1994 - Page 38

Clipstone Re-Opened By RJB Mining

Clipstone colliery (Nottinghamshire), closed by British Coal in 1993 was re-opened in October 1994 by RJB Mining under licence from the Coal Authority. Much preparation work was needed before proposed production next year. The colliery had a trapped rail system for haulage. 203s with 4 x 340t Gullick supports and 206s face with 4 x 360 Dowty supports were to be made ready for production. An Anderson RH25 road header would be used for development. Chris J Daniels at 34 years old was the new Manager. His father John A Daniels had been Manager for 14 years prior to its closure, and some years previously had been Undermanager. He was awarded the MBE for his devotion to the pit. Ironically both had had a spell at Ollerton, John A Daniels (9068) as Deputy Manager and son Chris J Daniels (12111) as Assistant Undermanager.

The men on the photo are elated as they cross the pit yard and collect their lamps and self rescuers in the lamp cabin and enter the cage for their first shift after the re-opening of the colliery. However the colliery would eventually be closed forever in 2003.

Davy Mining Co

Davy Mining Co had deepened No2 shaft at Harworth (Nottinghamshire), some 50m to the Deep Soft horizon. A new smaller concrete headgear of similar design to the huge coaling shaft headgear was erected. The first retreat face 14s Deep Soft was commissioned, but it was very hot even with 2 intakes, with a 60m pillar separating them and a centre return gate. 33 cu m of air nearly double the norm ventilated the 250m face using a 400hp BJD Ace shearer taking 2.4m coal.

Coal Clearance at Asfordby

The coal clearance system at Asfordby (Leicestershire) had a 2.2m wide conveyor with 400hp motors leading to a 3,000 tonnes vertical bunker. A surge bin at 0.75m / second, loaded 26 tonnes of run of mine mineral which was accelerated to 2.3m / second to throw the material into the skip.

Last Mining Weekend and Also Last NUM Conference

The last Mining 3 day week-end, jointly held by British Coal and CISWO was at Blackpool, 18th - 20th Nov 1994. It was the last NUM Conference also.

Ollerton Headgears Demolished

On 20th December 1994, at 3pm, a controlled explosion demolished the defunct headgears at the closed Ollerton colliery (Nottinghamshire). The shafts at 580 yards (530m) deep and 18 feet (5.5m) diameter had been filled by AMCO in a record time of 7 days with 40,000 tonnes of limestone chippings with 4,000 tonnes of concrete and 3,000 tonnes of grout at the shaft bases, pit bottoms, insets, base of tubbing and pit tops. The water well at 9 feet (2.75m) diameter and 32yards (29m) deep was filled in 3 hours. The site was cleared by the end of the year.

The Book Launch of ‘Ollerton of Yesteryear’- In 2007

I was presented with a copy for the information I had given that was included in the book. In the photo I am to the extreme left.

Outstanding Production Records

There were some outstanding production records produced in the final days of British Coal and some collieries produced more coal in one week now than some of the old mines in the last century and before had produced in the life of that colliery.

Miners’ Pay

The miners were among the best paid workers in 1947, earning a minimum of £5 per week which could be boosted to around £7 with piece work and overtime. The average wage for the last 12 months of 1994 was £439.40 per week. Due to special contract jobs at weekends, some men were able to earn up to £1,000!

Opencast Sites

Opencast working:

• Donington (Coal Contractors Ltd) various seams, 11/10/1994
• Furnace Hillock, Top Hard, Dunsil and 1st Waterloo, excavated some old workings 1994
• High Cross, (Derbys) various seams 14/9/1994
• Hunloke Farm (Fitzwise Ltd), Clay Cross Soft 18/1/1993-25/2/1994, found old workings to North
• Ireland, 1km South of Staveley, High Hazels 0.65m ave
• Ireland Pithead site 1994