A Unique History From My Work Diaries

Surveying Jobs

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

Page - 24 -

Jul 1963

Mon 1 … Office … Monthly book, reports, sections etc. 6 inch scale negatives for C Skeavington

Tues 2 … Finished off reports. Stencilled Board for Sister Barbara Harrison.  Face lengths for Undermanager and Time Office.  Information re cutters etc. from Ike Sutton PPM.

Wed 3 … U/g … Lines established in 5s DG, 4s face head and 45 degree line from 1s LH to 5s … 3 men (RB*, DH, CHS) … Office … Conveyor belt figures for Storekeeper. C Skeavington perusing plans for HMI

Thurs 4 … Office … Inked in tub tracks on surface plan print and coloured same. Alterations to symbol A in circle from M in circle on ventilation plan negatives

Fri 5 … Office … Ventilation negatives.  Colouring 1/2500 R & FF prints. Conveyor belt figures completed.
(Cards +53s 2d total)                                          

Sat 6 … 7651 tons

Mon 8 … Office … Prints off Ventilation negs and coloured.  Notice re Milk prices for Canteen.

Tues 9 … U/g … 1s district levelling and taping both gates … 3 men (RB*, CHS plus Fire Officer Derek Harris) … Office … Copied up levels 

Wed 10 … U/g … Special job for Mr HB Bennett Area General Manager … Coal sections on 3s trepanner face … (self RB*) - (665 + 30 u/g)

Thurs 11 … Office … Ventilation plans. Checked through 1s LH theodolite surveys … found a mistake in line W18 to W19A … error of 8 metres … amended calculations and recalculated surveys.

Fri 12 … Office … Ventilation plans. Altered co-ordinates in Dial book and notes.  Check calculated 1s Abandonment survey. Calculated levels across 1s face by vertical ngles.  Mr G Noble’s 1/5000 Composite plan updated and coloured.                            

Sat 13 … 9071 tons

Mon 15 … Office … Completed Ventilation plans with Brian Stones, Ventilation Officer. Calculated and plotted levels for 1s and plotted contours … o.k.  Altered and updated 1s Progress negative. Pleasley adjacent workings to date. Altered 1s on 1/5000, and 6 inch scales.  1s Overlay

Tues 16 … Office … Altered 1s theodolite calculations. Copied notes to date. Typed levels to date.

Wed 17 … Office … Checked all levels to date in folders.  Discuss Gordon Darrington and Alwyn Noble re future layout … scaling faces etc

Thurs 18 … Office Catchment Area Boundary on 6 inch O.S. plan. Parishes on 6 inch flat sheets.

Fri 19 … Office … Parishes and part surface on Waterloo 6 inch flat sheets.  Boundary on 43/4863, 43/4864 and 43/5061.                                                 

Sat 20 … 7423 tons

Mon 22 … Office … Surface levels from O.S. plans on Standard mine plans. Dates and inked in Dunsil workings

Tues 23 … Office … Plotted old gates on 43/4862 and completed dates and inked in.  Went through note books. Overlay 43/4862 for 3s and 5s Waterloo.

Wed 24 … Office … Altered 43/4664 Dunsil plan. Finished off plans in general … cleaning some of them up.

Thurs 25 … Office … Plotted theodolite stations on 1s panel. Surface features on 6 inch sheets.  Completed all plans.

Fri 26 … Office … Altered 4s Working Ventilation Development tracing.  Made others for 15s and 6s.  Monthly book started. (Cards +60s 2d total)                             

Sat 27 … 7720 tons

Mon 29 … Office … Monthly book, reports etc.  Emergency Organisation tracing amended and 2 prints.

Tues 30 … Office … Finished off reports, section book and sheets.  Progress negatives.

Wed 31 … Office … Progress negatives. Development lines plotted. Missing workings and Silverhill and Sutton workings to date. Discussing loss of working in coal with Ron Garrett, Group Cost Accountant and Derek Hunt Cost Clerk.

Aug 1963

Thurs 1 … Office … Finishing off Progress negatives. Working Ventilation Development plans for 4s and 6s.

Fri 2 … Office … New Progress negatives for 15s and 6s.                           

Sat 3 … 7679 tons

Mon 5 … Bank Holiday

Tues 6 … Office … Continued stencilling

Wed 7 … U/g … 3s DG theodolite angling and catenary measuring … 4 men (RB*, DH, JS, CHS)

Thurs 8 … Office … Continued with Progress negatives.   Went home sick.

Fri 9 … Sick … Gallstones.                                                              

Sat 10 … 5805 tons

Mon 12 … Office … Manager’s and HQ Progress plans. Calculated 3s DG theodolite survey. Stencilling on 15s progress negative.

Tues 13 … U/g … 30s and 10s dial surveys and measuring … 4 men (RB*, DH, JS, CHS)

Wed 14 … Office … Finished 6s and 15s Progress negatives.  Inked in 30s. Updated 1/5000 and 6 inch.  30s progress negative … Surface … Adjusting Watts 20” theodolite and CTS 1’ dial (BTB, RB)

Thurs 15 … U/g … Theodolite survey from South Dunsil Main Road into Waterloo 5s RH … 5 men (BTB, RB, DH, JS, CHS) … Surface … Adjusting CTS dial … (RB*, JS, CHS) 

Fri 16 … Office … 5s Progress negative to date. Prints off all Progress negatives and Working Ventilation Development plan negatives and coloured. Checking CTS dial.  Checking 1s, 5s and 4s lines on plan. 

Sat 17 … 8919 tons

Mon 19 … Office … Colouring progress prints.

Tues 20 … Office … Continued with same.  2 notices for Lamp Room.

Wed 21 … Office … Trimmed prints and put them in folders. Plotted 8s drifts on ‘small scale’ plan (larger image) for lengths etc.

Thurs 22 … Office … Finishing off 1/5000 plans … roadways etc.  Co-ordinates and bearings and notes recorded in theodolite books.

Fri 23 … Office … Made up 10s on 6 inch scale, 5s Waterloo overlay, 6 inch Composite, 6 inch waterlogged areas, tracing and print. Started new overlay for 6s Waterloo.  Plotted 5s on 6 inch and 1/5000.

Sat 24 … 9165 tons 

Pit Holidays Mon 26 to Sat 31 Aug

Mon 26 … Office … Monthly book, reports, sections and books and sheets etc.

Tues 27 … Office … Group Manager’s J Frith Progress plans to date. Finished off reports.  Stone Dust Scheme plan.

Wed 28 … U/g … 10s district and 2s snicket gate theodolite angling … 3 men (RB*, JS, CHS) 

Thurs 29 … U/g … 10s district catenary measuring plus check angles up Main Road … 4 men (BTB, RB, DH, CHS) - (670 + 30 u/g)

Fri 30 … Office … Calculated 10s theodolite survey. (Cards +68s 11d total)

Sep 1963

Annual Leave 1 Week Sep 2 to Sat 7     Skegness

Fri 6 … 6906 tons

Mon 9 … Office … Co-ordinates copied into survey books. Plotted 120s Dunsil on 1/5000 and 6 inch

Tues 10 … Office … Copying theodolite notes up to date

Wed 11 … U/g … 3s district dial survey and measurements and lines in TG … 3 men (RB*, DH, JS) … Office … Notice for Manager G Noble re Paying out times.

Thurs 12 … Office … Calculated and plotted 3s trepanner face on 1/2500, 1/5000 and 6 inch scales. Made up Overlay tracing for Dunsil. Continued with preparation of 2 overlay tracings for 6s Waterloo 43/4861.

Fri 13 … Office … Continued with same. Tracing Dunsil 43/4861.                 

Sat 14 … 8371 tons

Mon 16 … Office … Continued with same. Stencilling.
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Course (RICS) Evening course, Mansfield Technical College, West Gate, Charlie Shadbolt, Mining Law and Valuation

Technical College, Mansfield

Tues 17 … Office … Notice for Group re Film Show.  Printing.

Wed 18 … Office … Ventilation plans to date. Began new Salvage plan for 1s Waterloo.       
RICS evening course 6.00 – 9.00 pm Building construction F Hurst.

Thurs 19 … Office … Continued with Salvage plans. Made outlines for 30s and 2s with George Dwelly … inventory of tackle at 1s and 2s.  Stencilling same on plans.

Fri 20 … Office … Finished off 1s and 2s salvage plans and took prints.          

Sat 21 … 8923 tons
Derek Harris Fire Officer transferred to Cotgrave Frank Smith temp from Shotfirer Sep 23

Mon 23 … Office … coloured 43/4861 Overlay. Updated 43/4863 Overlay. Notice for Manager. Progress plans
RICS evening course 6.00 – 9.00 pm … Taxation EG (Ted) Frost and Mining Law Charlie Shadbolt

Tues 24 … Office … Made negative of South Main Road for rippings. New Progress negative for 3s Waterloo.

Wed 25 … Office … Progress negatives updated. Discuss Harry Coppell Undermanager re conveyors in the pit.
RICS course 6.30 – 9.00 pm Building construction F Hurst.

Thurs 26 … Office … Conveyor belts negative to date and prints.

Fri 27 … Office … Second copy plan 43/4862 Waterloo for 3s, 2s and 5s … 1 year.  Notice for Wilf Haycox, Full Weigh clerk. (Cards +68s 8d total)                            

Sat 28 … 8632 tons

Mon 30 … Office … Monthly book, reports, section book and sheets etc.  Finished off Second copy plan 43/4862 Waterloo.
RICS course 6.00 – 9.00 pm Mining Law Charlie Shadbolt

Oct 1963               

Tues 1 … U/g … 3s RH theodolite survey angling and catenary measuring … 4 men (RB*, JC, DH, CHS)

Wed 2 … Office … Stippled Second copy plans. Pleasley adjacent workings … new tracings

Thurs 3 … U/g … 30s DG theodolite survey angling and catenary measuring. Checked measuring in 5s RH … 4 men (RB*, JC, JS, CHS)

Fri 4 … Office … Pleasley adjacent workings.  Plotted 4s development headings. Calculated4s surveys. Copying Dunsil and Waterloo Dial surveys up to date.  Dunsil monthly measurements.

Sat 5 … 8105 tons

Mon 7 … Office … Copying theodolite and dial notes to date. 2 notices re Canteen Lunch time.  Updated Area HQ 6 inch negatives for C Skeavington Group Surveyor. Copying theodolite calculations into Area folder.
RICS course 6.00 – 9.00 pm Mining Law, Valuation

Tues 8 … Office … Updating Conveyor negative and information.

Wed 9 … Office Completed Conveyor plan and prints. Information from Ike Sutton PPM re conveyors, machines etc.  Updated negatives and prints
RICS course 6.00 – 9.00 pm Building construction

Thurs 10 … Office … Updated all 1/5000 negatives. Plan for Alan McDiarmid Electrician.  Checked all notes etc sent to Area HQ via C Skeavington up to Oct 1

Fri 11 … Office … 1/5000 Composite negative to date (old one).  Cleaned table.      

Sat 12 … 8184 tons

Mon 14 … Office … Stencilling on Top Hard 6 inch negative.      
RICS course 6.00 – 9.00 pm Taxation, Mining Law

Tues 15 … Office … Continued with same.  Plotting old shafts on 1/2500 and checking against O.S. sheets. Plotted them on O.S. sheet 43/4660.

Wed 16 … Office … Continued with 6 inch Top Hard, faults, titles etc. Prints.        
RICS course 6.00 – 9.00 Building construction.

Thurs 17 … Office … Updated 6 inch Stone Dust Scheme plan negatives.  Sorted out Support Rules to date and listed same. Prints for 4s Waterloo.

Fri 18 … Office … Second copy Dunsil Working plan. Check tracing of Harper Hill Drift Mine workings for levels and contours.                                                     

Sat 19 … 8768 tons

Mon 21 … Office … Adjusted Watts 20 second theodolite for horizontal and vertical angles.  Made out survey book. RICS course 6.00 – 9.00 pm    

Tues 22 … Surface … Harper Hill Drift Mine … Trigonometrical levelling for check on existing level values … 3 men (Clary Skeavington, RB, Trevor Speed)

Wed 23 … Office … Copied out survey of Harper Hill mine into copy book and checked and copied levels for record.
RICS course 6.00 – 9.00 pm

Thurs 24 … Office … Updated Overlay 43/466s Dunsil, re-coloured and re-inking in.

Fri 25 … Office … Re-made Overlay negative 43/4661 Dunsil. (Cards +80s 8d total)       

Sat 26 … 7542 tons

Mon 28 … Office … Monthly figures and reports, sections, etc.  Completed Overlay 43/4664 Dunsil.   Applied for Ogilvie post S Wales
RICS course 6.00 – 9.00 pm

Tues 29 … Office … Overlay 43/4862 Dunsil.

Wed 30 … Office … Notices for Medical Centre etc.  Finished Overlay 43/4862.             
RICS course 6.00 – 9.00 pm

Thurs 31 … U/g … Theodolite angling on Dunsil Main Road and down 1s Drift … 5 men (RB*, JC, DH, JS, CHS) 

Nov 1963      

Fri 1 … Office … Updated H Coppell, Undermanager’s 1/5000 Composite plan … Surface … to Silverhill for Low Main workings … (self RB*)                                        

Sat 2 … 6957 tons

Mon 4 … U/g … 3s panel dial survey and measurements …4 men (RB*, DH, JS, CHS) - (675 + 30 u/g)
RICS course 6.00 – 9.00 pm

Tues 5 … U/g … 3s face survey for Manager … 4 men (BTB, RB, DH, CHS) … Office … Calculated distances and plotted on 1/500 scale.

Wed 6 … Office … Plotted 3s and 4s on 1/5000 and 6 inch.
RICS course 6.00 – 9.00 pm

Thurs 7 … Office … Stippled 6 inch, 1/5000 and 1/2500 plans. Notice re Saturday working.

Fri 8 … Office … Copied monthly info to date. Put 40 yards warning line round all suspected waterlogged areas.

Sat 9 … 8201 tons - Bought a 1960 Ford Anglia, Ambassador Blue
Sat 9 … Off … BTB on duty

Mon 11 … U/g … 30s both gates dial survey and measurements … 3 men (RB*, DH, JS)
RICS course 6.00 – 9.00 pm

Tues 12 … Office … Updated 1/5000 and 6 inch plans for 30s Dunsil. Made out Monthly book etc and also back figures.

Wed 13 … U/g … Catenary measuring from 5s DG to South Main Road … 4 men (BTB, RB, DH, JS)
RICS course 6.00 – 9.00 pm

Thurs 14 and Fri 15 … Sick, gallstones, terrible pain. -  9940 tons
Terry Wood Assistant to Manager. George Stain Salvage Officer

Mon 18 … U/g … Theodolite angling on South Main Road … 4 men (RB*, JC, JS, CHS)
RICS course 6.00 – 9.00 pm

Tues 19 … U/g … Catenary measuring on South Main Road … 4 men (RB*, JC, JS, CHS) - (680 + 30 u/g)

Wed 20 … Office … Calculated survey. Started tracing for 120s Dunsil salvage.  Put South Manrider on South Main Road tracing for Terry Wood Assistant to Manager.
RICS course 6.00 – 9.00 pm

Thurs 21 … Office … Prints off Main Road plan and arching marked on it.  Finished 120s salvage negative. Sorted out plans in drawers. Check calculated 3s DG survey of August 7.  

Fri 22 … Office … Progress negatives updated for Silverhill workings. Contouring old Dunsil panels on North side and made several alterations. Stippling plans. Malcolm Denelley Strata Control making graphs.

Sat 23 … Off - 10988 tons

Mon 25 … Office … Monthly book, sections, reports etc.
RICS course 6.00 – 9.00 pm

Tues 26 … U/g … Offsetting and lining on South Level pit bottom base line. Theodolite angling and catenary measuring for connection to No2 shaft … 6 men (BTB, RB, JC, DH, JS, CHS)

Wed 27 … Office … Print of 1/5000 General Purpose plan for Mr GK Noble Manager.  Plotting 10s and 4s on 1/5000 and 6 inch scales.
RICS course 6.00 – 9.00 pm

Thurs 28 … U/g … Theodolite angling on South Main Road … 5 men (RB*, JC, DH, JS, CHS) … Office … Calculating bearings etc. and checking against originals.

Fri 29 … Office … Continued with same.  Inked in 4s and 10s, dates on drifts etc. 

Sat 30 … Office … Notices re Teversal Retired workmen. Showing Wilf Turner Training Officer various plans etc.
(Cards +97s 10d total)                                                
Sat 30 … 10213 tons

Dec 1963           
John Clifford (JC) left to No4 Area Method Study Department

Mon 2 … Office … Tracing of Dunsil and Waterloo. Composite 1/5000 plan to date
RICS course 6.00 – 9.00 pm

Tues 3 … U/g … Theodolite angling and catenary measuring round from South Level base to No2 Shonkey UC shaft … 6 men (Clary Skeavington, BTB, RB, DH, JS, CHS) … Office … Sorting out timing etc. with Gordon Darrington, Group Planner.

Wed 4 … U/g … Check angle in No2 pit bottom. Survey of 6s DG, 4s DG and 15s DG and 15s RH … 4 men (RB*, DH, JS, CHS)  

Wed 4 … Office … Calculated same
RICS course 6.00 – 9.00 pm

Thurs 5 … Office … Copied surveys into book. Plotted.  Worked out borehole information for 3s to 40s. Cleaned 1 second theodolite and accessories and also Teversal equipment.

Fri 6 … Holiday

Sat 7 … Office … Updated 1/5000 and 6 inch flat sheets.Sorting out Haulage information for plan.
Sat 7 … 10832 tons

Mon 9 … Office … Overlay tracings for 5s and 4s
RICS course 6.00 – 9.00 pm

Tues 10 … Office … Haulage plan for Method Study and print. Prints of Top Hard, Dunsil and Surface for Horace Corbett Deputy Area Planner.  Made a start on new Support Rules tracing. Information for Coal Survey for saple from Dunsil 120s RH end. Plotted 120s.

Wed 11 … U/g … Catenary leg measuring on South Dunsil Main Road … 4 men (RB*, DH, JS, CHS) … Office … Stan Brunskill Geologist and Maurice Lamb Boremaster re 120s washout? - (685 + 30 u/g)
RICS course 6.00 – 9.00 pm

Thurs 12 … Office … Calculating Main Road theodolite survey. Also 5s DG survey.

Fri 13 … Office … Continued with same. Updated new 1/5000 R & FF negatives. Made folders for all calculations to date.

Sat 14 … 10687 tons

Mon 16 … U/g … Check angling with 1 second theodolite in pit bottom and catenary measuring … 3 men (RB*, JS, CHS) … Surface same day … checking new Watts dial (RB*)
RICS course 6.00 – 9.00 pm

Tues 17 … Office … Updated negatives for R & FF, Electrical, Ventilation, Dust Zones, Sketch plan and prints. Checked Ventilation plan. Sorting out 4s DG drift. Plotted again.

Wed 18 … Office … Continued with same. R & FF 1/2500 negatives. Information to Austin Davies Storekeeper re conveyor belt figures. Information put on R & FF ‘stinkers’
RICS course 6.00 – 9.00 pm

Thurs 19 … Office … Continued with R & FF plans. Re-plotted 4s drifts etc. Levels on drift to North Main Road and Overlays made up to date.   

Fri 20 … Office ... R & FF negatives.  (Cards +107s 8d total for year) - 8755 tons

Mon 23 … Statutory Holiday

Tues 24 … Rest Day

Wed 25 and Thurs 26 Christmas Holiday

Fri 27 … Rest Day

Mon 30 … Office … Copyhold plans. Monthly information, Reports, sections etc. Skeavington’s 6 inch negatives to date.

Tues 31 … Office … Ventilation prints. Updated Waterloo R & FF negative.
Manpower 729 u/g, 147 s/f