A Unique History From My Work Diaries

Surveying Jobs

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

Page - 19 -

Jan 1961

Mon 2 … Office … Monthly book, progress, plotting etc. Conveyor belt figures etc.
Estimate of Dunsil coal fillers calculated from seam sections.

Tues 3 … Office … Plan of 20s with Don Clay DPT for Diploma.
RICS course evening

Wed 4 … Office … Plan with Don Clay DPT (later Manager Goldthorpe)
Wed 4 … U/g … Dial survey through 30s benk … 3 men (night shift) (RB*, DH, JS)

Thurs 5 … Off
RICS course evening

Fri 6 … U/g … Dial survey through 30s benk again … 4 men (night shift) (RB*, DH, JS)

Sat 7 … 9087 tons

Mon 9 … Office … Calculated 30s survey.  Calculated surface co-ordinates … Surface … Measurements on NW sidings … 4 men (BTB, RB, BB, JC)

Tues 10 … Office … Worked out halfway point for new South Paddy. Calculated surface traverse. Plotted co-ordinates on surface plan.  Made sketches of Rail trolley for E Brookes U/M  … Surface … Measurements at Saw mill … 2 men (RB*, BB)
RICS course evening

Wed 11 … U/g … Grade line 1in3 Waterloo drift using a Watts 5 Minute Dial … 3 men (BTB, RB, DH) (550 + 31 u/g) … Office … Co-ordinates put in Statutory survey book.  Calculated sterilisation tonnages - (550 +29 u/g)

Thurs 12 … Office … Checking 1in3 drift survey. Copying 110s check survey into ledger. Put development lines on 1/5000 print. Made up 100s for standing position.
RICS course evening

Fri 13 … Office … R & FF negs and information.                                          

Sat 14 … 8219 tons

Mon 16 … Office … New progress negative for 1s and prints. R & FF plans, ventilation changed for 120s.

Tues 17 … Office … Amended Egress plan. Ventilation plans to date. Plotted levels on 20s for A Vardy Ventilation Officer.
RICS course evening

Wed 18 … U/g … Survey in Top Hard Return for Pit bottom Pumps … 2 men (BTB, RB) … Office … Electrical plan negs. Copied up 20s levels.

Thurs 19 … Office … R & FF plans. Copying 20s DG levels.
RICS course evening

Fri 20 … Office … R & FF plans.                                                     

Sat 21 … 8086 tons

Mon 23 … Office … R & FF prints.  Prints off Sidings plan.

Tues 24 … Office … Old rails on sidings plan for LH Watson Area Chief Surveyor.  Monthly book to date.

RICS course evening.  It had been snowing and had turned to slush which was over my shoes as I was trudging from the Tech to catch the bus at Queen Street.  I glanced up St John’s Street and saw a sign … Ernie Hallam’s Driving School.  My feet were wet with the slush and on that evening I was fed up so on the spur of the moment I entered the building and there was Ernie Hallam who worked at Teversal. We exchanged pleasantries and he told me he had just started the business. I asked his terms. £1 a lesson picked up from home or 17s 6d if picked up outside the Empire Cinema on Stockwell Gate.  Well it was only 3d on the bus and they dropped me back at home at the end of the lesson. So I went for the cheaper price.  Filled the form in for a licence, ‘Will be back by Thursday, he said, first lesson on Friday. It happened, the licence came on Thursday and 8 lessons later I passed my driving test Monday 6th March.

Wed 25 … Office … Sorting out gradients for Molyneux Top Hard due to 110s hitting a fault.  Old Top Hard plans check.  Gradients on R & FF plans.

Thurs 26 … Surface … Setting out centre lines on top of Shonkey shaft headstocks … 3 men (BTB, RB, BB) … Office … R & FF plans.  Monthly progress.
RICS course evening

Fri 27 … Office … R & FF plans. Copying levels for 50s LH and 30s RH.          

Sat 28 … 6295 tons

Sat 28 … U/g … New face line re-established on 2s Waterloo with dial … 2 men (morning) (RB*, TB) … bad work. - (Cards + 7s 6d total)

Mon 30 …U/g … Check survey for Royalties at Harper Hill Drift Mine, measuring rooms and pillars … 2 teams of 4 men (BTB, JW, JC, BB) and 3 men (RB*, Keith Bingley, Joe Holland).

Tues 31 … U/g … Survey through 1s Waterloo face measuring Dobson chocks … 6men (BTB, RB, BB, DH, TB, JS) … Office … plotting same.
RICS course evening

Feb 1961
Wed 1 … Office … Plotted Harper Hill drift mine rooms on 1/1584 (2 chains to 1 inch scale). Found differences, had not adjusted for dip on inbye rooms.  R & FF plans.  Notice for Lamp room and also a notice for Wilf Haycox, Full Weigh.  Calculated 2s survey.

Thurs 2 … Office … Checking over R & FF plans with Fred Daft, Safety Officer.  Copied Harper Hill survey notes into a new book. Plotted 2s survey.  Calculated 30s levels and copied. Plotted same and contours inked in.
RICS course evening

Fri 3 … Office … Made tracing for new Stone Dust Barrier plans. Harper Hill with BTB … tracing of Waterloo to date. Development lines on Stone Dust Barrier neg.            

Sat 4 … 5575 tons

Mon 6 … Office … Stencilling on Stone Dust Barrier plans for Waterloo and Dunsil.  Amendments to estimate of coal fillers … worked out by so many cubic feet per man at 5 ft 6 in undercut and height dependent whether coal top left up to form a good roof etc and stint length varied 7 to 8 yards equating to around 21 tons per man filled out onto a face conveyor.  Usually 1 or 2 shots per stint blown down by a Shotfirer using a Little Demon exploder.

Tues 7 … Surface … Survey to check orientate the Harper Hill Drift Mine … 5 men (C Skeavington, BTB, JW, RB, BB)
RICS course evening

Wed 8 … U/g … Survey of Dobson chocks on 1s face from DG end … 4 men (BTB, RB, TB, DH)

Thurs 8 … Office … General.
RICS course evening

Fri 10 … Surface … Re-survey of Harper Hill Drift Mine ‘take’ using a steel band for measuring … 5 men (C Skeavington, BTB, JW, RB, JC). 

Sat 11 … 7531 tons - My first car - Standard 10, Black (British Standard Motor Company) TAU 631

Fri 10 … Office … Calculations and plotting same.  Calculated levels for South Main Road.

Mon 13 … Office … Completed copying levels. Drawing a section.

Tues 14 … Office … Finished tracing and section of South Main Road.  Manager’s plans and a new one of 1s Waterloo and 1s Waterloo Overlay tracing.
RICS course evening

Wed 15 … Holiday

Thurs 16 … Office … Prints off Harper Hill mine plan and coloured same. Title on Manager’s Working plan.
RICS course evening

Fri 17 … Office … Copied surface survey of Harper Hill Mine.  Monthly book.  Progress.  Checking Abandoned Mines Catalogue.  Stencilling on Electrical negs.         

Sat 18 … 8139 tons

Mon 20 …Office … Continued with titles on Electrical plans.

Tues 21 … Office … Tracing new Electrical plan negatives.
RICS course evening

Wed 22 … Surface … Preliminary survey of Teversal Welfare … 2 men (BTB, RB)

Thurs 23 … Office … New Electrical plan negatives finished.  Info on same.  Estimate of fillers.
RICS course evening

Fri 24 … Office … Information on new Electrical plan negatives. (Cards + 1s 6d tot)       

Sat 25 … 8230 tons

Mon 27 … U/g … Checked lines in 120s DG and 120s LH with dial …5 men (RB, BB, TB, DH, JS)

Tues 28 … Office … Scaling Harper Hill Room and Pillar workings and tonnage = 5,100 tons for year ending. Info inked in on Electrical plans.  Monthly report etc.  Sections, Estimate of fillers sheet.
RICS course evening

Mar 1961
Wed 1 … Office … Info on Electrical plans.  Check scaled Teversal Welfare Car Park area … 4,165 sq yards.  BTB and self-received a small gratuity for saving the Welfare Committee being ripped off by a firm who was to lay the tarmac.

Thurs 2 … Office … Made new neg of Top Hard, Dunsil and Waterloo Composite plan 6 inch scale showing known and suspected waterlogged areas re Fred Green, Overman … he was the last one to walk out the Top Hard old North Return roadway before it was stopped off.
RICS course evening

Fri 3 … Office … Continued with waterlogged areas in Top Hard and assisted by Fred Daft, Safety Officer.                                                                      
Sat 4 … 8755 tons

Mon 6 … U/g … 1s dial survey and measures … 5 men (RB*, BB, DH, JS and Alan Vardy Ventilation Officer)
(555 + 30 u/g)
Driving test, passed by Mr Farmer, Chief Examiner

Tues 7 … Office … Calculated and plotted 1s survey. Completed Electrical plan negs. With Ike Sutton Planned Maintenance office re installations etc.
RICS course evening

Wed 8 … Surface … Measurements for fences, dirt tip and powder mag and road … 4 men (BTB, JW, RB, JC)

Thurs 9 … Surface … Survey of dirt tip and conveyors … 5 men (BTB, JW, RB, BB, JC)

Thurs 9 … U/g … Same day … Accident to haulage youth in 1s LH … 2 men plus 3 (BTB, RB and Fred Daft, Alan Turner Group Safety and Mick Daley NUM) … 3pm – 5.15pm.
RICS course … missed due to work.

Fri 10 … Office … Colouring 6 inch scale Composite plan showing waterlogged areas.

Sat 11 … 8460 tons

Mon 13 …U/g … Lines in 2s Middle Gate and set out 2s RH again. Checked line in Top Hard Return Scouring … 3 men (RB*, TB, JS)

Tues 14 … U/g … 20s theodolite angling … 4 men (BTB, RB, BB, TB)
RICS course evening.

Wed 15 … U/g … 20s district catenary measuring … 5 men (BTB, RB, TB, DH, JS) … Office … Sketches in Ventilation book of air measuring stations etc. for new Ventilation Officer Frank Walton … Alan Vardy sacked for falsifying Friday evening ventilation figures in the office and not going underground … Alan Turner, Group Safety caught him.

Thurs 16 … Office … Inked in sketches in Ventilation book.
RICS course evening.

Fri 17 … Office … Continued and completed sketches.                               

Sat 18 … 7730 tons

Mon 20 … Office … R & FF tracings.  New tracing of pit bottom area. Made 1/25000 switch plan. Calculated 120s check levelling.

Tues 21 … Office … Continued with R & FF negs. Made a negative of Allsops Portable Lamp Gas Detector for Manager G Noble. Positions of Stone Dust Barrier on Scheme plan.  Calculated, plotted, inked in and stippled 30s survey.
RICS course evening

Wed 22 … U/g  … 120s dial survey and measures … 4 men (RB*, DH, TB, JS) - (560 + 30 u/g)

Thurs 23 … Office … Plotted 1/5000 and 6 inch plans. R & FF negs updated. … 1/2500 sectionals. Examining old Top Hard and Dunsil plans brought from Divisional HQ (Mining Records?)
RICS course evening

Fri 24 … Office … Alterations to referencing on R & FF plans negs.                      

Sat 25 … 7661 tons

Mon 27 … Office … Progress all sets to date. 1/5000 R & FF tracings. Colouring 1/2500 R & FF prints.

Tues 28 … Office … Levels copied up. Levels and contours on 1s Waterloo and 110s Dunsil.  Calculated half depth pillar in Waterloo seam for Hardwick Hall.  6 inch roll plans and flat sheets.
RICS course evening

Wed 29 … Office … R & FF plans plus pit bottom area as well. Stone Dust negs. Calculations for dial survey Thursday.

Wed 29 … U/g … Line for new Mule haulage engine house at Loading Point … 2 men (RB*, BB) in afternoon.

Thurs 30 … Office … calculated 20s theodolite survey. Typing amendments for R & FF referencing … new Directive issued.  Copies of Fire point etc from Fred Daft Safety Officer.
RICS course evening

Fri 31 … Office … Monthly progress, sections etc and sheets. Report. Conveyor belt figures.  Quarterly statement. (Cards - 6d total) - 7527 tons.

Apr 1961         
Johnny Morris transferred to Kirkby as Head Electrician (sadly he would die in post later)

Easter Monday 3 and Tuesday 4 April Holiday

In charge BTB on annual leave … Mon 3 to Sun 9

Wed 5 … Office … Conveyor belt figures for Storekeeper. Assisting Don Clay with R & FF plan. Installation of Electricity plan for 2s Waterloo.

Thurs 6 … Office … Print of Electricity plan. Ventilation on same. 20s up to date on 1/5000 and 6 inch plans.  New prints for Manager George Noble. Clearing old plans out and putting new ones in his cabinet. 1/5000 negs.

Fri 7 … Office … Alterations to Electric plan, new prints.  Geological plan with Don Clay. (He would have several U/m positions etc ending as Manager at Goldthorpe, Yorks.)           

Sat 8 … 4602 tons

Mon 10 … U/g … Abandonment survey of Dunsil Seam 110s panel … 5 men (RB*, BB, DH, JS, TB)

Tues 11 … Office … 1/5000 and 6 inch plans, levels, contours etc. Details off old plan. 1/2500 plans similarly.
RICS course evening

Wed 12 … Surface … to Sutton and Silverhill for workings to date.  (RB*) Updated 1/5000 Composite plan.

Thurs 13 … Surface … to No4 Area HQ at Huthwaite 2nd copy plans … 2 men (BTB, RB)

Fri 14 … Office … Looking through old plans. Checked the old Top Hard ‘Black tracings’ (black ink) found many levels and sections missing off the Working plan and Top Hard 1/2500. Also levels in Waterloo seam on old South Dips.  Put all info on the plans.

Sat 15 … 8172 tons
RICS course evening

Mon 17 … U/g … 1in60 grade line on empty runround in pit bottom … 3 men (BTB, RB, TB)

Tues 18 … Office … Plotted Teversal Dirt tips on 1/2500 … Surface … 530 feet datum level for new Loco shed … 2 men (BTB, RB)

Wed 19 … Office … Reducing old workings around Wharf Road, Stanton Hill to Whiteborough area onto 12500 scale.  Gridding sheet for same

Thurs 20 … Office … Sorting through old plans pre 1860. Making tracings and reducing or enlarging onto 1/2500.  Fixing old shafts from Ordnance Survey plans and other old workings. Found old plan of Old Man’s Level and Top Hard and Dunsil workings around Fackley up to Whiteboro. Plotted all shafts on tracing of surface by ‘meaning’ positions etc.

Fri 21 … Office … Continued with same.                                            

Fri 22 … 9056 tons

Mon 24 … Office … Ventilation plans.  Manager’s Working plans to date.

Tues 25 … U/g … Theodolite angling round 10s heading into 20s RH … 5 men (BTB, RB, DH, TB, JS)

Wed 26 …U/g … Catenary measuring both with legs and strings 10s heading into 20s RH … 5 men (BTB, RB, DH, TB, JS) - (565 + 30 u/g)

Wed 26 … Office … Accident sketches with Fred Daft S/O re accident to M Hardwick ganger on 120s district.
RICS exam in evening … Passed

Thurs 26 … Office … Accident plans.  Mining Reports.

Fri 28 … Surface … Preliminary observations of old shafts in Meden Valley … 2 men (BTB, RB) … Office … Exchange tracings and Pleasley workings on 1/5000 scale.            

Sat 29 … (Cards +4s 9d total) - 8853 tons

May 1961           
Ernest Brookes appointed Undermanager at Brookhill. Alan McDiarmid appointed Head Electrician from Assistant at Silverhill

Mon 1 … Holiday

Tues 2 … U/g … Theodolite survey 30s RH … 5 men (RB*, BB, DH, TB, JS)
Tues 2 … Office … Calculations of 30s survey. Began to enlarge Carsic Lane Estate from 1/2500 to 1/1250.

Wed 3 … Office … Continued with same. Examining old plans. Completed 30s and 20s calculations of surveys.
RICS exam in evening … passed

Thurs 4 … Office … Monthly book and figures. Report. Catenary calculations for 20s.

Fri 5 … Office … Manager’s plans completed. Stencilling on Standard mine plans, sections, levels etc.  20s calculations and plotting and theodolite stations on 100s and 40s old gates.

Sat 6 …  8876 tons

Mon 8 … Office … 20s and 30s surveys copied up into folder. Plotted 20s and old 10s theodolite stations.

Tues 9 … U/g … 1s dial survey and measures … 4 men (RB*, DH, TB, JS) … Office … Calculated and plotted survey.

Wed 10 … Office … Barriers put on 1/5000 and 6 inch plans with dates … Surface … Preliminary survey of old shafts in Meden Valley (C Skeavington, BTB, JW, RB, BB)

Thurs 11 … Office … Extracting information from old Top Hard roll plans.

Fri 12 … Surface … Dial survey of 16 old shafts in the Upper Meden Valley … 5 men (C Skeavington, BTB, JW, RB, BB)                                                    

Sat 13 … 8995 tons

Sat 13 … Surface … Bi-annual meeting of Surveyors at No4 Area HQ

Mon 15 … Office … Plan for Manager showing proposed Switch house on Pit tip. 3 copies printed. Monthly book.  Surface put on 43/4660 flat sheet.

Tues 16 … Office … Calculated 3 point problem for shafts survey.  Surface features put on Dunsil 43/4660 and Harper Hill drift mine Dunsil plan.

Wed 17 … Office … Overlay tracings to date … Surface … measurements to drains and cable culverts … 2 men (RB*, BB, JS)

Thurs 18 … Surface survey to 5 old Molyneux shafts off Fackley Road … 5 men (BTB, JW, RB, BB, JS)

Fri 19 … Surface … Re-survey … Theodolite survey of old shafts in Meden Valley … 5 men (BTB, JW, RB, BB, JS)                                                                               

Sat 20 … 8411 tons

Mon 22 … Whitsuntide Holiday

Tues 23 … Office … Numbering all Teversal plans. Made new filing system with B Bladon.

Wed 24 … Office …Finished same.  Workings in Dunsil on 43/4660.

Thurs 25 … Office … old workings on 43/4660.

Fri 26 … Surface … to Sutton for old Dunsil workings (RB*).  (Cards +25s 8d total)        

Sat 27 … 4620 tons

Mon 29 … Office … Monthly book. 1/5000 Composite plan to date. Dunsil workings enlarged from 10 chains to an inch to 1/2500.

Tues 30 … Office … Stone Dust Barrier plan … sticking on blips. Finished 2 Composite plans.  Information on Top Hard plans.

June 1961

Thurs 1 … U/g … 1s D Gate theodolite angling … 5 men (RB*, BB, then add DH, TB, JS)

Fri 2 … U/g … Grade line on empty runround in Pit bottom. Level line on shaft bricking … 3 men (BTB, RB, BB) … Office … Surface 1/500 plan for Electrician. Made plans to date.  Altered Dunsil outcrop position on 1/10560 plan.                                         

Sat 3 … 8364 tons

Mon 5 … Office … Progress.  New titles on Progress folders.  Title on 43/4660 Dunsil sheet.  Monthly book made out.

Tues 6 … U/g … 1s DG catenary measuring … 5 men (RB*, BB, DH, TB, JS) - (570 + 30 u/g)

Wed 7 … Office … Calculated 1s survey and copied into folder. With Ike Sutton, Planned Maintenance, sorting out positions of equipment on plans. 6 inch roll plan amendments etc. and Pleasley workings added. Plotted position of Dunsil outcrop on 43/4660 and 43/4661.

Thurs 8 … Office … Plotting ram positions on 3/8 inch scale Pit bottom plan.  Progress negatives.

Fri 9 … Office … Completed progress negatives. Continued on 43/4660 plan.           

Sat 10 … 9045 tons

Mon 12 … Office … Progress 4 folders. Stage development plan for 10s … Surface … Level line in No1 Winding house … 3 men (BTB, RB, BB)

Tues 13 … U/g … 120s DG theodolite survey … 4 men (RB*, BB, DH, TB) … calculations 

Wed 14 … Office … Barriers on Stone Dust Scheme plans.  Finished 10s stage development … Surface … Measurements on Pit top and Loco shed etc … 2 men (BTB, RB)

Thurs 15 … U/g … 120s RH to old 120s DG theodolite angling survey … 4 men (BTB, RB, BB, DH)

Fri 16 … U/g … Level line in Pit bottom and centre line for rams … 4 men (BTB, RB, BB, DH)

Sat 17 … 8124 tons

Mon 19 … Office … Group Manager’s progress plans.  Made out survey books. Reducing old workings onto 1/5000 and 6 inch scales.

Tues 20 … U/g … 120s district catenary measuring … 4 men (BTB, RB, DH, JS)

Wed 21 … U/g … 30s district dial survey and measures … 3 men (RB,* DH, JS)  (575 + 30 u/g)

Thurs 22 … Office … Calculations of surveys and plotted same, Copied theodolite survey into folder … Surface … set out pegs for new Lamp Room … 2 men (BTB, RB)

Fri 23 … Office … Plotted 1/5000 and 6 inch and inked in.  Typing levels.                

Sat 24 … (Cards + 26s 4d total) - 8952 tons