A Unique History From My Work Diaries

Surveying Jobs

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

Page - 18 -

Jul 1960

Fri 1 … Technical College                                                             

Sat 2 … 8811 tons

Mon 4 … Office … Monthly progress. Section book and sheets. Surface on 43/5060 … 1/5000.

Tues 5 … U/g … 20s LH Theodolite Survey and Measuring plus progress … 5 men (BTB, RB, BB, DH, JG)

Wed 6 … Office … Calculated 20s survey.

Thurs 7 … Office … Plotted 1/5000, 25 inch and 6 inch plans. Area HQ 6 inch tracing. Calculations.

Fri 8 … Technical College … Final Day … HNC … Valete … Ted Frost, George Metcalfe & George Rushworth.  I was the only one at the Tech to have been successful in the Home Office written examination in Nov 1959 and Practical examination for the Surveyor’s Certificate and then also passed the Higher National Certificate in July 1960.         Not many did that ... if any.
Normally having passed the practical exam one started at the Colliery full time as a qualified Assistant and finished going to the Technical College at that time but because there were only 5 left in the class they allowed me to complete the year to keep the minimum number up to 6 students.

Sat 9 … 8121 tons
Jimmy Gilbert (JG) left … Jimmy Sterland (JS) started as linesman, Tony Baines (TB) re-started

Mon 11 … Office … 1/5000 plans.  R & FF negs.

Tues 12 … Office … Colouring prints               

Annual Leave 8 days … Wed 13 to Sat 23 - 6766 Tons

Pit Holidays Mon July 18 to Aug 2

Sun 24 … U/g … Correlation at No1 shaft Low Main pit bottom, Weisbach triangles … Sutton Colliery … Sunday … 6 men (Stan Hays, David Renshaw, RB, B Bladon, J Clifford, Keith Bingley)

Mon 25 … U/g … Correlation at No2 shaft Piper pit bottom, Weisbach triangles … Sutton Colliery …
Pit holidays … 6 men (SH, Jim Hanson, DR, RB, BB, JC)

Tues 26 … Office … Check reading of Teversal 1958 Correlation with BTB. Ventilation plans. Monthly info etc, sections etc.

Wed 27 … U/g … Theodolite angling survey 120s district … 4 men (BTB, RB, BB JC)

Thurs 28 … U/g … Theodolite survey catenary measuring 120s district … 4 men (BTB, RB, BB, JC)       

Fri 29 … Office … Calculating 120s survey and checking 20s survey.              

Sat 30 … 5727 tons

Aug 1960                   
Manager Horace Gubbins (66) retired … Joe A Rodgers temporary Manager.  Ernest (Ezra) Brookes started as Afternoon Undermanager

Mon 1 … Bank Holiday

Tues 2 … U/g … 1s DG lines re-established … 3 men (RB*, BB, TB) … Office … Manager’s report.  Sutton and Pleasley workings on Composite 1/5000 plan.

Wed 3 … U/g … 60s TG theodolite survey finished … 3 men (RB*, BB, TB) - (525 + 28 u/g)

Wed 3 … Office … Calculated 120s survey.  Plan of 120s and 60s on 1/1250 for subsidence.

Thurs 4 … Office … Finished Subsidence plan. Updated Composite 1/5000 neg. and print. R & FF plans. Print off 6 inch for Mr Joe Rodgers, Acting Manager.

Fri 5 … Office … R & FF plans dispatched. Monthly book and monthly measurements. 

Sat 6 … 8111 tons

Mon 8 … Office … Sutton progress. General purpose 1/5000 old plan. Checking Waterloo measurements

Tues 9 … Office … Calculations into Area folder.  Interview for Method Study Engineer by L Ackroyd and Ian J Watson … Offered the job but after consideration turned it down as there was no offer of a rise in pay.

Wed 10 … U/g … Grade line at 1in60 from Loading Point to North Manrider Engine house for Mule haulage … 3 men (night shift) (BTB, RB, BB)

Thurs 11… Office … 3 Mining Reports

Fri 12 … U/g … Grade line painted for full tubs on South Level … 2 men (RB*, BB) 

Fri 12 … Office … 6 inch plan showing telephones.                                    

Sat 13 … 8179 tons

Mon 15 … Office … with E Brookes Undermanager re telephones. Progress and copying surveys.

Tues 16 … Office … Stencilled 2 telephone plans.

Wed 17 … Office … Mining reports.  Prints for Electricians.

Thurs 18 … Office … Prints of surface for Electricians. Ventilation measuring points with Alan Vardy. Copying surveys.

Fri 19 … Office … Amended Support plans for Supply gate ripping lip.  Stencilling.  Progress.  Mining reports.  

Sat 20 … 7727 tons

Mon 22 … Office … Copying surveys into Area folder. Mining report.  Progress plans.

Tues 23 … U/g … 100s DG theodolite survey … 4 men. Marked out Lofco position in Pit bottom (RB*, JC, TB, JS)

Wed 24 … Office … Stone dust barrier plan for Mr J Rodgers, Acting Manager.  Civil defence plan.  Updated R & FF plans … all sets.

Thurs 25 … U/g … 10s and 100s catenary measuring … 4 men (RB*, JC, TB, JS)

Fri 26 … Annual Leave 6 days                Coventry - 8391 tons

Sep 1960                                                                                               

Sat 3 … 9539 tons

Mon 5 … Office … Silverhill 3s Low Main panel on Progress plan. Reduced Skegby Sewage works from 1/1250 and 20 feet to an inch to 1/2500 scale.

Tues 6 … Office … Put Skegby Sewage works on plan.  Tracings of all panels to take to Area HQ for 2nd Copy plans.

Wed 7 …U/g … 1s LH and 1s LG dial survey and measuring … 4 men (RB*, DH, TB, JS) - (530 + 30 u/g)

Thurs 8 … Surface … to No4 Area HQ at Huthwaite 2nd copy plans … 2 men (BTB, RB)

Fri 9 … Office … Section books and sheets for Area.  Prints of Waterloo supports for Fred Daft Safety Officer.  Waterloo 6 inch flat sheet and roll plan to date.                     

Sat 10 … 8301 tons
George Noble transferred from Cotes Park as Teversal Manager on Sep 12

Mon 12 … Office … Finished plan of 1s shearer face with chocks and displacement. Took prints for 6 inch plan in manager’s folder. Calculated and plotted 110s survey.  6 inch neg. to date and print.

Tues 13 … U/g … Re-correlation of Piper shaft at Sutton Colliery … sighting wires with dial and scale, clamped wires in sump … 6 men (Stan Hays, David Renshaw, Colin Burlinson, RB, Cliff Beale and Joe Holland).

Tues 13 … Sutton Surface … Pit bank … observing wires from base … 4 men (C Skeavington, J Wilmot, RB and Ken Harpham).

Wed 14 … Office … New progress plan for 1s Waterloo.

Thurs 15 … Office … 6 inch, 1/5000 flat sheets and roll plans and stippling.  Touching up Dunsil 6 inch roll plan.  Stencilling.

Fri 16 … Office … Monthly book.  110s progress neg and prints. 1s Waterloo neg and prints.  Typed figures on sheets of recordings taken on Dobson walking chocks.                     

Pit Holidays … Sat 17 to Sat 24

Mon 19 … Office … Estimate of coal fillers. Surface survey calculations … Surface … picking up features (BTB, RB)

Tues 20 … U/g … Levelling to Lofco positions in pit bottom … 4 men (BTB, RB, BB, TB)
RICS Course at Mansfield Tech, West Gate. Ron Hays for Valuation and Law.  Charles J Whyte for Tax and Town & Country Planning.  6pm – 9pm every Tuesday evening.

Wed 21 … U/g … Continued levelling to Lofco positions … 2 men (BTB, RB) … Surface … same day … Measuring cable culvert (BTB, RB, BB, TB)

Thurs 22 …U/g … Continued levelling to Lofco positions … 2 men (BTB, RB) … Surface … same day … Measuring features in pit yard … 4 men (BTB, RB, BB, TB)
RICS Course at Mansfield Tech West Gate. J Blake, Building Construction 6pm – 8.30pm every Thursday evening,

Fri 23 … U/g … Continued levelling to Lofco positions … 2 men (BTB, RB)               

Fri 23 … Surface … same day … Continued with measurements, cables etc ... 4 men (BTB, RB, BB, TB) … Office … Stencilling notice re Lofcos.

Sat 24 … 7216 tons

Mon 26 … Office … Sheets for month end etc. Estimate of coal fillers and sheets.

Tues 27 … U/g … 120s district dial survey and measures … 5 men ( RB*, BB, DH, TB, JS) - (535 + 29 u/g)

Wed 28 … Surface … Measurements to buildings, stores, offices etc … 2 men (RB*, BB)

Thurs 29 … Surface … Subsidence levelling Manor Room in Teversal Village … (BTB, RB, BB) … Office … Drawing out idea for a new conveyor belt advancer for E Brooks U/m.

Fri 30 … Surface … Continued subsidence levelling in Teversal Village … (BTB, RB, BB)

Fri 30 … U/g … Same day in afternoon … Levelling to Lofcos in pit bottom … 4 men (BTB, RB, BB and inc Planner Gordon Darrington).                                              
(It was about here after a chance remark how jammy I was at cards that I began to keep a record of card winnings because I seemed to win more often than lose. We played a variety of games including solo then settled mainly on Black Maria.
(Cards Sep Running Total + 20s 10d)

Oct 1960

Sat 1 … 8478 tons

Mon 3 … Office … Yearly scaling tracings for tonnage check.  Monthly figures and quarter end figures also.

Tues 4 … U/g … 30s DG, 100s RH and 20s district dial surveys and measures … 3 men (RB*, TB, JS)
RICS course evening.

Wed 5… Office … Plotted, stencilled and stippled 1/5000 and 6 inch flat sheet and roll plan. Plotted, stencilled and stippled 1/5000 and 6 inch flat sheets and 6 inch roll plan. Deputy’s districts neg., General Purpose, Electrical plan negs.  Ventilation and Egress plans.

Thurs 6 … Office … Area HQ 6 inch plan and monthly progress.  1/5000 Composite.  Progress tracings.  Tracings of surveys to take to Area HQ.  Co-ordinates in Survey book.  Began tracing of surface showing Cooling ponds and Water softener for Electrical department.
RICS course evening

Fri 7 … Surface … Plough marks in fields … 2 men (RB*, BB) … Office … Plan for Electricians. Manager’s working plans.  Section for Ezra Brookes U/m.                          

Sat 8 … 8796 tons

Mon 10 … Office … Finished drawings for E Brooks. Info on R & FF negs.  Made up Office copy. Checking C Skeavington on annual scalings for rating etc.

Tues 11 … Surface … Dirt tip survey … 2 men (RB*, BB) … Office … Info on R & FF negs and prints.
RICS course evening

Wed 12 … King’s Mill Hospital for X-ray …

Thurs 13 … Surface … to Silverhill for workings for 1/5000 Composite plan (RB*) 
RICS course evening

Fri 14 … Office … R & FF plans coloured.  Calculating levels.  Copying same.           

Sat 15 … 9108 tons

Mon 17 … U/g … Accident measures R Ferrier 120s RH packhole … (self RB* and Safety Officer Fred Daft)

Tues 18 … Office … Copying levels.  R & FF plans.  Monthly book.
RICS course evening

Wed 19 … Office … R & FF plans for Rescue Room.  1958 Correlation sheets into folders and stencilled titles.

Thurs 20 … Surface … to No4 Area HQ at Huthwaite Second copy plans … 2 men (BTB, RB)
RICS course evening

Fri 21 … Office … Estimate of coal fillers in book. Making out survey books.  Section sheets … Surface … Set out gradient of 1in110 from Screens to BR track near Full Weigh Office (BTB, RB, JC, BB)

Sat 22 … 9078 tons

Mon 24 … Office … Composite 1/5000 plan. Levels plotted on 120s and 110s.  Calculated and plotted 2s and 10s surveys.

Tues 25 … Office … 1/5000 Composite plan for Mr G Noble, Manager.  Print off and colouring same.
RICS course evening

Wed 26 … Office … Colouring Composite plan.  Putting co-ordinate values of sheets on M1 Motorway plan for No4 Group area.  Monthly information in book.

Thurs 27 … Office … Estimate of coal fillers.  Inked in 10s and 2s headings and in the afternoon …. To Area HQ … Bi-annual meeting of Surveyors … talk … McLuckie Strata Control.
RICS course evening

Fri 28 … Office … Accident plan completed for RJ Ferrier 120s RH packhole.  Cloured same.

Sat 29 …    (Cards running total +25s 9d)  8766 tons

Mon 31 … Office … Amendment to Accident plan ... Common Law case, London.  Took prints, coloured same. Coloured Ventilation plans for Alan Vardy, Ventilation Officer.

Nov 1960

Tues 1 … Office … Copying levels. Plotting same and contouring on plans. Typing.
RICS course evening

Wed 2 … Office … Checking levellings.  Manpower schedules.

Thurs 3 … Office … Completed manpower schedule. Development plans. 2 Mining Reports.
RICS course evening

Fri 4 … Office … Amendments and additions to Air Measuring stations put on Ventilation plan.

Sat 5 … 9047 tons

Mon 7 … Office … Calculated Waterloo theodolite surveys.

Tues 8 … Office … Calculating surveys. Plotted 1s Waterloo Statutory survey (every 100 yards or quarter end 3 months).  Making book out for J Wilmot.  Waterloo plans to date, all scales.
RICS course evening

Wed 9 … U/g … Established line for new Top Hard Return Scouring … 3 men. Re-established line in 20s DG (BTB, RB, DH)

Thurs 10 … Office … Overlay tracings.  Repairing covers for Standard mine plans to fit in cabinet
RICS course evening

Fri 11 … Office … Ventilation negs amended. Coloured prints.                       

Sat 12 … 9626 tons

Mon 14 … U/g … Thirling survey angling for new Return Scouring … 4 men (BTB, RB, BB, TB) - (540 + 29 u/g)

Mon 14 … Office … Tracing of coal cutter connections for Electricians.

Tues 15 … U/g … Thirling survey catenary measurements … 4 men (BTB, RB, TB, JS) 
RICS course evening

Wed 16 … Office … Prints for Electricians.

Thurs 17 … U/g … Checked face line and re-established lines in new 2s RH (RB*, TB, DH) … Office … Ventilation plans amended again.
RICS course evening

Fri 18 … Office … Abandoned Mines … grid and locations of same for Whiteboro’ area … Surface … Measurements for cooling ponds and workshops … 3 men (BTB, RB, BB)

Sat 19 … 9027 tons

Mon 21 … Office … Copying 1s Waterloo theodolite calculations.  Re-plotted 10s survey for LH

Tues 22 … Calculated 30s TG theodolite survey (50s LH).  Calculated levels for 1s LH from Dunsil.
RICS course evening

Wed 23 … Office … Copied 30s TG survey into folder.  Plotted levels on 1s.  Contours etc on plan ... Glapwell Waterloo.  Stippled Waterloo on all scales.  1s progress neg.  Altered 10s negative.

Thurs 24 … Office … New progress plan for 20s.  Monthly book.  Typing.
RICS course evening

Fri 25 … U/g … Monthly progress and measured sections on 110s and 120s … 2 men (RB*, BB)

Sat 26 … 9316 tons

Mon 28 … Office … Monthly progress. Sections etc.  New progress plan for 20s. Put new Return scour on 110s Progress plan.

Tues 29 … Office … Estimate of coal fillers. New Means of Egress prints and coloured. Plan showing workings up to November for Dennis Pearson.
RICS course evening

Wed 30 … Office … 1s DG levels calculated. Plotted 20s levels on 6 inch plan.  Hung Egress plans in Canteen. Section book.  
Horace Parsons Enginewright retired and Dennis Pearson appointed

Dec 1960

Thurs 1 … U/g … Levelling and setting out centre line and grade 1in3 drift from 1s DG Waterloo to Dunsil … 4 men (BTB, RB, BB, TB)
RICS course evening

Fri 2 … Office … Calculated levels.  Alterations to bull bar supports at lip on Support plans. Calculated and copied 1s DG levels. Contours on plan.                                

Sat 3 … (Cards +38s 1d running total) - 9267 tons

Mon 5 … Office … New progress plan for 20s and development. Group progress and Manager’s plans. Notice for Wilf Turner Training Officer.  Prints off progress plan.

Tues 6 … Office … New prints off 20s progress plan. Coloured same. Monthly book. Amendments on surface negative from new surface plan.
RICS course evening

Wed 7 … Surface … Measurements to drains around pithead baths and railway sidings ... 2 men (BTB, RB)

Thurs 8 … Surface … Measurements to railway lines … 2 men and again … 3 men (BTB, RB, BB)
RICS course evening

Fri 9 … Surface … Measurements to screens … 3 men (BTB, RB, BB)             

Sat 10 … 9245 tons

Sat 10 … U/g … Line and grade in 1in3 drift and new line 2s face heading (Saturday … 4 men (RB*, TB, DH, JS) - (545 + 29 u/g)

Mon 12 … Office … Progress.  6 inch plans in folders.  Stoppings on 100s Ventilation plan … Surface … Measurements to railway lines … (BTB, RB, BB)

Tues 13 … Office … Tracing of SE Dunsil for Stan Hays, Sutton.  Tracing of 43/4961 for Jack Brown, Pleasley … Surface … Measurements to Screens … 2 men (BTB, RB)
RICS course evening

Wed 14 … Surface … measurements to rail lines … 2 men (BTB, RB) and in afternoon 3 men (BTB, RB, BB) … Office … calculated 110s survey and plotted same.

Thurs 15 … U/g … 10s LH check survey catenary measurements … 4 men (JW, RB, JC, TB) … Office … Calculating 110s check survey. 
RICS course evening

Fri 16 … Surface … Measurements on NW sidings and Dirt tippler … 4 men (BTB, RB, JC, BB) … Office … Began plotting same.                                                  

Sat 17 … 8838 tons

Mon 19 … Office … Copying Dobson Chock conversion recordings onto sheets for Area HQ Mech dept.

Tues 20 … Office … Prints off conversion recordings.  Calculating 110s survey.

Wed 21 … Surface … Centre line for new fan house and Fan drift inside … 3 men (BTB, RB, JC)  … Office … Calculations for surface plan.

Thurs 22 … U/g … 120s district dial survey and measures … 3 men (BTB, RB, TB)

Fri 23 … Office … General … Christmas Party   4498 tons

Annual leave Tues 27, Wed 28, Thurs 29 and Fri 30 (some overtime)

(Cards +56s 10d total from Sep.)