HIGH PIT WILMA

If no 5 is Jackie Hindmarsh,and it looks like him,then his twin brother was called Tommy,from Millfield,but the number nine doesn't resemble my memory of Tom. They were both in my class at the Whitley,and I grew up,played down the woods etc,and eventually,Jackie delivered all the building materials for the National Coal Board,to all the Colliery hooses in the Bedlington/Ashington area,for donkeys years!....including to my first hoose at West Terrace,Stakeford. Reet canny lads,both of them!

Doesn't seem any other reason to mine these tunnels in what would have been torturous conditions,with very poor ventilation,and I am very experienced on that issue,thinking about what it was like in some of the pits I worked in.These miners would most likely have been the Monks,who were among the first to mine coal for the fires of their monasteries...they didn't know when they were tired!! They would natch away all day with a crude pick,straight off the solid,no explosives...for a pail or two of coal!! But remember,these tunnels are not in coal seams,they are what is correctly termed as "Cross-measure Drifts",meaning they are driven at an angle,either incline or anti-cline,through differing types of strata,so they would originally encounter pretty soft clay,then progressively hard sandstone,shale,maybe thin coal seams,more sandstone,more shale,["Blue" to us miners],and so on. Roof water would also have been a problem in places,especially as they got down to the river level,you just need to walk down there and see all the springs oozing out of the exposed strata on the riverbank sides. We had it rough in the pits,but I wouldn't have liked to have been on those tunneling projects! There were about 40 bell-pits mined by the Monks of old,at Nedderton Village,on both sides of the mound after you pass through the main village street,where the "new" estates were built upon. There were a lot of old workings in the seams,very shallow,about 20 feet down,where Bower Grange is built,where primitive picks and shovels and other bits of gear were found,left abandoned by the Monks of old,so that's how I base my assumptions as to who might have dug these tunnels out. There's no doubt in my mind that secrecy was a prime factor! Also,nothing comes free,so where did the funding for these long term projects come from?,somebody had to pay for materials,ventilation was most likely to have been provided like old-fashioned coal-mining,that is.....erecting a centre hanging "Brattice cloth",all the way,with a fire at the entrance,drawing air out of one section,which in turn,pulled fresh air [ excruciatingly poor!!!],down the other side of the brattice......can you picture it?[this is how we had to clear any quantities of Methane or Blackdamp,even in relatively modern times,until an auxiliary fan could be brought in.] Aye,methinks the only people with real money were the religious fraternity,Bishop of Durham owned Northumberland,did he not?,please correct me if I am wrong on any points here!!!! Er!!,upon proof-reading,it looks like I am saying we used the fire system in more modern times!!!,definitely not!,it was the brattice cloth we used to use,and when it was wet,you couldn't lift the sod![and it stunk wi mould!]

Hi Pauline,hope you keep your quest going,and find some more interesting info on the tunnels,aam fascinated also,but owa bliddy stiff and owld noo ti be scratching aroond like a used ti,when a was doon thi pits!

Naa Eggy,thanks for the suggestion,but aam a one-finger typer,and a proof-read everything a write,naa,tha's definitely a glitch either wi thi site,or wi my laptop,but if Canny Lass has had similar problems,it rules oot my lappie..methinks! Nae big deal,it's worse when ye tek an 'oor ti write a story,and loss it cos it'll not save and post it!!

Theor it gaans again.....font-change withoot my permission!!.......technology!!!!!.....and a was just praising it afore!!.......aa divvent knaa....!

Hi Brian,and welcome to the forum,which,if you browse aroond a bit,ye'll find sum interresant bits o' history,especially if ye happen ti cotton onti the Bower family topic,seeing as ,....your Brother Billy....[? hope aam reet heor!],used ti knock aroond wi young Jimmy Bower,and me being Jimmy's marra,also used ti hang aroond wi thi two of them.!! Noo isn't it queer hoo time gaans by,and ye wud nivvor hev dreamt that sum day ye wud hook up wi folks from thi past through technology!! Billy Turnbull was a reet canny lad,and a can picture his face as a 14 year aad yungun' even noo. A hope welshconnect comes on and finds this topic....that's Jim!! Can ye remember the tunnel at thi side o' the keep,Brian?

Just aboot ti switch off,and noticed the bold text....not my daeing....!! ..wat's gaaning on?!

Hi folks,aav just seen family back off ti London,weshed me dishes and had LBJ oot for waakies,so aam buggaad,a need summick ti eat,and pile sum zzzzzzzzz's up n thi bed-shed,so aal hae ti pick anutha neet ti update/educate you's on thi finer points of [A]Baits. and S...-fleas! Believe me,I have had plenty experiences on both counts,and not only fleas,but other intriguing insects as weel,not normally found in coal-mines!! Another night beckons!

A forgot,when a was a kid,living in Hollymount Square,in the 1950's,a used ti play in Hollymount Hall,after it was vacated. For a lang time,the aad-fashioned wood shutters used ti bang open and shut wi thi wind,and on nights in the winter,when the moon was full,and lighting my bedroom up,my older Brother used ti scare thi hell oot o' me by taaking aboot Ghouls,and Vampires,and aal sorts of ghostly stuff! But in daylight it was a fascinating playgrund,wi loads of rooms,passages,and cellars below grund,where the aader lads sed that the owners would keep people doon there chained up and starved like skeletons!!.....they were in fact,the obligatory rich mans wine cellars! Noo we nivvor saw any tunnels in there,but they cud hev been bricked up by sum soor-fyessed bugga who didn't waant kids..."getting hurt".....![it was the favourite sentence used by aad-timers if they saw ye climbing a tree owa thi park or shinnin up a lamp-post!!...yi knaa....laddie's stuff!]

Hi Pauline! Tunnels are very intriguing! one of the old Hall tunnel entrances was at the side,was very low,about 3ft high,if I remember correctly,and typical scrolled cathedral arched lintels..nicely carved out of sandstone,and weathered to hell,which, seeing as it was a few hundred years old,you would expect it to be. If you walk down Bedlington bank,go into the picnic field [Attlee Park],then walk left and under the river bridge,going downstream,about 70 yards along,on the bank sides,you will see the entrances to tunnels on each side of the river,with nice stone arches. Now a lot of years ago,flat-bottomed barges used to travel up the river carrying all-sorts of goods,cos the river was a lot deeper than it is now. There was a set of differences between us lot as to the origin of the tunnels,and King John's stay overnight at the old hall. It makes no difference ,cos none of us were there,and we only go off what we have been learn't by other people in life! You wouldn't be the canny young lass who met my Wife and me down the Furnace Bank,one day,and who expressed an intense interest in tunnels........would you? We met at a later date,same place,and this nice lass and her partner/Husband/Friend?....had been exploring the tunnel entrance......not you?...!!!! Gud luk wi ya search Pauline,hope ye find things oot,and let us aal knaa!![aa like ti think smugglers used the tunnels ti get the bootleg whisky and tabs up ti thi Vicarage for the monks!!] Vic,that's the best pun aav cum across for yonks!! Gie the Boss me luv and hope ya aal keeping weel!

Thanks Sym! Each time I try that in word,it asks for my product key number,which I don't know how to find,then it tells me I have only 25 attempts at this....blaa blaa...! Webbtrekker,that is a mighty fine likeness of the real thing,even doon ti thi rivets aroond the top of thi Glennie,and the switch on thi side of his caplamp,wat switches atween ya spotleet,and ya taaky - leet!![a smaller powered bulb,more sociable when you were taaking ti ya Marra's at bait-times...you didn't blind them!] Note the "Bean-can" [as we called it!],on his belt. "Self-Rescuer" to be correct. It was a life-saver in the event of a fire or explosion underground. They were made by Draeger-Normalair,of which the local factory is on the Bebside industrial estate,as you go up the slip-road ti the Bebside roundabout,on the left. For those who are unfamiliar with this device,I will try and describe it and it's correct use....briefly,if I can!!!!! Upon becoming aware of a fire or explosion on the OUTBYE side of you,i.e. with contaminated air being brought into where you were working,with a risk of breathing CO..[Carbon Monoxide-"Afterdamp"],[which I just recently covered],you would quickly assess the risks with your nose!! You wouldn't wait for an Official,such as the Deputy or Overman,to TELL you to put your bean-can on,you would do it with no hesitation...seconds count when you are dealing with CO!! BUT,you would NOT,I repeat NOT,REMOVE THE RESCUER FROM YOUR FACE,UNTIL AN OFFICIAL INSTRUCTED YOU THAT IT WAS SAFE TO DO SO! When in use,the canister containing Carbon Granules,and other minerals,converts CO into "breatheable amounts" of CO2..[Carbon Dioxide],which is not poisonous like CO,[Carbon Monoxide,]and so renders the atmosphere to a safe level for life to survive,providing the wearer can reach a supply of fresh air very quickly,as the rescuer only operates for about one hour,and becomes unbearably hot while being worn. It is a natural reaction to want to remove the mask,due to the heat,and the difficulty in pulling bad smoky air through it,because you can hardly breathe when under a stressful situation,and trying to hurry when underground,travelling through deep water,slipping and sliding over rough stony wet ground,is very difficult....even in a good supply of cleanish air.[never mind in a situation like this!] So that's why the rule was brought in,[under mining "Rules and Regulations"],about waiting to be instructed when to remove your mask. The mask was removed from the canister by pulling up on a metal "safety " strap,which held the two halves of the canister together,with the mask safely packed inside. If,somehow,this strap got broken off or damaged in any way,you had to report it to the lamp-cabin man,to ensure you had a fresh one for your next shift. Think!!,if you carelessly forgot,and threw it back into it's docket,then put it back on next day...........then it is needed in an emergency.......you've had it mate!! Chemical reaction takes place the minute it is exposed to the atmosphere,so if the canister is damaged ,or the strap gets broken off,it takes about an hour,then it is useless! Mind,they were the most-cussed device ever used by any miners working in very low seams!![in safe environments!] They got caught on every single obstruction there was ,while crawling down a coal-face...timber props,hydraulic hoses [of which there were hundreds!],electric cables.......big stones...where there had been a roof fall and it was very narrow,or low,to travel through.....you would hear your marra's cursing!!...bliddy bean-cans!!! When worn on the face,they were similar to war-time gas masks,without the freaky eye-holes!!...a clip over your nose to prevent contaminated air reaching your lungs by that route,and a hard mouth-piece which you "bit" on with a rubber gasket enclosing your mouth and cheeks,to seal it also. Then any air you breathed in,entered through the canister of Carbon Granules,and if I am not mistaken,[maybe I am!],the canister also had Aluminium Oxide crystals..[or granules....whatever!] Hope I have painted a decent enough picture of how the "Bean-can"..."Self-Rescuer" saved lives in the event of the aftermath of a fire or explosion. Not only Miners had these devices,anybody who might be exposed to CO ,such as firemen etc,would have these along with the equipment they would normally use. Might I add that the bean-can was useless in any other gaseous atmosphere,such as H2S [Hydrogen Sulphide-"Stinkdamp"...deadly poisonous!],or CO2,[Carbon Dioxide......"Blackdamp"...not poisonous...but asphyxiating as I already explained earlier]. Well,time to pile a few zzzzzzzzz's up again! G'nite folks!

Great pics Webbtrekker!....they were taken of me when aa was ownly 35 yeors aad!!....wi thi original six-pack! Thanks folks for your kind comments. My posts,as you all know,are straight from my brain to my screen,with no thinking about it,I type as I think,from experience,training,and memory. All the above info,was ingrained to me as a young Deputy in 1971-1978,and of course gleaned over a number of years following on. I never refer to any books,it's all up here[points ti me heed!],and yet a canna remember what a did yistidi! A spent nearly an hour typing in a post following the last one,late last night,and it wouldn't save,and I lost the whole lot! Nearly gave up ,but had second thoughts!!

Heh heh! Great memories abound!...when I got married my Selmer Thunderbird,and Watkins Dominator MK1 [blue/creamy beige..triangular shaped] stood in our bedroom unused for a while,as I had no guitar,[except my trusty old plywood Rossetti Lucky Seven..!!],so L]like an idiot we all were,I sold the Thunderbird to a friend of a friend who used it for his electric piano/organ..in the band he was playing in.The amp was absoloutly immaculate! Like a bigger idiot than the rest of you put together!,I swapped my Watkins Dominator,[also gorgeous and as new],for a BSA Airsporter air rifle,at the "Trade-in Store" [which was around from Ken's Autoparts,near the Plessey Road queer junction.] The guy in the store aalwis came oot wi thi same aad crack......"Whey,tha's nae demand for them,it'll probably hang up there for a lang time and aal get nowt for it...." Mind,that was in aroond 1967/8 ish,and aav still got the air rifle,which are pretty rare noo!!....but a wish a had me Dommie,and me Thunderbird back!! It tuk a lot of years saving up inti aad -age retirement,but a finally got me Burns Black Bison 1964 re-issue,Burns Marvin 40th Anniversary limited edition,and Burns Apache,limited edition..[i.e.First limited edition of all the following.......limited editions....!!] They all say Chinese crap,about guitars, but aal tell ye wat,from day one,me Fender Strat 1978/9 Antigua -burst Special edition,[Los Angeles produced] never sounded right,producing unpleasant overtones on the bottom strings,the paintwork bubbled up in places,slight,but visible,and the black dye from the Fender strap migrated into the area of the bottom button,staining the grey paint into a purple -ish shade. Other than these niggles,the guitar is in great condition,never having been gigged,as all my axes are for home use only. Me Burns Apache is the most beautiful looking,sounding,playing .....guitar that I have ever seen or played over the last 50 years....and it was made in China,or should I say the components were,then they were assembled in the U.K. It's down to taste,but if you haven't seen or played one,then you don't know what you are missing!![of course you wouldn't want one if you are a finger-picker...... but Knofler, or Ry Cooder ...or the likes of them,might!! The quality of the finish,and attention to detail is absoloutely stunning. My Vox AC 30 1980-ish is still as it was when it left the showroom,a museum piece,if only the output would remain stable! Common fault with them,it was the period when Rose-Morris took over the Vox company and started sending out completely un-tested amps,due to an unexpected surge in demand following the re-union "Shadows 20 Golden Greats" tour. It took five amps over a period of four years,for the new Vox company to supply me one that worked.....but not for long!!....that one started developing faults also. It's o.k for a while,then just hums and dies!!....could be five minutes...or five hours....but it'll die!![switch off....then on....o.k again till the next time!!! Rubbish capacitors and no E.Q across all four EL84's,causes saturation and cuts out the output from that stage. But aav lived with it for forty-odd years!! Aav got the Selmer and Bell Music catalogues from 1961-3 and 1970-ish respectively,in mint condition,and they are interesting to browse through! Fender Strat [red or sunburst....only two choices!]...128 guineas!!...a fortune to us young lads who were paid nowt in them days! Ye can waak inti a guitar shop noo,and get a Strat for 300-odd quid!....mine was 336 quid at Jeavons in thi toon,in 1978-ish! Selmer Thunderbird 30-watts Reverb.....127 guineas![another fortune!] Futurama 3 [3-pickups],52 guineas.....it was always guineas....to click a shullin on ivry pund!![med things luk cheaper!] Eh....a cud write a book aboot them days!![aal thi youngins wanted ti play....but the majority of the ones aa knew broke off after finding oot it tuk a lot of time and dedication ti practise...and aa had nae lessons....self-taught.]

Hi folks! A bit late in catching up! Vic,spot on marra! A datal hand was a "shift worker",who was paid "shift-wark",which meant he was the lowest paid man in the pit. Sometimes shift workers worked a lot harder than some coal-face workers,especially in the modern mechanised faces,where some face-workers pulled levers to operate hydraulic rams to advance face supports etc.[usually pits with excellent dry conditions,mind!] The Three-Quarter seam at Bates pit was opposite to that statement,cos every body had it rough,it was so wet![timber-lads,beltmen,rolleywaymen,everything they touched was water-logged and very heavy] Not meaning to nit-pick,but only for correctness,the Mining terms link,needs one or two corrections. "Afterdamp" is not Carbon Dioxide,[CO2] it should read "Carbon Monoxide" [CO],which is the by-product of incomplete combustion.[referred to as "White-damp" by some miners].It is deadly poisonous,and the Haemoglobin of the blood has an affinity for CO which is 300 times greater than that of Oxygen. This is present after an explosion,hence the term"After...".. "Blackdamp" is the term used for Carbon Dioxide,which is caused by Oxygen depletion,especially in old workings where the wood timbers turn "Dazed",[still standing and apparently doing thier job by supporting the roof.....till you poke your finger into a pit prop and it goes straight in like it is soft as butter] Oxygen combines with every surface,and so gradually depletion takes place,not confined to old workings,can occur in newer but poorly ventilated places underground. It is not poisonous,but rather it is asphyxiating in the abscence of Oxygen. Of course Nitrogen is always present in the atmosphere,but plays no part in our respiratory system. "Damp" is a slang word for the German "Dampf".......meaning Gas. Fore-overman....is ,[in our part of the country],the man in charge of the first,or "fore",shift of a new day,usually the Midnight shift,but at Bedlington A pit,that shift started at 1-35 am.....![not 1-45,or 1-30,it had to be 1-35am prompt!] No doubt other districts had thier own terminology. Canch.....we spelt it as Caunch,but pronounced .."Canch..!! Back-caunch men usually did re-modelling of roadways that were suffering extreme pressure from either roof and sides,or floor heave..,or where roof falls had occured,but not necessarily enlarging a roadway....just restoring it to what it was....same size girders...etc. Deputy....the ONLY person in any mine in the UK,[Coal,Ironstone,Shale,or Fireclay],who is DIRECTLY responsible to Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Mines and Quarries,under the Mines and Quarries Act of 1954. No person can go underground,unless accompanied by a Deputy,or a Deputy is already underground,and has completed his Pre-shift Examination of the district within two hours of the visit. Not the Overman,nor the Manager,not even the Chairman of the Coal Board,would be allowed underground,unless a Deputy was present. The Deputy was the person where the buck stopped,in the event of a serious occurence,such as a fatal or serious accident. He was the person who would be prosecuted before anyone else,in such circumstances. In an accident,the first words asked by the Manager,on the surface,would be....."Where was the Deputy...?" The Deputy was the only person in a mine who had,upon completion of his statutory examinations of his district,to write out official reports of his duties carried out,which were kept at the mine for 6 months,then sent to H.M.Inspectorate . The Deputy was also the only person,anywhere in the country,in any industry,who was authorised by H.M.Inspectorate,to administer the drug "Morphia" where requested by an injured person.[note....requested!...you cannot administer any drug without the person's consent] This rule was passed because pits were so difficult to travel in,and so far underground,that a Doctor could not usually reach the scene of an accident within 2 hours of the accident happening. He had to show to an examining Doctor,how he could perform CPR,as well as adminster the drug. We weren't all dumb pitmen you know!!!

Great pics Foxy,thanks for sharing them with us. Thanks Web and Merc. It all still seems surreal.

Today,one and a half years since my near fatal car crash,and never having been on my new bike,which I bought from Ian Bell [just weeks before my crash],I had my first ride-out.Little did I dream that my first ride-out would be packed in between 500 other bikers,male and female,and following Ian's funeral cortege. I will never forget this day,till the day I die. Ian Bell was the most amiable,jovial,genuine fella that ever walked this planet.....a reet canny bloke who was well-respected,and is going to be missed for a long time by everybody who knew him. I am proud of all the people around the North-East,including Bedlington of course,who stood for more than an hour,[some would have been there a few hours],in pouring rain,to pay tribute to Ian,and show condolence and respect to his Family. Sitting waiting,in turn,to pull out on the road,to join the cortege,was one of the saddest,yet uplifting,days I have ever had. The noise of engines was deafening,and so loud that I couldn't hear my own little beast,which I daren't rev too hard as it is not run in,but I gave it some for Ian! For those who couldn't attend,the sound of applause,followed by the revving of engines,came down the street from Ian's shop,as his coffin came to rest for a minute,like an audio version of a Mexican wave at a football match....it was so emotional,that tears ran as hard as the rain....no kid,and no pussyfooting...fact! The turn-out reminded me of the days in the 1960's,when Bedlington street was lined with people who came for the annual Miners' Picnic,without the bands and the shows. I feel humbled,and privileged , to have been there today to see Ian,while still trying to take it in that we won't see him again. My heart goes out to Ian's Family. Rest in peace.Ian bell.

Yes,Webtrekker,good point,when I took flowers and cards for Ian's Family and the shop Staff,I was impressed by the tributes which were laid,and reading the cards made me well-up,gud and proper. Has there been any funeral details been released yet?

Hi Chris! If a ride-by in Honour of Ian does happen,please post details here,so I can be there. It would be a fitting tribute to a smashing jovial,well-liked and respected lad,who will be sadly missed. I still can't take it in yet,my heart goes out to his Wife and Family.

So sad to have to post this,after Ian's terrible accident at the 2016 TT on the I.O.M. R.I.P IAN BELL.

I was absolutely stunned and devastated when I got a message from my Brother- in -law at nearly midnight on Friday night,breaking this sad news about canny Ian. I still cannot take it in. My heart and deepest sympathy go out to his Wife and Family,all his staff,and the racing team. He was a true Gentleman,with a great sense of humour,and the ability to make you feel important enough to stop whatever he was doing,to come and have a crack with you. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. I have already paid tribute to him in another posting started by Easyhostmedia,before I saw this one,but I repeat my words with sincerety,and from the bottom of my heart. When I am well enough to have a ride-out,[not fully recovered after last year's crash],I will be thinking of him....his name is on my rear number plate,hopefully for a long time to come. R.I.P. IAN BELL.

Thanks Easyhostmedia for starting this fitting tribute to the canniest fella you would ever wish to meet. I am now wondering where the rest of Bedlington are?

I was devastated to receive a message from my Brother in law,which broke the news about Ian and Carl's terrible accident. It was nearly midnight on Friday night when I got the news,and just couldn't believe what I was reading. My heart goes out to Trudi,and thier family,[first and foremost],Ron and the lads in the shop,and all the team at the track,who will all be broken-hearted. A true Gentleman,well-liked by everybody,and always ready to stop what he was doing,[in the shop],to come over for a bit canny crack. Ian and Ron,together,made you feel like you were the only customer in the shop. Ian will be sadly missed by all who knew him. R.I.P. IAN BELL.

Hi Maggie!,I took photo's of the first one in your set,[the skull etc..],when my Girl-Friend,[now my Wife of 50 years next year!!]...gave me my first camera,a Halina 35X [35mm],in the year 1963-ish! Between then and now,I can see how much that headstone has weathered,and deteriorated. It was always going to be old,[1790..I think],but it was definately in better condition then...there wasn't as much pollution,acid rain etc,in the years before! We kids used to look at these stones and wondered why on earth somebody would want a skull and [what we were told!], were "Werewolves" at each side [!],put on thier Headstone!,I later learned that the figures were ,in fact, Gargoyles![to keep evil spirits away from the deceased!] If I can find them,I will post them,only for comparison!

Canny lass,where it says.."Colliery heap-keepers and Heap-lads"...., For the benefit of those who might not know owt aboot pitwark,it wasn't referring to the actual pit heap...as in "spoil-heap"....... The "Heap" was an abbreviation for "Heap-stead",which were the surface buildings surrounding the shaft itself. All activity was centred around the "Heap",from the full coal tubs being pushed out of the cage, by empty ones going into the cage. The full tubs went into the tipplers,which turned them upside down,and in so doing,emptied their load onto a shaker-chute,which fed the coal onto the screening conveyor belts. The tipplers and screens were on two levels,and the person in charge of the whole of the surface area,including timber-yard,washery,etc,was called the "Keeker". The heap-lads were obviously the lads who worked on the "Heap",under the charge of the "Keeker".[at least up in our pits,i.e.,it may have been different down south,where lots of mining terms were different to ours.] Just a thought! Great bit of research you did! I have memories of playing in the half-demolished terraced houses down Glebe road,after being at the Saturday afternoon matinee,no security barriers around the derelict buildings,it was a case of Friday night 5-0pm finish for the demolishers,doon tools,and away for a pint!......walls and floors left just hanging!![a great place for kids to play!]....probably around 1954-5..ish? [give or take a year or two!]

"The evil that men do lives after them....." Not a truer word written....ever! Auld Willie knew summik we didn't knaa....lukking back on British History!!