A Unique History From My Work Diaries

Surveying Jobs

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

Page - 28 -

Jul 1965

Thurs 1 … U/g … Setting out 7s TG overcast line and thirling gate from Slant … 4 men (BTB, RB, JS, OH) 
(770 + 32 u/g)

Fri 2 … Office … Plan of old North Manrider with levels for Planning department. Levels for 130s etc sorted out. Copied trigonometrical levelling for old Manrider into book    

Sat 3 … 9280 tons

Mon 5 … Office … Levels for 130s development. Checking R & FF plans with AF for tuition. Ventilation negatives and prints.

Tues 6 … Office … Completed Ventilation plans. Information on 1/2500 R & FF plans and made up to date

Wed 7 … U/g … 5s Bi-di shearer dial survey and measurements and face and lines … 3 men (RB*, JS, OH)

Thurs 8 … Office … Completed R & FF plans. Inked in 5s survey on 1/2500. 1/5000 and 6 inch scales. Overlay tracing.                                                

Fri 9 … Holiday in Lieu for 16 June

Sat 10 … 9398 tons

Annual Leave 2 Weeks Mon 12 – Sat 24
Belgium, Luxemburg, France, Switzerland, Germany, Holland, Belgium

Sat 17 …. 9051 tons

Sat 24 … 9589 tons

Mon 26 … Office … Monthly reports, sections etc. and Progress.

Tues 27 … U/g … Setting out and checking 7s face heading and checked 7s TG overcast thirling … 4 men (RB*, CHS, JS, OH)

Tues 27 … Office … Completed reports etc. and section books.

Wed 28 … Office … Calculated and plotted 7s face head. Overlay tracings and Dunsil 43/4862. Completed plotting theodolite stations on several plans.

Thurs 29 … Office … Plotted 4s survey on 1/5000 and 6 inch. 4s Overlay tracing. Updated 4s, 5s and 6s Progress negatives.

Fri 30 … Office … Salvage negatives to date. Plotted 7s Waterloo drift on Dunsil 1/5000. Completed Progress negatives. Work on 6 inch plan of Clowne seam and borehole information.
(Cards +47s 1d total)

Sat 31 … 7542 tons

Pit Holidays Mon Aug 1 to Mon 16 Aug

Aug 1965            
Derek Hunt Cost Clerk left Aug 8 and John Weston appointed from July 27

Mon 2 … Weekly Progress etc.

Tues 3 … U/g … 10s DG, 130s and 140s headings dial surveys and measurements … 2 men (RB*, JS)

Wed 4 … U/g … Theodolite angling and leg catenary measuring on Main Road from 1s TG to old 40s … 5 men (BTB, RB, JS, CHS, AF)

Thurs 5 … U/g … Leg catenary measuring on Main Road from 1s TG to 30s … 5 men (BTB, RB, JS, CHS, AF) - (775 + 32 u/g)

Fri 6 … Surface … Levelling on Sidings and up to Silverhill, Car park, Pit Lane etc. … 2 men (RB*, JS)

Mon 9 … U/g … Theodolite angling and leg catenary measuring up the South Main Road from 30s to 95s … 6 men (BTB, RB, AF, JS, CHS, OH) 

Tues 10 … U/g … Continued survey up the Main Road from 95s to 130s headings … 5 men (BTB, RB, JS, CHS, AF)

Wed 11 … Surface … Levelling and taping Back Lane to Midland sidings …6 men (BTB, RB, JS, CHS, OH, AF) … Surface … Standardising measuring bands

Thurs 12 … Surface … Levelling and taping Back Lane, cooling ponds, loco shed, earthing frames etc. … 3 men (RB*, JS, OH)

Fri 13 … Surface … Levelling and taping Pear Tree Lane and rail sidings … 3 men (RB*, JS, AF)

Mon 16 … Surface … Levelling and taping in the fields towards Norwood and back to Pear Tree Lane … 3 men (RB*, JS, OH) … Office … Plotted same

Tues 17 … Surface … Measurements to dirt conveyor … Checked Clowne borehole … 2 men (RB*, CHS) … Office … Plotted 5s levels and contours. Contours on 1/2500 Surface tracing.

Wed 18 … Office … Tracing of Short Batch control Dowty Roofmaster system for 4s.  Contouring 1/500 Surface plan.

Thurs 19 … Office … Coloured prints of Roofmaster system.  Work on 1/500 Surface negative. Surface … Coring at the Clowne borehole.

Fri 20 … Office … Stencilling levels on 1/500 Surface negative.                  

Sat 21 … 8801 tons

In Charge … BTB Holiday Mon 23 – Mon 30

Mon 23 … Office … Monthly progress, reports, sections etc

Tues 24 … U/g … Theodolite angling and catenary measuring 4s LH … 5 men (RB*, JS, CHS, OH, AF) … Office … Copied out the survey.

Wed 25 … Office … Completed reports etc.  Calculations with C Skeavington re-standardisation of steel bands.

Thurs 26 … Office … Calculated and plotted 4s LH Theodolite survey.  Working on 10s and 15s Dunsil Overlay tracing.

Fri 27 … Office … Calculated and plotted 15s survey.  Drawing borehole section. Amendments to Ventilation negatives and prints.  R & FF negatives.  Plotted weekly progress for1s, 2s, 4s, 5s Waterloo and 130s Dunsil.  Prints and coloured shotfiring pattern.            

Sat 28 … 9629 tons
(Cards +59s 10d total)

Mon 30 … Bank Holiday

Sep 1965

Annual Leave 1 Week 31 Aug – 4 Sep - 7010 tons

Mon 6 … Office … Checking calculations … Results from West Midlands Computer Centre.
Plan on 6 inch scale of all district for Jim Stone, Area Production Manager.  Coloured outlines

Tues 7 … U/g … Check theodolite survey angling 4s DG from South Main Road … 4 men (RB*, JS, CHS, AF) … Office … Calculating survey. Copied into book

Wed 8 … Office … Calculated 4s DG check survey.  Theodolite co-ordinate sheets for Main Road traverse.  Sorting out boreholes and details into the filing system

Thurs 9 … U/g … Check catenary measuring on South Main Road and 6s DG … 5 men (BTB, RB, JS, OH, AF) … Office … Check calculated 6s district theodolite survey - (780 + 32 u/g)

Fri 10 … Office … Drawing of a stand.  Plotted 6 inch plan showing 5s, 6s, 7s etc. Discussion G Noble and HMI Stevens re Pit Bottom roadways.                                   

Sat 11 … 8370 tons                                                                                                                          
David Renshaw, Assistant at Sutton left to Zambia, Copper mine. He would stay and change over to Management side. Joe Manion to Sutton from Silverhill. Colin Deakin to Silverhill as Assistant 

Mon 13 … Office … 1/2500 R & FF negatives to date. Alterations to 6 inch flat sheets Dust Zone Scheme negatives.

BACM Meeting

Tues 14 … Office … Alterations to 6s and updated Second Copy Working plan.  Overlay tracings to date.  Stippled plans to date.  Coloured Second copy Overlay waterloo 43/4861.

Wed 15 … Office … Progress negatives up to date.  Stencilling on Standard mine plans.

Thurs 16 … Surface … to Area HQ at Huthwaite to update second copy working plans and Overlays … 2 men (BTB, RB)

Fri 17 … Office … Sorting out drawers re plan filing. Copied out Partial and Total co-ordinates for South Main Road traverse, from West Midlands computer results.            

Sat 18 … 8635 tons

Mon 20 … Office … Colouring 1/2500 print of old Top Hard and Dunsil from Sutton to Hardwick from Planning department.

Tues 21 … Office … Recalculated total co-ordinates of all recent surveys from the precise Main Road traverse.  Copied surveys to date into Area HQ Ledger.  Calculated 130s heads and plotted. 
Put Top Hard washout on Mr G Noble’s Progress plan.

Wed 22 … Surface … Searching for coal seam in Silverhill slurry pond excavation … 2 men (RB*, AF) … Office … Continued cleaning out drawers.

Wed 22 … Surface … Levelling and taping around new Car Park and stockyard … 3 men (RB*, JS, CHS)

Thurs 23 … Surface … Measurements inside buildings … Powder magazine, Saw shop, Time office extension … (RB*, AF) … Office … Plotted same. Stencilled surface levels.  Monthly book, worked out sections.  Started on sheets

Fri 24 … Office … Plotted 7s TG on Dunsil plan. Amendments to Short Batch control of 4s Negative.  Prints coloured for HMI. 2 support plans of 4s.                             

Sat 25 … 8430 tons

Mon 27 and Tues 28 … 2 Colliery Rest Days.
Wed 29 … Holiday

Thurs 30 … Office … Completed Monthly reports etc. Pleasley Exchange tracings. Updated plans. Plotted 10s and 15s Dunsil on 6 inch scale.

Oct 1965

Fri 1 … Office … Checking levelling notes and values. Print off EDP Stoppages code.  1/5000 R & FF negatives to date with information. Began constructing Support Rules for 7s face head and 130s Gate headings.
(Cards +73s 1d total)                                      

Sat 2 … 3976 tons

Sun 3 … Surface … Teversal Welfare … Talk by Bob Smith Rep for ICI on shotfiring and powders etc. (RB*)

Mon 4 … Office … Ventilation negatives, 1/2500 R & FF negatives to date … Surface … Levelling and taping to outcrop seams in fare end slurry ponds … 2 men … (RB*, AF)… Office … Plotted same.

Tues 5 … U/g … 5s DG theodolite angling and catenary measuring … 5 men (RB*, JS, CHS, OH, AF)

Wed 6 … Office … Calculated 5s DG theodolite survey and plotted same. Mr G Noble re 4s Bi-di shearer supports. Contouring 6s panel. Copying levels into book.

Thurs 7 … Office … Construction and amendments to 4s Support Rules for 13 inch bi-di shearer.

Fri 8 … Office … Continued with same.  Prints.  Coloured print of Top Hard.

Sat 9 … 7465 tons

Mon 11 … Office … Completed 1/5000 R & FF negatives. Ventilation prints updated.

Tues 12 … U/g … 5s RH theodolite angling and catenary measuring … 4 men (RB*, JS, CHS, OH) … Office … Copying and calculating levels. 

Wed 13 … Office … Calculating and copying levels.  Plan of 6s for HMI Stevens.

Thurs 14 … Office … R & FF plans in folders and completed. Began tracing of 7s Waterloo face heading Support Rules.

Fri 15 … Office … Completed same. Completed R & FF plans in folders. Amendments to 4s Waterloo Support Rules negative.                                                  

Sat 16 … 7541 tons
Julie Wells started as a Junior Clerk

Mon 18 … Office … New Ventilation negatives started.

Tues 19 … Office … Prints off 4s Support Rules for HMI Stevens.  Continued tracing new Ventilation negatives

Wed 20 … U/g … 4s district bi-di shearer dial survey and measurements … 4 men (RB*, JS, CHS, OH) … Office … Calculated and plotted same.

Thurs 21 … Office … Re-contoured 4s.  Amendments completed on 6s etc. 7s Waterloo development on Dunsil plan.  Calculated and plotted 5s survey.  Overlay tracings for 4s and 5s.

Fri 22 … Office … Updated 4s and 5s on 1/5000 and 6 inch scales. Contours on same. Monthly book.

Sat 23 … 8710 tons

Mon 25 … Office … Monthly reports, sections etc.  Area HQ Progress.  Began reducing to 1/8th scale 7s system of Support Rules – Gullick 5 leg chocks (off Newstead plan)

Tues 26 … Office … Continued with 7s Support Rules.

Wed 27 … Office … Plotted Clowne borehole A on Back Lane.  Temporarily finished 7s Support Rules.

Thurs 28 …U/g … 10s RH to 10s DG theodolite angling and catenary measuring … 4 men (RB*, JS, CHS, OH) … Office … Copied and calculated bearings.  Discuss Mr G Noble re 24 inch Shearer disc on 4s to replace 13 inch disc.

Fri 29 … Office … Continued with 7s Support Rules.  Began Support Rules for 4s for 24 inch bi-di shearer.
(Cards +70s 6d total)                                                      

Sat 30 … 9018 tons

Nov 1965

Mon 1 … Office … Completed 4s and 7s Support Rules both for bi-di and unilateral machines … prints off same. Salvage negatives to date.

Tues 2 …. Office … Calculated 10s theodolite surveys and plotted. Check calculated 10s LH theodolite survey. Plotted 5s levels and contours.

Wed 3 … Office … Continued tracing new Dunsil Ventilation negatives.

Thurs 4 … Office … Completed tracings.

Fri 5 … Office … Stencilling on Ventilation negatives.                                 
Fri 5 … Surface … Measurements for new TH arches and new 14 x 10 … 3 piece rigid arches … 3 men (RB*, CHS, George Dwelly)

Sat 6 … 9635 tons

Mon 8 … Office … Continued stencilling on Waterloo Ventilation negatives.

Tues 9 … Office … Continued stencilling.  Calculated 10s levels … Surface … to Clowne borehole A.

Wed 10 … Office … Edged all negatives. Squaring off stencilling. Copying 10s levels

Thurs 11 … Office … Copying Main Road levels. Stencilling on a Control Panel for Alan McDiarmid, Electrician. Completed squaring off stencilled titles on Electrical negatives.

Fri 12 … Office … Stencilling. Retracing Ventilation negative. Amendment to HMI Stevens Support Rules for 7s.                                                                       

Sat 13 … 10,028 tons - Bought a 1964 Vauxhall Viva, Cactus Green, Cream top

Mon 15 … Office … Continued tracing. Plan for HMI Stevens showing 2 fans in one airstream in 130s development heads.

Tues 16 … U/g … Theodolite angling from 4s Junction to 15s district … 5 men (RB8, JS, CHS, OH, AF) - (785 + 32 u/g)
Tues 16 … Office … Copying up. Completed fan plan for 130s. Prints. Copying 4s DG catenary measuring.

Wed 17 … Office … Calculated 15s bearings. Made books out for surveys. Finished off retracing Ventilation negatives.

Thurs 18 … Office … Continued with information on Ventilation negatives. Stencilling in Ventilation book.

Fri 19 ... Office … Continued with Ventilation negatives.                            

Sat 20 … 9727 tons

Mon 22 … Office … Monthly reports, sections, yardages etc. Made 1/500 plan for 6s Waterloo weekly progress

Tues 23 … U/g … 15s theodolite angling and catenary measuring … 5 men (RB*, JS, CHS, OH, AF)

Wed 24 … Office … Calculated 15s survey and 4s DG check measuring. Making a copy of old plans of New Inn Level from new Mining Records Office at Divisional HQ (Percy Hett) … originally from No5 Area HQ.

Thurs 25 … U/g … Pit with 2 Cost clerks, John Weston and Brian Taylor … to 6s face, manrider and 130s headings and Pit bottom … It was their first visit down a pit … (RB* plus 2)

Thurs 25 … Office … Began new Conveyor diagram. Amendments to 6 inch scale Dirt tip plan and prints
Fri 26 … Office … Coloured 6 inch scale Area HQ Dirt tip plans. Continued with Conveyor diagram. Information from Ike Sutton PPM and amendments to 1/5000 Conveyor Plan negative.
(Cards +72s 5d total)

Sat 27 … 9763 tons

Mon 29 … Office … Completed 1/5000 Conveyor and Haulage negatives. Completed 6 inch Dirt Tip Plan for C Skeavington.

Tues 30 … Office … Prints off O.S. Plan. Enlarging old New Inn Level off 10 chains to an inch to 1/2500 on O.S. Prints. With H Coppell Undermanager re Conveyor plan. Calculated and plotted 6s survey.

Dec 1965    
Dennis Jackson back to Pleasley from Kirkby. John Wilmot to Area HQ from Pleasley Assistant

Wed 1 … Office … Work on O.S. prints continued enlarging. Information for Division new work re Clowne drifts etc … found coal in borehole A at 2’ 9”. Copied out 6s survey

Thurs 2 … Office … Prints off Conveyor and Haulage layouts for G Darrington, A McDiarmid and D Green. Inked in 6s survey. 6s Overlay. Finished off Conveyor diagram with Plant numbers.

Fri 3 … Office … Continued with old plans. Information on O.S. prints. New Inn Level, old shfts., Molyneux workings etc., 10 chains and 6 chains to an inch scales.                       

Sat 4 … 9753 tons

Mon 6 … Office … Finished Conveyor diagram. Prints. Calculating 4s check survey and 15s theodolite survey. Plotted 15s statutory survey.

Tues 7 … Office … Plotted 15s, 7s development, 130s development and 6s on 6 inch and 1/5000. 5s Overlay tracing. Continued with work on old Top Hard and Dunsil re New Inn Level. Sent old Abandoned plans back to Division via C Skeavington.

Wed 8 … Office … Making up Progress negatives.

Thurs 9 … Office … Ventilation negatives putting reference numbers etc.

Fri 10 … 4s on 6 inch and 1/5000 and inked in. Bingo Card for Welfare. Prints for Civil Engineer of 1/500 surface plan.                                                                    

Sat 11 … 9847 tons

Mon 13 … U/g … Check theodolite angling and catenary measuring 10s RH … 5 men (RB*, JS, CHS, OH, AF) … Office … Began calculating same.

Tues 14 … Office … Finished off check survey calculation. Check calculated 5s DG check survey. Typed covers ….

Half Day Holiday

Wed 15 … Copying theodolite calculations into Area Ledger. Co-ordinate values in Dial books up to date. Made out monthly book.

Thurs 16 … Office … 1s and 2s Waterloo Borehole plan.  Cutters etc. numbers. Work on old 1/3500 plans from Area HQ (Frank England’s) via C Skeavington of all old shafts and workings in Meden Valley. Amended Dust Zone negatives.

Fri 17 … Office … Information on new Ventilation negatives.                      

Sat 18 … 9600 tons

Mon 20 … Office … Colouring Ventilation prints … Surface … with AF measurements and levels at Clowne borehole B … Office … plotted same. Ventilation negatives to date.

Tues 21 … Office … Conveyor belt figures to Austin Davies, Storekeeper. Colouring Ventilation prints. Alteration to Long Service Certificate for Herbert Hayes.

Wed 22 … Office … Dust Zone negatives to date. 1/5000 R & FF negatives. Plotted 6s on 1/500. Monthly book etc.

Thurs 23 … Office … Monthly reports etc. Adjusting the bubble on CTS S300 levelling instrument.

Fri 24 … Holiday  Sat 25 Christmas - 7396 tons
Tues 28 and Wed 29 … Annual Leave

Thurs 30 … Office … Amended Salvage plans. Completed Monthly reports etc. … Half day holiday.

Fri 31 … Office … Section books to date. Completed 1/5000 R & FF negatives. Preparation of Accident plan to Barry Sadler (my brother in law on 1s shearer … broken arm from whiplash of shearer rope) 
(Cards +79s 7d total for year)  - 4765 tons

Output Jan - Dec 1965 = 436,516 tons      Manpower 729 u/g, 147 s/f