A Unique History From My Work Diaries

Surveying Jobs

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

Page - 17 -

Jan 1960

Fri 1 … U/g … 60s LH, 60s DG and 60s RH dial surveys and measuring … 4 men … New Years Day (RB*, BB, DH, JG)

Mon 4 … Office … Progress. Monthly info. Estimate of coal fillers. Area 6 inch plan. R & FF negatives to date.

Tues 5 … Surface … Checking dial and level and adjusted … 2 men (JW, RB) …

Office … Estimate of coal fillers sheets for H Gubbins. Calculated sterilised areas.

Wed 6 … U/g … 10s and new 20s dial surveys and measuring … 4 men (BTB, RB, DH, JG)

Thurs 7 … U/g … 100s and new 30s dial surveys and measuring … 4 men (BTB, RB, BB, JG)

Fri 8 … Technical College

Mon 11 … Office … Sorting out tackle for exam. Estimate of coal fillers.

Home Office Surveyor’s Practical Examination at Sherwood Colliery 3 days, Chief Examiner, Tom Bush, No3 Area Surveyor and Assistant ? Seddon from Lancashire.          

Tues 12 … Surface tests … Theodolite … To set out a curve centre from tangent point. I sighted out by eye across to where I thought the line should be and after using the theodolite to sight the string I thought it was too far across, one short distance to the left and a long distance to the roght hand side.so I thought I would put them closer together so that the string would be tight but then having moved the peg I was distraught to see that I had missed the string line now by about a foot, so that meant setting out again. Tom Bush had asked me what my plans were and was satisfied with my new adjustment.  Subsidence levelling to square of 5 pegs … I thought that the bench mark value was the centre peg but when I checked it was an outside peg so I did the exercise again and explained why. I noted that the other candidates were struggling and I had done it twice. 2 men (RB*, Tony Wright).

Allowances were made for all of us due to being nervous and being watched all the time thus creating mistakes, but to know the mistake and to do the test again correctly, was acceptable.

Wed 13 … Underground test … Weisbach Triangles correlation in Sherwood Clowne seam… 2 men (RB* + 1) volunteered for afternoon shift. The examiners had been down the pit all dayshift watching 3 candidates in the morning, one who had taken more than the allotted time.  They were hungry and a tin of food and a drink was carried in with us. They spent all afternoon huddled in a manhole enjoying their ‘snap’.  The examiners only came to observe me once for 2 or 3 minutes and went away realising that I knew what I was doing having set up under a spad roof station I had found sited close to the 2 wires supposedly hanging down a shaft and I was well into the exercise, completing in half the time allotted. Colin Allwood the other candidate took about another hour but he finished well before the allotted time also so we all came out of the pit, the examiners particularly pleased we were early.

Thurs 14 … Office tests … (1) … Scaling an odd shaped area and calculating tonnage … 250,000 tons (within a few dozen tons, I knew I was right). Tom Bush the examiner remarked that I was confident and nodded but I was to put the long hand calculations on a sheet of foolscap instead of on the backing sheet on the table as I had done, (I used to do this at work) so that meant copying down all of them, but no problem. (2) Oral 15 to 20 minutes … (a) Coal Mines Act re workings 40 yards above and below … overlay tracings. I was fully conversant as we used the system at Teversal for 3 seams; (b) approaching old workings and notification and then (c) care and adjustment of a theodolite. An old Cooke Rand vernier instrument was set up in the office just to refer to when I explained the adjustment procedure thoroughly. Both examiners remarked that I was tracing the plan and making a fancy title (because I had started the ‘afternoon paper’ well before the oral in the morning). They did remark on my speed with instruments and calculating and tracing. The other 4 candidates in the office were struggling to finish the morning test at lunch time break …. Passed ….

- Surveyor’s Certificate 4381-

- Part 2 - Assistant Surveyor -

Feb 1960

Mon 1 and Tues 2 … Holiday

Wed 3 … Office … Waterloo tonnages. Estimate of fillers. Prints. Monthly book etc. Section sheets and book. Plan report book. CS sent me to tell Mr H Gubbins that I had qualified as a Surveyor. He was very pleased and chatted re my future career. Had 2 pinches of snuff.

Thurs 4 … Office … Plotted 60s abandonment on all scales. 60s levels and contours. Plotted theodolite stations on 50s and 60s.

Fri 5 … Technical College … paid exam fee … £1 18s 6d.

Sat 6 … U/g … Details in No2 shaft and sump … HQ Tunnelling team (Saturday) … 6 men (BTB, RB, BB, Jim Davies, draughtsman, Les Parker and Brian Halliwell previously Surveyor at Bevercotes. (He would commit suicide some time later).

Mon 8 … Office … Progress and Sutton progress. 60s levels into copy book. 1in4 drift from Dunsil to Waterloo plotted. Overlays. Surface on Dunsil 43/5060. Mr J Frith’s Wall plan 1/5000.

Tues 9 … U/g … Check levelling 1s DG … 2 men (RB*, BB) - (495 + 28 u/g)

Wed 10 … U/g … Accident measures for Bill Marriott at 90s overcast on South Paddy Road … (self RB* plus Safety Officer Fred Daft)  … plotted same … he sat in newly opened South manrider facing uphill and being tall struck his head on a low girder of the overcast. Manriding was stopped for some time … he was not popular!

Thurs 11 … Office … Estimate of fillers. Contours for Waterloo workings changed on all scales

Fri 12 … Technical College … Although I was now qualified I was allowed to carry on to take the HNC exam in order to keep the class number up to the minimum of 6 persons.

Mon 15 … Office … Estimate of coal fillers and Waterloo tonnage and sheets. Amended Civil Defence print to date.

Tues 16 … U/g … 1s Waterloo LH and 1s DG dial survey and measuring, 2s heading thirled. Line established in new 20s RH … 5 men (BTB, RB, BB, DH, JG) This is where Jimmy Gilbert (JG) opened his snap packet, looked at it in disgust and flung it down the gate shouting ... ‘Not Spam again’.  He lived with his father but admitted that he put his own snap up!!! You could not make that up.

Wed 17 … Office … Worked out number of metres traversed in 1959 for Levelling, theodolite and dial.  1s panel plotted … Surface … Information collecting for Civil Defence plan (RB*)

Thurs 18 … Surface … information for Civil Defence … 6 staff (BTB, RB, plus Fred Daft, Safety Officer, Mod Jones, Fire Officer, Johnny Morris, Head Electrician, Alan Vardy Ventilation Officer)

Fri 19 … Technical College … Weiss Quadrilateral and Weisbach triangles correlation.

Mon 22 … Office … Progress. Accident sketch for tension end on 60s DG.  Roadway support figures for Divisional Method study … Surface … Continued with Civil Defence areas. 

Tues 23 … Surface … Continued with Civil Defence measures … 3 men (BTB, RB, BB)

Tues 23 … Office … Calculated areas

Wed 24 … Surface … Continued with Civil Defence measures … 2 men (RB*, Alan Vardy)

Thurs 25 … Office … R & FF two new negatives.

Fri 26 … Technical College A2 HNC

Mon 29 … Office … Estimate of coal fillers. Waterloo tonnage. Monthly progress. Section books. R & FF negatives. Colouring Fatal accident plans for Silverhill … again… why me? Dates of workings in Sutton Low Main and Deep Hard under Meden Bank for Mr Roland Mettam Assistant Area Chief Surveyor.

Mar 1960
Colin Burlinson (CB), left Silverhill to Area HQ, David Renshaw to First Assistant at Sutton from Kirkby and Geoff Austin transferred from Sutton to Silverhill

Tues 1 … U/g … Measured 1s Waterloo ripping lip and shot firing pattern … 2 men (RB*, JG)

Tues 1 … Office … R & FF negative for Waterloo and info.

Wed 2 … Office … Plotting ripping lip and tracing for Area HQ. Reduced Dunsil and Waterloo workings from 6 inches to a mile to 1/25,000. Traced same on R & FF negatives. 

Thurs 3 … U/g … 30s DG theodolite angling (9 sets) … 3 men (RB*, BB, JG)

Fri 4 … Technical College AII HNC                                                                           

Sat 5 … 8592 tons

Mon 7 … Office … Progress. R & FF negatives.

Tues 8 … U/g … 30s DG string catenary measuring … 4 men (BTB, RB, JW, BB) (500 + 26 u/g) This system (started by Charlie Shadbolt at Kirkby Colliery) instead of using tripods with measuring heads (‘carrots’) and vertical angles both ways at alternate reading points, was by using strings with weights lined in between 2 theodolite stations at the heights measured at the theodolite instrument when angling previously and on the vertical angle line of sight.  It was used where the ventilation current was not too strong, e.g. panel gates, not main roads. It was a very quick accurate system. (Some pit surveyors were still using the bay levelling system of measuring which required a team of men to build and pack up the floor to rest a measuring tape on and levels taken with an instrument at each change of grade and was a very, very slow method of measuring and never did change.) The measuring band was stretched between the theodolite plumb position and the first string position with overlap of band at each end.  A tension of 20 lb pull was applied at one end and anchored at the other and readings on the band at each end were taken by 2 surveyors and subtracted to give the distance between, 3 readings generally taken agreeing within 1 millimetre. As a precaution against an error in subtraction etc. a further measurement was taken in feet and inches, just pull tight and read from zero end of tape and compared to the measurements taken in metres.  We purchased double sided bands, metres one side and feet and inches on the other side for simplicity, only needed one band to do both measurements. The system was carried on between all stations on the survey. It was an excellent system also for going across pools of water that occurred because the band was in the air and never came in contact with the water whereas the bay levelling system did and was messy.  In the office a pre-calculated chart was used for sag and pull on the band giving the distance between which was used in the calculation of the co-ordinates of the stations. An additional calculation was a conversion for local scale factor and curvature of the earth that was also applied as with all other calculations of lengths underground. For example x each length by 0.99975232 (for PG).

Wed 9 … Office … Calculated survey. Re-plotted 30s.

Wed 9 … Surface … Pegging out fence line with dial … 4 men (BTB, RB, BB and Malcolm Deneley DPT)

Thurs 10 … Office … Calculations.  R & FF negatives on 1/2500.

Fri 11 … Technical College                                                                                   

Sat 12 … 8398 tons

Mon 14 … Office … Manpower schedule. Waterloo tonnage calculated. Progress plans. Copying surveys and monthly measurements.

Tues 15 … U/g … Theodolite survey from Dunsil down 1in4 drift and up 1s Waterloo LH, catenary measuring … 4 men (BTB, RB, BB, JG)

Wed 16 … U/g … Bricking line in No1 shaft sump … 2 men (BTB, RB)

Wed 16 … Surface same day … pegging out for new stockyard … 3 men (BTB, RB, BB)

Thurs 17 …U/g … Theodolite survey in 100s RH … 4 men (BTB, JW, RB, BB)

Fri 18 … Technical College                                                                       

Sat 19 … 7486 tons           

Annual Leave Mon 21 – Fri 25

Fri 25 …Technical College … Visit to Foraky borehole at Welbeck (RB + class members) 7702 tons

Mon 28 … U/g … 120s and 110s panel dial surveys and measuring … 4 men (BTB, RB, DH, JG)

Tues 29 … U/g … Re-establishing lines in 120s DG with dial. Backsight in 110s DG … 4 men (BTB, RB, DH, JG) - (505 + 26 u/g)

Wed 30 … Office … Conveyor belt figures for Austin Davies, Storekeeper.

Thurs 31 … U/g … 110s both gates theodolite survey and catenary measuring … 4 men (BTB, RB, BB, John Clifford JC)

Apr 1960
John Clifford (JC) had started on Group Staff, then transferred to Silverhill

Fri 1 … Technical College                                                                                        

Sat 2 … 9303 tons

Mon 4 … Office … Calculated 110s survey and plotted. 110s levels copied up.

Tues 5 …U/g … 100s LH theodolite survey and catenary measuring … 4 men (BTB, JW, RB, BB)

Wed 6 … U/g … 20s and 110s panels dial survey and measuring … 4 men (RB*, BB, DH, JG)

Thurs 7 … Office …. Calculated and plotted surveys, inked and stippled.

Fri 8 … Technical College                                                               

Sat 9 … 8559 tons

Mon 11 … Office … R & FF plans. 6 inch scale roll plan. 1/5000 General Purpose, Dust Zones, Composite and Ventilation plans.  

Tues 12 … Office … Ventilation plans. Manager’s plans. Means of Egress 6 inch, Deputy’s Districts negs. Electrical negs.

Wed 13 … Office … Composite plan, workings from Silverhill and Sutton.  R & FF plans. Calculated 100s LH survey.

Thurs 14 … Office … New progress plan for 2s Waterloo. Overlay tracings to date. Copied up surveys etc. to date. Calculated and plotted 1s Waterloo survey.

Fri 15  … Office … R & FF plans. Overlays. Stippled all plans to date.  Waterloo 6 inch to a mile sheet. 

Sat 15 … 4589 tons

Mon 18 and Tues 19 … Easter Holiday

Wed 20, Thurs 21, Fri 22… Compassionate leave … my Grandma White who I lived with, died

Sat 23 … 6680 tons

Mon 25 … Office … Progress.  R & FF 1/5000 negs. Waterloo 6 inch roll plan. Mining Report for George Warner Architect for property on Dalestorth Road.

Tues 26 … U/g … 120s LH and 120s RH lines check with dial … 4 men (RB*, BB, DH, JG)

Tues 26 … Office … 3 Mining Reports.

Wed 27 … Office … Calculated proposed drift from Dunsil North Main Road to Waterloo DG … 1in7. Progress plans. Waterloo 6 inch negative. 3 Mining Reports.

Thurs 28 … Office … Manpower schedule.  Monthly book.  2 Mining Reports.

Fri 29 … Technical College                                                            

Sat 30 … 6821 tons

May 1960

Mon 2 … Office … Monthly info. Waterloo tonnage. Sections. Report.  Plan report sheets.

Tues 3 … Surface… Setting out centres of Shonkey shaft on all walls … 3 men (BTB, RB, BB)

Tues 3 … Office … Re-arranged safe with DH

Wed 4 …U/g … 100s panel levelling and taping … 2 men (RB*, JC) - (510 + 26 u/g)

Wed 4 … Office … Copying levels.

Thurs 5 … U/g … 120s district and 110s LH levelling and taping … 3 men (RB*, JC, BB) … Office … Copying levels

Fri 6 … Technical College … Extension of a base line.                                  

Sat 7 … 6993 tons

Mon 9 … Office … Copying levels. Plotted levels on plans.

Tues 10 … Office … Constructing new 1/5000 R & FF tracing.

Wed 11 … Office … Technical College … A2 exam HNC … Principles of Mining and Surveying A.

Thurs 12 … U/g … Levelling and taping from old 120s to new 120s to establish bench marks … 2 men (RB*, BB) 

Fri 13 … Plotted levels and contours.  General purpose tracing.  New R & FF negative.

Sat 14 … 7808 tons

Mon 16 … Office … Continued with R & FF 1/5000 negative for Waterloo seam.  Indexing negatives and 25 inch plans.

Tues 17 … U/g … Levelling and taping 10s district establishing bench marks for 20s … 2 men (RB*, BB)

Wed 18 … Office … R & FF negs

Thurs 19 … U/g … 20s district levelling and taping … 2 men (RB*, BB)

Fri 20 … Technical College                                                               

Sat 21 … 7870 tons

Mon 23 … Office … Calculating levels and typing.

Tues 24 …Office … Levels for both seams.  Calculated levels up to date.

Wed 25 … Office … Technical College HNC exam ... Geology and Surveying B

Thurs 26 … Office … Monthly progress, section book and sheets.  Subsidence plan for 120s Dunsil seam on 1/1250.  R & FF negs stencilled up to date info.

Fri 27 … Surface … Technical College Field trip … Geophysical prospecting at Tibshelf Top pit

Sat 28 … 6716 tons

Mon 30 … Office … Monthly progress.  Waterloo tonnage.  Info on R & FF negs.

Tues 31 … Office … R & FF negs … Surface … Changed the target on No1 headgear (RB*).

June 1960

Wed 1 … U/g … 1s DG theodolite survey … 5 men (BTB, RB, BB, DH, JG) - (515 + 26 u/g)

Thurs 2 … Technical College … Field trip … to the Wrekin, Uriconium, Ironbridge and Buildwas Abbey

Fri 3 … U/g … 1s DG theodolite survey completed … 5 men (BTB, RB, BB, DH, JG) … Office … Calculated same and plotted.                                  

Sat 4 … 4260 tons

Mon 6 and Tues 7 … Whitsuntide Holiday

Wed 8 … Office … Checking all info on R & FF plans.

Thurs 9 … Office … Prints and coloured R & FF plans.

Fri 10 … Office … Typed levels to date. Waterloo to Dunsil drift plotted on 1/5000.  Prints for 1958 Correlation showing sketches of theodolite stations.                               

Sat 11 … 7370 tons

Mon 13 … U/g … 1s DG and 30s DG levelling and taping … 2 men (RB*, DH)

Tues 14 … Technical College … Field trip to Castleton (Geo Rushworth and G Metcalfe)

Wed 15 … Surface … Locating surface bases and set out new station near No1 pit top … 2 men (BTB, RB)

Thurs 16 … Surface … Checking theodolite stations … 3 men (BTB, RB, BB)  … Office … Making plan of 60s and 120s.

Fri 17 … Office … Completed plan of 120s … Surface … Theodolite angling in Pit yard continued and down sidings …
3 men (BTB, RB, JC)                                             

Sat 18 … 7812 tons

Mon 20 … Surface measuring bases by precise catenary in morning … offsetting in afternoon … 4 men (BTB, RB, JC, BB) … Office … Progress plans.

Tues 21 … Technical College … Field trip to Cooke, Troughton & Simms at York (Ted Frost and Bill Ainsley)

Wed 22 … Surface … Catenary measuring bases … and offsetting in afternoon 4 men (BTB, RB, JC, BB)

Thurs 23 … U/g … 20s DG and 20s LH theodolite survey from 40s … 4 men (RB*, BB, DH, JG)

Fri 24 … Office … Calculated surface survey.  Surface on 1/5000 flat sheets from Sutton Deep Hard plans.                                                                             
Sat 25 … 7758 tons

Mon 27 … U/g … 110s and 120s districts dial surveys and measuring … 3 men (RB*, DH, JG)

Mon 27 … Office … Plotting same by protractor.

Tues 28 … U/g … 20s and 10s theodolite survey and line in 10s heading … 5 men (BTB, RB, BB,DH,JG)
(520 + 26 u/g)
Tues 28 … Office … Calculating same.

Wed 29 … Office … Calculations.

Thurs 30 … Office … Surface on 1/5000 plans. Monthly reports, conveyor belt figures etc.