HIGH PIT WILMA

Aam a bit late o' catching up on this one,[it's noo 2014!] Just ti put yi kind folks reet,the smaal cave yi were on aboot had a Stone -Age burial cist inside it,and it was found in the early 1950's by one of my school-friends.[from the Whitley Memorial school]. The experts came from aal owa,and they took thi bones ti thi Hancock museum. There was also a similar burial cist owa the twenty acres field at Millfield,and them bones were displayed in the wall ootside the Hancock museum for donkeys years....dinna knaa if tha still there noo.

Heh heh! Took me some time ti catch up on this page,but aam sittin' here at 1-15am as usual,wi tears running doon me fyess wi laffin'!! [Especially the sugar bit!]

The question marks above North Row were what we called "the fitting shops",which comprised Electrical,Mechanical,Blacksmiths,Joiner's,Saddler's,in the days when all the pit ponies "gears"..[harness's,collars,bridles,etc]..were made on site-no contractors in them days! You can see the Blacksmith's forge flues in a row,just to the right of the higher buildings which are arrowed. Please correct me if I am wrong,but I worked there for six years,and had to go over to the "shops",regularly, to take my bags of blunt drilling bits,and coalcutter picks to the Blacksmiths shop,to be sharpened.

By the way,Maggie,a didn't mean ti tek ya point of Mary's book being a valuable contribution ti wor heritage,by rabbiting on aboot my book! A hope by noo,that ye knaa me.....it duzn't tek much ti mek me digress...!![age probably!] Cheers Maggie!

Hi Vic,nice ti hear ye again! Aam gaana check it oot Vic,and aal let ye knaa if a can work it oot. A canna read music,but a knaa wat aal the symbols are for ...whey ...roughly. A can find the notes on the guitar and sorta get it that that way. Trouble is,a divvent knaa hoo ti load stuff like that on here! It's gud that wor heritage is being kept alive,cos folk have short memories! Gie me love ti the boss Vic!!

Thanks Maggie,for that one. Will try and check it out. I am writing my whole life story,and have finished book one,[still in transcript],which is my life from birth,as far back as about two and a half years old,[i can remember walking along with leather harness and reins!!...being held by my Mother.]. I am in the process of writing book two,which starts my life in the mines,aged 15 years..straight from my school desk..and am still at the period of my life aged 19 years,in Choppington High Pit,[the B pit],so I've got a long way to go,to catch up to my present age...[just turned 70 in July!!!] The difference between my book,and others you may read are, [A] It is utterly,totally boring...uninteresting...bland....[as critics would say!],but even though I am writing it,I re-cap on what I have already written,and get carried away with it!........as if someone else had written it!! [how dopey is that?!]. THIS book isn't about the history of mining..and the hardships that were had....it's about the pits I worked in,the actual jobs that I did,and the bad conditions I worked in,and the risks to life and limb I endured,and the sad episodes where I lost Marra's in the pits,in accidents that didn't need to happen. It's about the funny times,and the actual GUD times that I had,making thi best of a bad job!! Comradeship...second-to -none in the pits....how pit ponies were REALLY treated,at different pits,[cruelty at Choppington High Pit....both by men AND Management. If it ever gets finished ...that is!

Heh heh ! I met my Wife at the Clayton ballroom,on a Wednesday night roller-skating,in July1962 !! [aged 17 years...whey,nine days off my 18 th birthday] They were great times,falling down the first few times you tried,cos it was a few years since you last skated,and also these weren't skates you were used to,like your own! Another thing was,we were used to skating on the concrete roads and pavements,which wore our skate wheels out in a matter of weeks,and the first time we tried skating,[as an "Adult"...!],on a polished wood dance floor,it was like skating on ice,until we got the hang of it again!! I used to pick blackberries,this time of the year,and sell them around the doors to my delighted neighbours,for thruppence a pund[two and a half pence], and save the money to buy a pair of new skate wheels from Jimmy Milne,at half a crown,[twelve and a half pence]each! [i was 10 years old..!] By 1963,aged 19 years,I was playing lead guitar in my group,on the same stage where Shane Fenton and the Fentones,alias Alvin Stardust,[in later years!],played. Rue and He's Rockets were a great group who used to come to the Clayton,on Saturday nights,for the Dance night. The Avengers also,were a local group,whose lead vocalist,Graham Bell,from Blyth,went to London and made a name for himself,touring with "The Who" in "Tommy,the Rock Opera",in the late 1960's/70's. Aye,the kids noo,divvent knaa who ti enjoy thasell's like we did in them days!

There were a lot of huge underground bunkers,all over the country,during the cold war,mainly to control nuclear warfare from a safe vantage point,and only for the government officials,scientists,engineers,and ivry bugga brainy who would be needed ti start a new civilisation,after we had been nuked! Us poor bugga's weren't in the running for a seat down there! I tell you,check oot Scotland's best kept secret.....!!

Keith L.,did you work at the aad pit in thi 1960's?,or aam a being insulting??...like,maybe you were too young!! Aam sure your name rings bells wi me.........

"Toby Twirl on Manchesterbeat" [the group music scene in Manchester] is the site I mentioned in my last post. Check it out!

I saw lots of GROUPS!....not BANDS!...GROUPS...at the Domino. In those days we were groups![iplayed lead guitar in a group,round the Northumberland/Durham club/dance hall circuit,in the mid 1960's,for three and a half years.] The Ivy League,Troggs,Los Zafiros,[Mexican flamenco style singing and playing..walking around the tables with their guitars and Sombrero's on] Anybody remember Johnny Citrone..?....He made his name on Hughie Green's Opportunity knocks show,by blowing up hot water bottles,like balloons,till they exploded!...lifting an anvil with his teeth...etc? Whey,a previous owner of the Buccaneer..[?],and the Howard Arms..[?],in Bedlington market place,was just a very young ,daft, drunk, lad,in aboot1968-ish,and when Johnny,as part of his act,invited members of the audience up on stage,to verify that there was no fakery,and this WAS a real 1 cwt anvil, [approx. 25 kilos],solid steel blacksmiths full-size anvil....This lad got up to try and lift the anvil with he's hands,not he's teeth!!!,and couldn't get it up to he's knee-caps!...[but a bet HE canna remember daeing that noo!!....but aa can...cos aam tee-total and was sober as hell that neet!] Other folks got up,ti try and blow the hot waata bottles up,thinking they were fake as weel,but they aal backed a losser an aal,cos they couldn't even start ti fill the bottles wi air!! These were folks that aa knew,local folks,not staged as part of his act,so it was proof of his enormous strength,that he did what he did! A friend of mine,from Blyth,who played in a group caaled "Shades of Blue",locally,like us,in 1963-on........went ti London and changed his group's name ti "Toby Twirl",made a record,and went into the charts. Noo they came ti the Domino,at the height of their fame,and it was gud ti see me friend again,after not seeing him for a few years. The lads name was Dave "Holly" Holland..,and he noo runs a pub in Blyth,with his Wife. A came across an excellent site last neet,which is chasing up aal thi aad groups,memorabilia,chat forums,etc,and Davy has some nice comments on,reminiscing aboot them days. Aal get the site name and post it on here if a can. Aye,many happy memories aboot thi aad Wallaw,and Jack Tait,a real canny fella,was Jack.

Anybody from coalmining stock,will remember the bait-bags we pitmen carried,wi wa flasks,or waata-bottles,and wa bait,[lunch....samwidges...ti thi uninitiated!!],and they were originally gas-mask satchels during the war. They were ideal,cos they had a big compartment ,for putting ya bait in,wrapped in newspaper,[nae fancy foodbags or lunchboxes!],and a narrow one,just thi reet size for ya bottle,or flasks when they came in. We got wa pit belts from thi army and navy stores at Blyth,that is,unless yi got the horse-keeper doon thi pit,ti get yi a leather belt from thi saddler at thi pit. We also got the black-handled jack-knives,for cutting wa rubber conveyor belts on the coal-face,wa blue pit-sharts,and vests,etc,wa Fustons,[thick moleskin type material troosa's,tuff as hell....ye cudn't wear thi sods oot....!].....oh.....,and a forgot.......wa blue pit-socks! The stores are a big miss!!

My next door neighbour had one for a garden hut,[the size of a garage!,],in the 1950-60's,at Grange Park. If you go down to Marshe's Crossings,at Sleekburn,turn into Church Avenue,and,without being nosey,just glance at the first hooses,on the way roond,ye'll see wee ones,musta been air raid shelters,aa think,but turned into little coal bunkers,bike sheds ,whatever!![only aboot four feet high!] Me neighbour,[above],took a part-time job in the M.O.D. big nissen huts,doon sleekburn,[wat used ti be the sugar stores,during and after the war], after he retired from a lifetime of coalmining.[this was in the mid-1960's]. He had ti sign thi official secrets act,and couldn't tell me wat went on there. Years later,at Bates Pit,a was gud friends wi a lad,[not working marra's...just gud friends..],and HE had been in the army,and he telt me that there was huge bunkers underground,beneath the huts,with hundreds of military vehicles,and despatch motorbikes,aalwis ready for thi road ti be caaled on at a minutes notice,in case of emergency...war,disaster,...etc. Noo,on that subject,he also told me that there was even bigger bunkers,beneath Tranwell airfield,with approx 500 vehicles,"Green Goddesses",[wat was brought oot during the firemen's strike in 1972,and other times.],trucks,jeeps,motorbikes,etc...aal fully serviced and ready ti gaan. Did anybody ever wonder where the Goddesses came from so quick,during that strike,and then disappear from sight the minute the lads went back to work?..... Maybe sounds incredible? Take a trip to "Scotland's Best-Kept Secret", near East Fortune air museum,not far away from Edinburgh!! A lone farmhoose stands on a lonely moor.........gaan in,pay ya dosh,then gaan doon 200 feet underground,through a massive thick blast-door,to an incredible sight! Aam saying nowt mair....Google it folks,but better still,gaan and experience it for a day oot.......!!!!! Noo wat's aal this slaava got ti dae wi Sierra Nissen hut? Think aboot it!!

Hi Maubel,welcome to the site! Aye,Mrs Molden ["aad moldy cheese",was the kids nickname for her!...nae disrespect noo,seeing as we are adults....!],dragged me oot ti the front of thi class when a was aboot 8 years aad,for "taakin in class"..! When a said a wasn't taakin in class,she mocked me,and raised her croaky voice ti the whole class,sayin...."Oh,so we weren't talking were we?.....then what,may I ask,were we doing?,if we weren't talking?" Aa said "Please Miss,a was singing to myself". She again mocked me,and said"Singing,boy,then come on,sing us a solo...." [A] I didn't knaa wat a "Solo" was...! If a had knaan,a wudda been too terrified ti try! So a just stood in silence. She wasn't content ti drop it,seeing as hoo a was shakin wi fear,at her booming voice,and continued on,"So what were you singing then?" "Will the angels play their harps for me?"...[it was a shellac record from my granda's collection,in the aad windy-up gramaphone,from aboot 1920] She mocked me again,saying,"And do you think the Angels WILL play their harps for you?" "No Miss"...I replied. At that she finally sent me back to my chair. My lasting impression of her wasn't a "Canny Lass"..!! Nor was aad Nicky ,the headmaster!!

Very interesting article ,there,aboot the history of the breed...fascinating!!

Aad "Gunter" Metcalfe,who ran the "Gardner's Arms" ,doon Bedlington Main Street,tucked in beside Beadle's paper shop,used to breed the Bedlington terrier,did so aal he's life,and HE was ancient when aa was ownly ten years aad,in 1954. Anybody remember him?..[aalwis wore riding breeches and boots,and carried his horse whip......it was odd-looking to us kids who were terrified of him,just seeing him used ti mek us run away...he had a permanent scowl,as if he hated kids...full stop!] Probably was a canny bloke,but wor perception didn't convey that to us!!

Hi Eggy! There was a Stone Row at Barrington pit village,which isn't mentioned,a divvent knaa where it was,in relation ti thi rest,and thi ownly reason that a knaa,is cos me big marra lived in No 3 [?],born there,and is noo 72 years aad! Alan Dixon will put me right on that one,hopefully.

Hi Reedy! Just noticed a sentence in your post,there,about the cutter coming down onto your Dad's ankles....he'd have known aboot that one,aa bet! The bit that puzzles me is why did they have the cutter on supports? Do you know what sort of cutter it was,?,cos I'm an old ex-coalcutterman/machineman/composite worker,and every cutter I worked with,had the same procedure,to re-fit the friction clutch. Cutter lying on thi bottom,lid off,both arms inside ,up ti thi eyes of oil and grease!! Maybe they were using a prototype in those days,which would be a common thing,trying oot aal sorts of machines. I'm just interested in machines,that's hoo aam puzzled!

Hi Micky,was she the Wife of Mr Platt,who was one of the school governers in 1958-9..? She wasn't teaching there when I left in 1959,unless my memory is slipping a clutch!! Cheers!

Hi Reedy,was Fred Reed ,[the cobbler opposite thi Black Bull pub doon Bedltn street],any relation? When I was born,in 1944,My Mother was very ill,and was taken to thi Tommy [or Mona?] Taylor,hospital,up at Stannington.She had a nervous breakdown due to having no money to keep her family surviving during the war. My Father worked at Choppington High Pit,and took very ill also,being taken to thi old Ashington Hospital. With Mother having a nervous breakdown,the nurses took me,newly-born,away from my Mother,and put me into a different part of the hospital. Mother's condition was worsened,naturally with losing sight and holding,of her new baby. Choppington coal company didn't care two hoots about anybody's circumstances,and they sent in the big boys,who literally threw all my Mothers little bits of furniture and possessions........into the street,in thi middle of the night,naturally,when they knew they would meet the least resistance from anybody. My oldest Sister stayed with my Aunt,[Mother's Sister],and my second oldest Sister,along with my elder Brother,were put into a victorian regime home,in North Shields.[aged about 6yrs, 4 1/2 yrs,and 3 yrs respectively.] So the whole of my family were split up for a period of time,till Mother and Father recovered. All because of ruthless coal-owner's rules about tied houses...there was no-one else in thi property working down their pit,so out you all go....into a dark gas-lamplit street,with a clarty road outside....in war-time! As you rightly said ,Reedy,without any notice to move whatsoever....ruthless isn't thi word for those people. They have a lot to answer for..and I have a bitter feeling toward these rich land owners,who never did a day's work to earn what they have. Favours of grace?

THAT'S the same dragline that me and me Brother and Friends used ti play on,on Sunday afternoons![nae security guys,or H & S spys either!!] Aa was 10 years aad when they started working Acorn Bank,and we aal used ti just waak doon thi cut,have a bit play aroond on the feet of thi dragline, inti thi big bucket,just like last of the summer wine codgers...only we were real kids! Aav got a very short video of the site,which was rescued from a skip,in V.H.S form,and transferred to dvd by the six townships media company,and it's a real nostalgia trip for me...Thanks John!!

John Million on the left,Leighton Bush bottom centre,a think it's Bart Dawson on the right,a recognise them all,John,they seemed like old men,when aa was just 16 yrs aad,but noo they look like younger blokes!!...cos aam an aad git noo![70-just turned...] I worked with Billy Bush,Leighton's Son,he was a real nice lad to work with,as were 99.9999 per cent of the men at the pit,cos there were whole families inter-married and related in one way or another.Billy was a timber-leader when aa was on transport work,and Leighton was on coal-filling. Old Ned Cushing,the Training officer,said to me,on the way inbye,on me first day doon high pit,"Aye ,Wilma,it's a canny little family pit this,a think ye'll enjoy working with aal thi lads"..! Whey a DID!! ...it wasn't the lads that aa hated...it was THI PIT!! ...it was just a wet stinking rough tetty pit...dangerous in every way. When a went ti Bedlington A pit,me and me marra's couldn't believe hoo different it was!!....still a dangerous hole in thi grund,but a DRY one,wi bits o' damp patches here and there! John Million's Sister-in-law,and Nephew,are very good friends of My Wife and mesell' There was some queer nick-names at thi High Pit,John,amaong them was "Aad Salt",[a relative of yours..John..and canny and quiet as hell!],his Son "Harper","Daa-Daa,".."Fingers"..[so-named because of missing fingers due to a mining accident years ago!],"Big Toss","Blonco","Limpet"[ a big strong Polish fella..like an Ox!],"Maverick",.."Fly-by-night"..[a pidgeon fancier who aal thi lads used ti tek thi mick by saying his pidgeons were thi only ones in aal the duckets,who had tar on their feet...!],"Thi Newt"[a little canny fella who had the wettest stretch of coal on thi face for thi whole quaata!]... ...."Boo-Boo"..[one of thi pit Managers who came from Durham..].."Wilma"...[Me!].."Baggy"[screens charge-hand],"Split-pin"..[a very thin Government inspector who was a regular visitor to thi pit due to thi high accident rate!].."Aad Sol"..[button-man at thi 4th North buttons],a cud gaan on and on,but it's aalriddy reached thi point of monotony,for some folks.....maybe....[a hope not,cos this is aal historical noo!] Great ti see a photo of thi High Pit Lads on here John,thanks for posting it!

Keith,did you have any older relations who worked at Bedlington aad Pit,in mid 1960's? A remember a canny young'un on timber-leading,caaled Stevie...but it might have been Locker,not Lockey.......

Heh heh! mebbe my 65 year old.22 BSA Airsporter [underlever action],might just shave his whiskers a bit cleaner than the Webley,Eggy!! Who would have thought all them years ago,that the Webley/Beeza war would still be raging!! Lets join forces,we gotta find our other marra to mek up that threesome! Hope the Giant Steps aren't owagraan , Keefy!!

Symptoms,hindsight is a wonderful thing,and aam just thinking noo...... ..seeing as we are still trying ti find oot the origin of the universe,and our own solar system,who's ti say what exactly Magma is composed of! The molten rock from within the centre of the earth,whatever it is,will be vastly different,i would imagine,to that which reaches the outflow of a volcano in action. On it's way to the surface of the earth's mantle,it will be picking up all sorts of rubbish as it forces the strata apart on it's journey. If the Earth WAS composed of dust from an exploding dying star then that original dust might have been sandstone,with a lot of Silica content. The heat build-up in the Earth's central cavity,would cook the silica and the stone to form a glass-like material...but that doesn't explain how all the minerals such as Gold, Silver,all the other precious metals etc,came to be in the boiling pot! Mining was,in some respects,for those interested in geology,like myself,a real education,and eye-opener,especially when you blasted 250 pounds of Polar Ajax explosives in 100 drill-holes,9 feet deep,in a Whin dyke,and smelt rotten eggs,[a deadly fatal gas known as Hydrogen Sulphide..."H2S"], for a short while. Then,when the reek from the shots has thinned out enough to go into the workings to examine your "shots"[the results of what you had just blasted out], it was a real exciting sight to see a cavity,lined out with beautiful crystals,shining like diamonds!![knowing you were the the first person in the history of the universe to see this amazing sight!] Of course,some of my marra's,whose only thoughts were what time the club opened,["club"=working men 's club],and what the top "Hoosey" prize was, [Hoosey="Housey"...a lotto game where 100 numbers were randomly called out,and the winner would be the first have a full house of 15 numbers on a card],thought I was stupid,when I used to tell them this was a historical occasion! I have driven roadways through soft sandbanks,blue shale packed with fossilised mussels,iron balls,which knocked tungsten-carbide drilling bits tips off,as if they were toffee,Caterinarses,[fossilised tree trunks which have actually petrified in situ...i.e.still vertical.and deadly to the unsuspecting miner... ..whin dykes,slip-faults..where the coal seam is actually displaced by several feet due to earthquake activity millions of years ago.... ...washouts,where the coal seam disappears altogether,due to rivers forming valleys after the ice -age and taking out vast measures of the strata with them......eh!..yi bugga,theor a gaan agyen,fo'gettin ti stop.....!