A Unique History From My Work Diaries

Surveying Jobs

No4 Sub-Area, No4 Area, East Midlands Division, NCB from 1st January 1947

Page - 12 -

Jul 1957

Barrie Tideswell (BT) left to be Assistant Geologist to Stan Brunskill at No4 HQ, Huthwaite replacing John Chilton who was appointed Area Geologist No5 Area Eastwood. John had been an Assistant Surveyor at Welbeck and Ollerton in the past.

Barrie Tideswell had some quaint Derbyshire sayings keeping me and others amused, and others such as ‘Thee shack’ or ‘Well it’s like a pot duck’ and many more unique to him. When Percy Hett was Surveyor at Silverhill in 1955/56 he regularly went down the pit on the afternoon shift to Ted Pepper’s heading in the Pit bottom to check on progress etc. Barrie remarked that there must be a vein of gold in the heading as Percy visited it so many times. Percy was not one for jokes.  Nip Burlinson found an Esso badge and I sewed it on Percy’s grey smock that he wore in the office.  He returned from lunch and in turn we asked him for 4 gallons, a shot of Redex etc, even Clary Skeavington joined in at which Percy looked perplexed and then saw the badge and that he was the butt of the joke. He frantically tore it off the coat and glared and went off in a huff.

Horace Gubbins the Manager could sometimes be found planting out Geraniums and other flowers on the traffic island at the top of the Pit lane. Gardening was his main hobby I think, growing all manner of plants at ‘Merridews’, Chesterfield Road, Tibshelf, the Teversal Manager’s house.

Mon 1 … U/g … 40s levelling and taping 2 gates … 2 men (RB*, RE). Office … Calculated and copied.

Tues 2 … Technical College.

Wed 3 … Office … Calculating catenary measuring.

Thurs 4 … Office … Printing R & FF plans.

Fri 5 … Surface … Testing and checking level and adjustments 2 men (CB, RB).

Sat 6 … Off

Mon 8 … U/g … 60s RH theodolite survey … 4 men (WEBB, RB, JDeS, RE). This gate had been dinted between the sleepers so that the ponies would not roof and they were very adept at stepping into the holes generally without tripping. Everyone walked across or rather crouched across on the sleepers taking care not fall in the hole, occasionally a sleeper would wobble as it went loose.

Tues 9 … Technical College.

Wed 10 … Office … R & FF plans. Calculated 120s and 60s theodolite surveys.

Thurs 11 … Office … Calculated surface survey. Cleaning surface plan. Calculated 60s survey.

Fri 12 … Office … Calculated surface survey. Progress plan negatives to date.

Sat 13 … Office … Progress folders. Top Hard plans.

Mon 15 … Office … Cleaning surface plan. Progress to date. Title on Waterloo 1/5000.

Tues 16 … Office … First Waterloo seam sections for analysis.  R & FF title on Waterloo 1/5000.

Wed 17 …U/g … 40s DG and 80s measuring with steel band … 2 men (RB*, GB). Office … R &FF plans.

Thurs 18 … Surface … Subsidence levelling at Skegby Sewage works 2 men (RB* JDeS) … Office … Calculated 80s survey.

Fri 19 … Office … Calculated 80s theodolite survey. Made notice re ‘Bus Strike’.

Sat 20 … Office … Progress folders.

Pit Holidays Mon 22 to Tues 6 Aug

Sun 21 … U/g … 1s Waterloo face line … 3 men (RB*, GB, RE) (Sunday morning)

Mon 22 … Office … North point etc on several Top Hard flat sheets.

Tues 23 … Office … Stencilling 1956 Order on Dunsil flat sheet. Also titles on Top Hard flat sheets completed.

Wed 24 … U/g … Spudding down South Main Road across 40s TG and up North Main Road to Pit bottom … 2 men (WEBB, RB) - (340 + 22 u/g)

Thurs 25 …U/g … 70s and 80s dial surveys and measurements 5 gates … 4 men (WEBB, RB, GB, RE)

Fri 26 … U/g … 1s Waterloo and 90s straight in dial surveys and measurements … 4 men (WEBB, RB, GB, RE)

Sat 27 … Off

Mon 29 … Office … Progress folders. Cleaning office.  Top Hard titles.

Tues 30 … Office … Cleaning. Progress plans.

Wed 31 … Office … Cleaning out Plan pigeon holes.

Aug 1957            

Bill Anderson promoted from Overman to Afternoon Undermanager

Thurs 1 … Office … Top Hard 1/5000 titles.

Fri 2 … Surface … Measuring to railway lines at Silverhill end … 2 men (RB*, GB)

Sat 3 … Holiday

Mon 5 … Bank holiday   

Tues 6 … Holiday

Wed 7 … U/g … Theodolite angling down North Plane Road … 4 men (WEBB, CB, RB, Keith Bingley KB)

Thurs 8 … U/g … Catenary measuring down South Plane Road … 4 men (WEBB, CB, RB, KB)

Fri 9 … U/g … Catenary measuring continued … 4 men (WEBB, CB, RB, KB) - (345 + 22 u/g)

Sat 10 … Off

Mon 12 … Office … Top Hard 1/5000.

Tues 13 … U/g … 1s Waterloo check LHG bearing with dial and adjust … 2 men (RB, JDeS)

Wed 14 … U/g … 50s dial survey and measurements 2 gates … 4 men (RB*, JDeS, GB, RE)

Thurs 15 … U/g … 40s RHG theodolite survey with small tripod … 4 men (RB*, JDeS, GB, RE)

Fri 16 … Office … Calculated and plotted 50s survey. Pleasley workings on 1/2500. And 1/5000 and stippled them. Also stippled Top Hard 1/5000 and Dunsil 1/5000 plans.

Annual Leave Mon 19 –Sat 31

Brian Hayes (BH) new Linesman started

Sep 1957         

Horace Gubbins had a car accident in Aug returning from holiday at Scarborough, and would be off work for several months … Ray Scothern acting Manager for that period. He was a very amiable sort, never bothered us. Mind you Gubbins for all his gruffness and foreboding to others never bothered us either.

Mon 2 … Office … Silverhill workings in Deep Hard and Low Main superimposed onto Progress plans and 1/5000 Composite plan.  Electrical plans updating.

Tues 3 … U/g … 40s RHG theodolite survey continued with small tripod (low gate in parts) … 4 men (WEBB, RB, GB, JDeS)

Wed 4 … U/g … 40s RH catenary measuring … 6 men (WEBB, RB, JDeS, GB, RE, Brian Hayes new Linesman BH)                                                                                                              (350 + 22 u/g)

Thurs 5 … Office … Finished Electrical plans. Completed stippling Top Hard plans.

Fri 6 … Surface … Subsidence levelling Skegby Sewage works … 2 men (JW, RB)

Sat 7 … Office … Progress folders.

Sun 8 … U/g … Pit bottom theodolite survey to tie bases from North and South … 6 men (WEBB, RB, JDeS, GB, RE, BH) (Sunday night) 

Mon 9 … Holiday

Tues 10 … Office … Sutton workings Low Main 50s on Progress plan. Prints of Silverhill Car park. Updating plans and stippling them to go with Overlays.

Wed 11 … Office … Copying Monthly measurements. Updated 1/5000 devlopment plan.

Thurs 12 … U/g … 1s Waterloo face measuring packs and chocks … 4 men (WEBB, RB, GB, RE) … (afternoon shift). It was an experience for everybody trying to master the new system of mechanised mining.

Atrocious Roof Conditions (Normal)

Fri 13 … Office … Copying monthly measurements. Plan of Waterloo face on 1 inch to 10 feet scale showing chocks etc. I remember the face was bent also. As usual and would be in future the stable holes would be behind, being hand filled and the machine drivers would cut out light and as they got away from the stable hole would cut deeper and after several strips the face was like a banana. Panzer creep would become a big problem always downhill to the LG and before taking a pan off, the gate would veer off line, once if not more times to 5 feet. A pan would be put on at the LHG to keep the planned panzer length.

Sat 14 … Off      

Mon 16 … Office … Copying monthly measurements for 1957.  Made 2 plans for supports for Waterloo and prints off.

Tues 17 … U/g … Catenary measuring 11s Main Road from 80s DG to 40s RH … 5 men (RB*, JDeS, GB, RE, BH) 

Wed 18 … Technical College

Thurs 19 … Office … Copying levels. Waterloo Support Plans.

Fri 20 … U/g … 1s W/loo, 90s straight in and 100s DG dial surveys and measurements 3 gates … 2 men (RB*, JDeS)

Mon 23 … U/g … 1s shearer face line measuring packs … 3 men (WEBB, RB, RE) … (night shift) into Tues, the roof was poor and nesh and strip packing was being done.  (355 + 22 u/g)

Wed 25 … Technical College

Thurs 26 … Office … Continued with surface tracing. Typing levels.

Fri 27 … U/g … 40s LG theodolite angling and measuring … 3 men (WEBB, RB, JDeS)

Sat 28 … Off

Mon 30 … U/g … 90s Straight in centre line, 40s dial survey 2 gates … 2 men (RB, RE).

Oct 1957                 

Tues 1 … Office … Scaling tracings and calculated areas.  60s Copyhold plan. Plotted 40s on NMG plan.

Wed 2 … Technical College

Thurs 3 … Office … R & FF tracings. Plotted waterlogged areas on overlay tracings for Dunsil and Top Hard. Made a 1/5000 sectional R & FF tracing for Waterloo.

Fri 4 … Office … Continued with R & FF plans.

Sat 5 … Office … Progress folders.

Mon 7 … Office … Waterloo R & FF plan.

Tues 8 … U/g … 60s and 120s dial surveys, 5 gates … 4 men (WEBB, RB, GB, BH) usually a long shift no time for office work.

Wed 9 … Technical College

Thurs 10 … Office … R & FF plans. Development plan. Calculated 60s survey.

Fri 11 … Office … R & FF plans. Plan and sketches to show scouring where delayed action detonators are to be used.

Sat 12 … Bi-annual meeting of all Surveyors at Bentinck Welfare … Water hazards by LH Watson Area Surveyor, Navigation in the RAF by Stan Hays, Area Boring programme by Stan Brunskill.

Mon 14 … U/g … 2s re-heading survey, bad conditions, huge falls of roof … 3 men (RB*, RE, BH). It was very bad ground and rising in advance at 1in8 didn’t help.

Tues 15 … Office … Check calculated 40s DG theodolite survey. Calculated 60s survey and plotted same on both plans.

Wed 16 … Technical College

Thurs 17 … Surface … Levelling Teversal Welfare Bowling Green … 2 men (RB*, GB)
Office … Plotted Bowling Green grid levelling results and contouring and checking for depressions from subsidence movement.

Fri 18 … Office … Top Hard overlay 43/4863.

Sat 19 … Off

Mon 21 … Office … Top Hard overlays 43/4663 and 43/4664.

Tues 22 … Office … Top Hard overlays.

Wed 23 … Technical College

Thurs 24 … U/g … 50s levelling and taping, 2 gates … 3 men (RB*, GB, RE) - (360 + 22 u/g)

Fri 25 … U/g … Dial survey and measurements 1s W/loo, 100s face heading and 90s straight in … 3 men (WEBB, RB*, JDeS)

Sat 26 … Office … Progress folders.

Mon 28 … U/g … Re-survey of 80s LH … 3 men (RB*, RE, BH).   Office … Calculated same. Copied up 50s levels.Checking over old Top Hard plans.)

Tues 29 … Office … Calculated 50s survey and 1s Waterloo survey and plotted same. Copied out Quarterly acreages worked.

Wed 30 … Technical College

Thurs 31 … Office … Stencilling co-ordinate values on flat sheets and cleaning plans.

Nov 1957     

Don Burton (DB) replaced Johnny DeStephano (JDeS), both British Railways Surveyors seconded for a minimum of 2,000 hours practical experience at a colliery as a requirement for the Home Office exam for a Surveyor’s certificate.

Fri 1 … Office … Continued. 50s calculations. Monthly info.

Sat 2 … Office … Progress folders.

Mon 4 … Office … Updated statutory tracings.

Tues 5 … U/g … 50s re-survey 2 gates … 6 men (WEBB, RB, JW, GB, RE, BH)

Wed 6 … Technical College

Thurs 7 … U/g … 40s DG turned uphill parallel to fault … 2 men (RB*, GB)

Fri 8 … Holiday

Sat 9 … Off ... Robert (Bob) Wain started as Apprentice Surveyor (RW)

Mon 11 … Office … Made a tracing of Top Hard seam in Dale Close area fro Mr LH Watson Area Surveyor re Warner & Dean Architects (who I used to work for, Stan Wain, Robert’s father, was the Secretary there).  Progress plans. Typing levels.

Tues 12 … Office … Prints. Updated Top Hard and Dunsil seams and coloured. General Purpose plan.

Wed 13 … Technical College

Thurs 14 … 100s RH benk checked with dial … 2 men (RB*, RE) - (365 + 22 u/g)

Thurs 14 … Surface … to Silverhill for exchange workings … (self RB*)

Fri 15 … Office … Made a section of Waterloo face. Manager’s plans to date. Added Pleasley workings.

Sat 16 … Office … Progress folders. Prints.

Mon 18 … U/g … Theodolite survey 60s Junction to 50s … 5 men (WEBB, RB*, GB, RE, Don Burton DB) night shift

Tues 19 … Office … Manager’s plans. Glapwell workings added.

Wed 20 … Technical College

Thurs 21 … U/g … 60s DG, 60s RH, 120s DG and 120s LH catenary measuring 4 gates … 5 men (WEBB, RB*, GB, RE, Don Burton DB, British Railways)

Fri 22 … U/g … 60s LH theodolite angling, progress measures 60s, 120s, 110s … 4 men (WEBB, RB*, DB and Bob Wain RW new Apprentice) 

Sat 23 … Office … Progress folders.

Mon 25 … Office … Overlay folders and Progress books.  Teversal and Pleasley Top Hard.

Tues 26 … Office … Progress plan for 110s. Prints off same and coloured. Deputy’s Districts plan prints.

Wed 27 … Technical College

Thurs 28 … Office … Monthly info. Surface drawn on Waterloo 6 inch to 1 mile plan.

Fri 29 … U/g … 100s progress, spudding out for thirling, 90s straight in … 4 men  (WEBB, RB*, GB, DB)

Sat 30 … Office … Progress folders. Waterloo packs plan.

Dec 1957                                                               

Approx 7,000 tons per week

Sun 1 … U/g … 1s W/loo face line … 3 men (RB*, GB, RE) (Sunday morning) - (370 + 22 u/g)

Mon 2 … U/g … 100s face heading, 1s W/loo LH, 80s RH, dial surveys and 40s DG line … 4 men (RB*, RE, BH, DB)

Tues 3 … U/g … Dial survey from Waterloo DG to 40s DG. Measured using 30m band … 3 men (RB*, GB, RE) Previously used 100 ft steel tape.

Wed 4 … Technical College

Thurs 5 … Office … Check calculated 40s thirling survey and catenary lengths.

Fri 6 …U/g … 110s DG, set out gate on 40s for uphill, dial surveys … 2 men (WEBB, RB*) then again later ….  

Fri 6 … U/g … 1s W/loo face sections … 2 men (RB*, RE) (Friday night)

Sat 7 … Off

Mon 9 … Office … Copying up Theodolite surveys and 120s levels.

Tues 10 … Office … Calculated 60s and 120s catenary lengths.

Wed 11 … Technical College

Thurs 12 … Office … Electrical plans to date. Installation of electricity into 100s panel. Mr J Frith’s wall plans.

Fri 13 … Office … Glapwell Waterloo workings on Mr J Frith’s plan and also on Composite plan ... Surface … To Sutton for Low Main workings for same ... Office … Pack plan for Waterloo 1s face.

Sat 14 … Office … Progress folders etc.

Mon 16 … Office … Composite plan coloured, plus Sutton progress to date. Electrical plan for 100s and 3 prints.

Tues 17 … Office … Another Composite plan coloured. R & FF 1/5000 re 50s. Stencilling on overlays.

Wed 18 … Technical College

Thurs 19 … Surface … Measured up coal heap and calculations … (RB*)

Fri 20 … U/g … 50s LH theodolite survey … 5 men (WEBB, RB*, GB, RW, DB) - (375 + 22 u/g)

Sat 21 … Off

Mon 23 … U/g … 80s dial survey and measurements, 2 gates … 5 men (RB*, GB, DB, RW and Richard Smith DPT)

Tues 24 … Office … Calculations with Richard Smith DPT for Manager’s certificate.
Christmas Holiday Wed 25, Thurs 26.
Annual leave Fri 27 in lieu, Mon 30..

Tues 31 … Office … Plan with Richard Smith for Manager’s Certificate (He would become an Undermanager)
Billy Williamson Head Electrician retired
Manpower 761 u/g, 151 s/f 1957
Manpower 756 u/g, 147, s/f 1958