My late husband George Elkin served at Chesterfield and Ilkeston Rescue stations in the 70s and 80s.
I have some happy memories of family life on the Rescue Station. During the summer we had sports day on the tennis courts followed by a dance in the evening, and the Coal Board used to supply a bus for us to take the children on daytrips. One of these, that I can remember in particular, was a visit to West Midlands Safari Park.

Pete Searson was one of the 3rd officers and we met Pete and his wife Dorothy firstly at Chesterfield then at Ilkeston. Another, Wally Fairlie, the assistant superintendent, a wonderful man who sadly died about 1984.

Rescue men on the Ilkeston Station I can remember were Dougie Widdowson, Cliff and Paul Bullivant, Charles Snarski, Ken Musgrove, Frank Morley, Ian Grady, Peter Fowkes, Dave Foreman, Mick Donnelly, and many other.

I do have some photographs and I will sort them out and maybe you could use them on your excellent site,

Regards Chris Elkin

Hello, my name was Valerie Duffield, Joe Duffields daughter. I have been going through all this history of Mines Rescue tears streaming down my face, what a wonderful legacy you have my dad would have been so proud to have seen all this. I was born at 13,Manners Ave, on June 23rd 1942 so all my life I was brought up with Les Havill, Mr.Sheffield, Mr. Callidine I took my mam and dad to see Edna and Les Havill a couple of times at Calverton cause of all it was, all reminisce and very interesting. My husband Brian would sit for hours listening to my dads tales of the Mines Rescue.
I can't thank you enough this has given me so much pleasure.

Valerie Smedley (nee Duffield)