bugger,always laughing and carrying on,but sometimes a wee bit sarcastic to us two young Deputies...we were still green,dinna forget...I was only 27 yrs old.

Anyway,after 7 years, Alan and me both packed Deputy work in,and Alan went to Ellington,and got set straight on back in the NUM.

Aa waanted ti stay at Bates,and Mr Hindmarsh,and both the NUM,and NACOS,agreed that I could be accepted back into the NUM at Bates..previously unheard of!

Aa went onti Composite work doon thi drift,and by then,aroond 1978-ish,maybe a wee bit later,Geordie became Owaman in charge of me and me Marra's,as we won oot aal the new roadways and coalfaces.

Geordie was the fairest guy you could meet,if ye worked doon theor,then ye shud knaa thi score aboot yardages,and paypoints....nae botha if ye dinna knaa.

When ye settle a bargain wi thi Manager,we'll say 20 yards a week advance,from the start of the bargain..or Cyevil,that is ya starting point for bonus.

Ye got paid for ivry increment of a yard after that.

Noo let's say we got 25 yards advance one week,a gud week,cos the belts were gannin aal shift,and nae delays,like the juice being off or a bust cable.

We wud ask Geordie ti just book 23 yards in for us,and keep two yards back,in case we had a bad start the following week.

The next week might be disastrous..bust cable, waata teeming in,bad stone,slaa progress,ownly 18 yards advance,Geordie wud book 20 yards in,[which included the two yards we held back the week before],and that,at least paid us,we didn't loss owt.

If we were working for wor summer holiday pay for the following week,and even if we had 22 yards advance,we naturally waanted a gud pay for wa holidays,so we wud ask Geordie ti haad the tape back,[his 50-yard cloth tape measure],and put us a couple of extra yards in,on paper,ti pay  us weel!!

Not strictly allowed!..but Geordie trusted us,as we trusted him,and he knew that after the hols were owa,we wud give him the two yards back,even if we put wasell's "in debt",[paid wasell's short],but which we knew we wud mek up thi following week.

We got on really weel wi Geordie,and he was weel-liked,but he wadn't knaa hoo much at the time,cos as ye knaa ,we pitman were witty sods,and ye had ti stand on ya aan two feet or be trodden on!!

Aa got on really weel wi Flo,when she worked at the Garage aroond the Haaf-Moon....many moons ago!!

Aye,Geordie helped us oot that many times,we had a lot ti thank him for!

Cheers Duncan!...ye just crossed swords wi Bill thi gud taaka...and if Geordie was here noo,he'd be saying.."that bugga's toungue nivvor stops..."!!

A canna mind ye being doon the drift,Duncan,or did ye hae a daft nickname like mine...."Wilma"![or HPW..to you,my friend!]

Edited December 10, 2019 by HIGH PIT WILMA
Spelling correction

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Duncan,I had just come to this page after switching my laptop on,and after posting the light-hearted bantering comment above,went looking for the photo you seemed to be referring to,in your comment above.

So I went back one page,and saw the photo's of Geordie,and the comment by Alan Edgar,informing us here on the forum,of George's passing.

After reminiscing about him,then seeing this sad news,brought me down,and all I can say is I am sorry for you and your family,and if Florence is still with us,then please pass my condolences to her.

I will private message you if I can Duncan.

R.I.P. Ju-Jitzu Geordie ,a smashing fella.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

@HIGH PIT WILMA - Bill unfortunately another deputy you may have known no longer around. Posted on the Blyth Remembered Facebook group was this message :-

 

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

Photo from Bob Simmons - don't know what year but according to  Ronnie Mordue on the Bates  Colliery Facebook group :- 

 

Ronnie Mordue That stretch of the pit road flooded regularly.It still does,thought they would have improved the drainage or something before they built those new rabbit hutches.
Bet the buyers weren’t aware of the flood risk.

[James]

Bates Colliery behind the offices around the wash plant area taken late 1950's

Edited June 26, 2020 by James
missed out date of photo

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

@HIGH PIT WILMA - photo, + 2 names, posted by Bob Simmons on the 'Blyth Remembered and Memories' Facebook group.

 

Edited November 17, 2020 by Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Hi Alan,aav seen this photo,a knaa a few of the lads faces,but just canna bring tha nyems ti mind!!...it's frustrating...aad age!! 

Thanks for notifying me Al. 

Hope ye are keeping aalreet!

Cheers!

Bill.

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Alan,after signing off,a just caught the post above with Eddie Oliver's Photo.

A first met Eddie in 1971 when a went on to Deputy -Work at Bates.

Eddie was part of a face team on 84's Coalface at the Beaumont Seam.

From day one,we got on weel with one another,considering that I was posted on the Face just as the Overtime Ban was coming into force prior to the 1972 Miner's Strike..and a lot of the men had their hooks into the Deputies.

When the face teams became awkward to work with,and kept stopping coalwork deliberately,to strengthen the point that they could win the strike,Eddie was one of only a few who remained really pleasant to work with .

 As time went by,and I went back onto the N.U.M.,Eddie went onto Deputy Work,then HE was in charge of me sometimes..a complete role-reversal!!

I cannot find a single wrong word to say about Eddie, a lovely Smiley,gud-natured fella,and I will say this to Bethany ,you were blessed to have had such a lovely  Grandad.

He was a pleasure to work with.

R.I.P. Eddie Oliver. 

Bill.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

1 hour ago, HIGH PIT WILMA said:

Hi Alan,aav seen this photo,a knaa a few of the lads faces,but just canna bring tha nyems ti mind!!...it's frustrating...aad age!! 

Thanks for notifying me Al. 

Hope ye are keeping aalreet!

Cheers!

Bill.

Canna complain Bill - thers more in a warse state than me.

Alan

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

16 hours ago, HIGH PIT WILMA said:

......,a knaa a few of the lads faces,but just canna bring tha nyems ti mind!!...it's frustrating...aad age!! 

 

@HIGH PIT WILMA - some names from Frank Keenlyside - David Vacher & Bob Boyd (Friends Of Bates Colliery Facebook group)

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

8 hours ago, Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) said:

@HIGH PIT WILMA - some names from Frank Keenlyside - David Vacher & Bob Boyd (Friends Of Bates Colliery Facebook group)

Malcolm Mckenna - Friends of Bates Colliery commented :-

 

'No 5 - Stan Wilson ???? But don't hold me in that'

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

Terry Clark

Think no1was David Scott lived in park drive

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

@HIGH PIT WILMA - photo posted, with 6 names, on the Blyth Remembered Facebook group by Deborah Moody Dinsley on behalf of No 7 Lol Riley.

I posted the photo, with names, on the Friends of Bates Colliery group -  Tony Oates and Bob Boyd have named the 4. They also commented

Tony Oates

1 Michael Thompson sadly passed away last year

 

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

15 minutes ago, Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) said:

@HIGH PIT WILMA - photo posted, with 6 names, on the Blyth Remembered Facebook group by Deborah Moody Dinsley on behalf of No 7 Lol Riley.

I posted the photo, with names, on the Friends of Bates Colliery group -  Tony Oates and Bob Boyd have named the 4. They also commented

Tony Oates

1 Michael Thompson sadly passed away last year

 

Update from Bob Boyd - No 8 not David Sanderson - it's  Bobby Foster -  Nah she's mistaken I went through 3/4 to Brass thill to Westoe with Bob.

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Hi Alan,thanks for the notification,Bob Boyd  is absoloutely spot on! When I was a Deputy/Face/Seam overman [ on relief ] ,at Bates Pit,I worked with all of these lads except Nicky,and John.Jack Cane was the only old school Deputy of longstanding,he was a Deputy at Bedlington Aad Pit,many years before ever gaan ti Bates!

All the others on the pic went onto Deputy /Overman  work after I was a Deputy there.Alan Taylor ,Old George Harrison,[sadly Deceased R.I.P. Geordie],and Myself,were the pioneers of driving the new 3/4 Drift down to reach the 3/4 R Seam.We opened up the two main roadways in the most atrocious wet conditions,so bad,that when some men from the dry Plessey Seam were deployed to go down the Drift,they told the Overman to stick a rest day in for them,cos no way were they going to go down that wet cold hell-hole!!..and they would go back outbye and back to bank,away home!

If Alan can remember,he would bear me out on that one!!..it sure was the most depressing place to be any time of day,but especially at  12-0 midnight on a Sunday night [Foreshift].  

You just need to study this pic,to see who worked where!! Start with Jacky Cane [Plessey Deputy],not a bit o clarts nae where,even he's kneepads are polished!then look at Alan,Eddie,Davy,Lol,Micky...sad to hear of Mick's passing,he was a smashing natured lad,as were most of these lads on here.

R.I.P. MICK.THOMPSON 

 

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

6 hours ago, Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) said:

Update from Bob Boyd - No 8 not David Sanderson - it's  Bobby Foster -  Nah she's mistaken I went through 3/4 to Brass thill to Westoe with Bob.

@HIGH PIT WILMA - a member on the Blyth facebook group, Deborah Moody Dinsley, reckons No 6 is Alan Moody. What do you think for No 6 - Andy Sanderson or Alan Moody?

 

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

 Definitly Andy Sanderson, Alan, he went onto Deputy work after aa came back into thi NUM.. and he was wor Deputy when we were winning oot new coalfaces. It wasn't his job, but after he  fired wa coal doon, he used ti hoy he's jacket off, pick a big fillers shuul up and start filling wa coal off onti thi conveyor belt. He was a hell of a coalfiller! When thi pit closed, he used to run his Wife's Wool Stall  in Blyth old Market, in thi days when thi Market was choc ablock!! Wor lass really liked Andy, cos he was that quiet and sociable, but she used ti say Billy, wa in a hurry, divvent taak ti naebody, or thi Market will be closed afore we get aroond! Those were the days when Blyth was full everywhere wi shoppers! Aye, unmistakeable, Andy!! Cheers Bill. 

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

10 minutes ago, HIGH PIT WILMA said:

 Definitly Andy Sanderson, Alan, he went onto Deputy work after aa came back into thi NUM.. and he was wor Deputy when we were winning oot new coalfaces. It wasn't his job, but after he  fired wa coal doon, he used ti hoy he's jacket off, pick a big fillers shuul up and start filling wa coal off onti thi conveyor belt. He was a hell of a coalfiller! When thi pit closed, he used to run his Wife's Wool Stall  in Blyth old Market, in thi days when thi Market was choc ablock!! Wor lass really liked Andy, cos he was that quiet and sociable, but she used ti say Billy, wa in a hurry, divvent taak ti naebody, or thi Market will be closed afore we get aroond! Those were the days when Blyth was full everywhere wi shoppers! Aye, unmistakeable, Andy!! Cheers Bill. 

Cheers Bill👍

[greenbeans]

On 09/04/2019 at 20:03, Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) said:

Another one to try and identify those in the photo @HIGH PIT WILMA.

The photo was posted by Leslie George an No 1 identified as Eddie Appleby.

No 5 is Alan Luke and No 6 is Kenny Harrison, I also transferred from the Eccles to Bates with these two in 1980.  

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

On 23/11/2022 at 15:27, greenbeans said:

No 5 is Alan Luke and No 6 is Kenny Harrison, I also transferred from the Eccles to Bates with these two in 1980.  

Cheers @greenbeans - names updated.

You may have already seen it but this is a direct link to the the Bates album that was created in the 'Places Gallery' with the photos and info from @HIGH PIT WILMA :- 

 

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

On 19/11/2020 at 14:20, Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) said:

Terry Clark

Think no1was David Scott lived in park drive

 

@HIGH PIT WILMA -update to the names for numbers 1 & 5 from Barry Douds - Davey Walker - Les Welsh - Kevin Barnfather & Malcolm Mckenna members of the 'Friends of Bates Colliery' Facebook group :-

 

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

Before your time @HIGH PIT WILMA bur might have been a couple still there when you were there

The phot and info were posted on the 'Friends of Bates Colliery' Facebook group by Eric Thompson :-

 

[SouthernGeordie]

I've found this photo from around 1975, it's some of the surface workers at Bates, I've sent a copy to @HIGH PIT WILMA maybe able to identify some and bring back a few memories.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

1 hour ago, SouthernGeordie said:

I've found this photo from around 1975, it's some of the surface workers at Bates, I've sent a copy to @HIGH PIT WILMA maybe able to identify some and bring back a few memories.

I have seen the photo before  - yours is in a better state -it had been posted on the Facebook group - Friends of Bates Colliery - by Stephen Tosney on the 7th Feb 2019 but it did have a bit of damage to it . We attempted to repair and got the names from HPW and the members of the Facebook group.

This is the photo with the names :-