Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)

- AND PART OF WORKSHOPS COMPOUND-NOFIRESTATIONTHEN! BigLoada :- I cannot see tye Ventora in the car park. Was it there? high pit wilma :- Sure thing! It would have been doon in that little area at the dorty end o' thi pit baths..hidden from view by the buildings.[see note]. hoggy03 :- Hi Bill, when was this shot taken? i would say it was late in the day with only a few cars in the car park and the "trusty steed" parked up he,he,he. but i don't know. high pit wilma :- Hi hoggy,all the surface pics up from the wheels were taken about 7-0pm,after the gaffers had all gone home![ Give or take a haaf-hoor or two!] Jilly2k2 :- Love all these pictures! high pit wilma :-Thanks Jilly,i'm really pleased i had the foresight to take a camera down.before the pit was closed,and lost forever.

high pit wilma :- .....AND HERE'S THE PROOF OF MY COMMENTS ABOUT THE "BOG-STANDARD" INFERIOR GEAR WE WERE SUPPLIED WITH..,ON A PREVIOUS PIC. STUDY THIS ONE ON FULL SCREEN,AND CHECK OUT THE ROWS OF BOG-STANDARD 6-LEGGED CHOCKS,ON THE LEFT OF THE PIC.[NO BRACING ON THESE ONES...] WHEN BATES WENT THROUGH THE "COLLIERY REVIEW PROCEDURE", THE MANAGEMENT,ON ORDERS FROM ARCHIBOLD [THE AREA DIRECTOR],SHOVED £3O MILLION DOSCO ROADHEADERS,FULL SETS OF FACE CHOCKS[THESE ONES ON THE PIC,]THOUSANDS OF YARDS OF 42" CONVEYOR BELT ON HUGE ROLLS,SHEARERS,AND LOADS OF OTHER MACHINERY,DOWN THE PIT AND SIDING'D IT OFF,NEVER TO BE USED. THE REASON?WHEN THIS STUFF LIES IN THE SURFACE COMPOUND,IT IS PAID FOR FROM THE "PLANT POOL",AT AREA WORKSHOPS. THE MINUTE IT GOES IN THE CAGE TO GO UNDERGROUND,IT HAS TO BE PAID OUT OF THE COLLIERY MANAGER'S BUDGET. BY NOT BEING USED,IT BECOMES A MASSIVE FINANCIAL LOSS TO THE COLLIERY,AND SUPPORTS THE GOVERNMENTS ARGUMENT ,THAT THE COLLIERY IS "UNECONOMICAL",AND NEEDS TO BE CLOSED. THIS IS FACT...!! YOU SEE,GOVERNMENTS GET AWAY WITH BEING BENT,AND CORRUPT,BECAUSE IT IS THEIR PEROGATIVE TO DO SO...!!! I REST MY CASE.............! high pit wilma :- OH!...ER...I FORGOT,WHEN BATES CLOSED, MY MARRA'S AND ME WENT TO ASHINGTON PIT,IN1986. WALKING UP THE TIMBER YARD ONE DAY,WHAT DO YOU THINK I SAW?........ TWO COMPLETE £30MILLION DOSCO ROADHEADERS,LOADED ONTO TRAMS,WAITING TO GO DOWN THE PIT. AND YOU KNOW WHAT WAS CHALKED ALL OVER THEM...? "3/4 DRIFT,BATES COLLIERY"....[THE SAME ONES...THEY BROUGHT THEM OUT AND TOOK THEM TO ASHINGTON PIT,AFTER THE DIRTY WORK WAS DONE AT BATES], AND YOU KNOW WHERE THEY WENT....? DOWN INTO AN OLD DISUSED SIDING WHERE THEY ARE STILL THERE YET....NEVER USED.......! AND YOU KNOW WHY THEY DID THAT...? COS MAGGIE THATCHER STILL HAD A FEW NAILS LEFT,AND ONE HAD ASHINGTON COLLIERY WRITTEN ALL OVER IT. MR BUDGE TAKES OVER THE REST OF THE SAGA WITH ELLINGTON...HIM AND MAGGIE ENJOYED BANGING AWAY THE LAST FEW NAILS THERE.....

high pit wilma :- Coal winding shaft headgear,and surface buildings [1986] -months before the pit closed. frazerweb PRO :- What I love about this headgear is it features on Get Carter at the end of the film, with the chase on the Blyth staithes. high pit wilma :- Hi! Yeah, i was pleased to capture the staithes on one or two of my other shots,as they were reduced in height,down to just above the high water mark,a few years ago.

high pit wilma :- Seen from up the platform around the cage pulley wheels,in 1986............ Today,in 2nd of November, 2010,i have just seen a press photo of councillors,and children from a Blyth primary school,standing on this site,which has taken nearly a year to de-contaminate,and prepare 26 acres of land,on which to build a new primary school for Blyth schoolchildren....what a change of use....!! high pit wilma :- Update.....6-12-10, building work has started,and is well under way,for the new school,next to the pit shafts,and the river bank sides,just hope that the school staff don't go to sleep...for a second............... Not forgetting the fatalities which occurred at Widdrington old pithead baths,which had been converted to an industrial site,a few years ago,where deadly "blackdamp" [carbon dioxide] mine gas seeped through breaks in the strata,and filled up a basement in the building, killing some of the occupants. Just hope our clever planning dept has kept this sort of danger in mind,when building on abandoned mine-sites.....like Bates pit.

aj.gardner :- The loading gear at the berth is still standing (Feb 2011). Is it being used for loading some other cargo now? high pit wilma :- Hi aj.! I'm not sure if they still send opencast coal to the power stations down south,they used to send coal from Ellington pit blended with other coal,to get the right sulphur/ash content,but now that Ellington's gone,i must admit,i haven't taken a great deal of notice,even though i'm down there,[on the cambois side],quite often! Good point,i'll try to find out and post any info up soon as i can. Cheers aj.,thanks for the visit! hoggy03 :- Hi Bill and aj, the shipping plant is still in use to this day (28/02/2011) but does not ship any coal now, only grain and glass to the best of me and my dads knowledge, i dont know where to though most likely the south but im not 100% sure. hoggy03 :- Hi Bill and Aj, i found the shipping plant is still in use but it ships glass and plastics not grain as i said before and it is shipped to Europe.

Dan :- Wilma, are they called Headgear's or Headframes? high pit wilma :- They are called "Headgears",here in Northumberland,England,U.K. Cheers,mate!

high pit wilma :- NORTH BLYTH TERRACES in the background..note the mine car tippler standing next to the coal wagons....the white object-round- with an entrance way. The fan ducting runs from the shaft headgear ,over to the fan house,the twin funnels completing the scene.

high pit wilma .......also the Alcan berth is further along , near the start of Cambois pier. Ironically,the coal staiths came down,the Ridley Arms pub, Bolco's shipbreakers,and we now have a brand new coal unloading facility,with ships coming from China etc, with coal for the Alcan power station!!....Coals to Newcastle?????? [along from where Bolco's used to be. ]

EXPLOSIVES CAR IN FOREGROUND - SPARE CAGE WHEELS IN THE REAR.

Aye it was a good job i had the foresight ask a good marra to take me up the wheels,or we wouldn't have the pleasure of these memories.