1932 - Page 3
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Men Would Walk Miles For Work
Men would walk miles in search of work during this period and having found work would continue to travel daily, usually walking each way at the beginning and end of each shift, and it was not unusual for a miner and his sons to pass several pits on the way. This was loyalty, in a different sense to the past. Many a collier would brag in the pub at night how far he had walked in the week, how good their pit was, how good the money was etc. (Miners would travel by their own transport to pits some distance away in later years following the closure of many collieries, but that was for a job).
For example, Dicky Smith one of my Grandad’s pals worked at Kirkby Summit (Butterley Co) but lived on the Market place at Huthwaite, only a few hundred yards (m) away from New Hucknall colliery yet he would walk both ways several miles to work and back to save the 2d bus ride (less than 1p), no matter the weather. He was probably involved with the 1926 strike problems at New Hucknall and had decided to change his place of work or he may even have been banned from working for the New Hucknall Colliery Co but unlike my Grandad who was blacklisted and banned from all mines. Dicky opened a Gents’ Hairdressers on Huthwaite Market place and charged 2d (just over ¾p) for a haircut. His son Ben carried on the business for many years afterwards. |
Tug o' War Team
Ollerton Colliery Tug o’ War team were the Midland Counties Champions once more and were always proud to be photographed with the Manager Montagu Francis Melville Wright who took great interest in the sporting activities of the village.
Hezekiah Cheetham the Banksman (Big Butty)
and Mr Hobson the Engineer about 1855
Frank Smith Electrical engineer of Pinxton, visited an 84 year old gentleman named Gelsthorpe at City of Whiteborough in 1932 with a photograph of the Nibland Clink engine (or locally Nibble and Clink) in the upper Meden Valley, verified by Mr Gelsthorpe. It is thought the date of the picture showing Hezekiah Cheetham the Banksman (Big Butty) and
Mr Hobson the Engineer was about 1855. The pit had been worked by the Old Skegby Colliery Co
Live Bomb Thrown Down Old Shaft
On 22nd October 1932 Christopher Murfin a foreman with Ripley Urban District Council found a live bomb on a rubbish tip. Unfortunately he threw it down an old mine shaft off Street Lane near Chadwick Grove at Ripley, identified as Spans pit. The open shaft was just fenced round with posts and wire rope!
Underground Fire Closed Pit For Weeks
An electrical fault caused an underground fire at Clipstone (Nottinghamshire) on Top Hard 4s panel on 11th December 1932 and the district had to be sealed off. The pit was closed until 2nd January 1933.
Fatal Accidents 1932
 Bolsover, James Arthur Palmer (24) accident 6 Feb 1932, died
14 Feb 1932- Coppice, George William Miller (31) crushed by tubs 17 Jun 1932
- Cotes Park, Sam Dooler (36) fall of roof 14 Jan 1932, died
16 Jan 1932
- Creswell, Cecil Robinson (20) run over by tubs 6 Jan 1932
- Pleasley, Arthur Cox (62) fall of roof 18 Jan 1932
- Shipley, Arthur Straw (32) strained lifting a tub 26 Feb 1932, died 10 Mar 1932
- Shipley, George Stenson (41) run over by wagons on surface
24 Sep 1932, died 25 Sep 1932
- Tibshelf No4, Albert Cox (34) fall of roof 14 Feb 1932
- Woodside, Sam Taylor (32) fall of roof 9 Jun 1932
Output For 1932
Nottinghamshire pits 12.7m tons,
North Derbyshire pits 11.2m tons and
South Derbyshire pits 1.3m tons
Leicestershire 1.8m tons. (By comparison Yorkshire 39.3m). |
