A Unique History From My Work Diaries

Surveying Jobs

North Nottinghamshire Area from April 1967

Page - 43 -

Jan 1972

Kevin Bradley (KB) transferred to Bevercotes. Stuart N Whittle (SNW) appointed First Assistant from Thoresby. Sam Coles ex Undermanager, Blidworth appointed new Safety Engineer.

National Miner’s Strike from 10th January, but Deputies at work

Mon 10 … Office … Discuss last week’s work etc … Surface … to HQ for black negatives of Ordnance plans for amendment (RB*).

Tues 11 … Office … Family tree plan. 62s development plan. Discussion. Updating plans.

Wed 12 … Office … Sorting out various. Emergency Organisation etc … Discussion.

Thurs 13 … U/g … Dial survey and measurements 116s panel, lines in AW … 4 men (RB*, SNW, ANM, HAR) … Office … Discussion … Stuart Whittle had realised on going to Thoresby and seeing their system how utterly chaotic the system was at Ollerton, having spent 5 years as an Apprentice there. He immediately saw the vast improvement and the new systems I had put in place and approved.

Fri 14 … Office … Plotting plans to date. Inking in and dating and levels stencilled. Discussion. Nil tons

Mon 17 … Surface … Seconded to Landsale (RB) No1 job … Weighing Lorries… Office … Tidying up in Office. Ventilation plans, Overlays up dated.

Tues 18 … Surface … Cleaning culvert out under the boilers and boiler blown down pond … (RB, SNW) No2 job.

Wed 19 … Surface … Cleaning out Boiler blow down … (RB, SNW) … Office …

Thurs 20 … Surface … Cleaning out settling ponds down at end of tip … (RB, SNW, ANM, HAR) No3 job.

Fri 21 … Surface … Continued with same cleaning out settling pond - Nil tons

Mon 24 … Office … Putting shaft section in margin on Working plans. Additional stencilling and inking in borehole information.

Tues 25 … Office … Continued with same.

Wed 26 … Office … Continued with same … Surface … Riding ‘shotgun’ to Westminster Bank in Mansfield with Eric Spencer to fetch payroll, then putting wages up in envelopes and checking pensions etc … No4 and No5 jobs.

Thurs 27 … Surface … Draining Lagoon No3 … (RB, SNW, ANM, HAR) No6 job … Office … Continued with plans, inking in levels etc.

Fri 28 … Office … Continued with plans … Notices re BACM. Meeting re strike … D Rodden … Adaption if the Winding Engine men went on strike.       
Nil tons

Sun 30 … Office … BACM Meeting.

Flying Pickets on Pit lane ... Very aggressive to me the first morning on arrival for work, several of them were going to tip my car into the side with me in it and fortunately they were calmed down by Billy Bracegirdle NUM who explained I was the Surveyor and that I was on safety duties … never had any problem entering the Pit yard after that … they just waved me through …

Mon 31 … Surface … Defrosting pipes round Offices etc No7 Job … then to Area HQ for surface print and SM1 forms.

Feb 1972

Tues 1 … Office … Cleaning office equipment. Continued with Standard mine plans.

Wed 2 … Surface … Checking and sanding points down to washery … (RB, HAR) No8 job … Office … Continued with plans.

Thurs 3 … Surface … Screens cleaning up at tension end and wagon lowering (RB, SNW) No9 job.

Fri 4 … Surface … Lectures on Surveying to Deputies and Overmen in SJAB hut … (RB*) No10 job - Nil tons

Mon 7 … Surface … Screens cleaning up tension end and belt pans, lowering wagons under … (RB, SNW) No11 job … Office … Continued with Main Bright 1/2500 plan.

Tues 8 … Surface … Screens continued (RB, SNW).

Wed 9 … Surface … Screens continued (RB, SNW).

Thurs 10 … Surface … Screens continued (RB, SNW).

Fri 11 … Surface … Screens continued (RB, SNW).

Mon 14 … Surface … Screens continued (RB, SNW, ANM).

Tues 15 … Surface … Screens continued (RB, SNW) … Finished washing coal.

Wed 16 … Surface … Screens continued cleaning up (RB, SNW).

Thurs 17 … Surface … Screens continued cleaning Dirt belt (RB, SNW).

Fri 18 … Surface … Screens continued cleaning up Dirt belt (RB, SNW.) -  Nil tons

Mon 21 … Surface … Screens continued cleaning up Dirt belt, started on Coal belt (RB, SNW, ANM, HAR) No 12 job.

Tues 22 … Surface … Screens, cleaning up cross belt from bunker to screens (RB, SNW, ANM, HAR).

Wed 23 … Office … Sorted out and referenced all Support Rules from 1960.

Thurs 24 … Surface … Cleaning up drift belt from Screens to Washery (RB, ANM, HAR) No13 job.

Fri 25 … Office … Notice. Compilation of History of Ollerton Colliery for Thesis etc. Discuss work schedule - Nil tons

National strike ended 27 February 1972 - 13 different jobs to date

Mon 28 … Office … Notice re Safety. Work on new Dirt tip negative. Discuss same.

Tues 29 … Office … Frank Radford Planner info re faces and supports. Amended notice for Welfare. Continued with Dirt tip negative. Surface … Levelling in Galleries (old WW II Air raid shelter) behind offices, to find surface cover for Mr D Rodden … 3 men (RB*, ANM, HAR).
It was around this time that Len (Thumper) Collins, Safety Officer retired ill and died not long after?
(Little) Jimmy Pickering, Supplies Officer would be appointed Safety Officer

Mar 1972

Wed 1 … Surface … Set out line of Galleries on surface … Print for Electrician showing 20s layout for Installation of Electricity. 44s AW turn radius 35 feet. Continued with Dirt Tip negative.

Thurs 2 … Office … Plan for D Rodden re 116s and 114s thick coal area. Notice re Tax refunds … Surface … Survey of Galleries … 3 men (RB*, DS, HAR).

Fri 3 … Office … Sections of various panels on Section plans. Plotted 42s AW levels. Discuss Ron Hays.

Sat 4 …  11154 tons

Began work on a new ground floor Survey Office … was the old Wages Office and was studded out and half was for a proposed Conference Room.

Mon 6 … Office … Thoresby workings pressed through onto plans. Plan of 10s layout on 1/500 for JA Daniels D/m. Plan of 2s stoppings on 1/2500 for HMI G Weston. 62s face design info.

Tues 7 … Office … Inked in levels on 42s panel. Meeting TJR Sales … 44s and 62s face design. Garage plan … filling in for A Longden (re D Rodden).

Wed 8 … Office … Check calculated 25s AW heading and 10s LG line from previous work. Surface … to Area HQ with Eric Spencer to view equipment such as cabinets etc for new Office. Plans of Emergency coal stocking ground. Shotfiring patterns for Sam Coles, Safety Engineer.

Thurs 9 … U/g … Checked 62s LG settting out. Checked 25s AW heading. Checked 10s LG line … 4 men (RB*, DS, ANM, HAR) … Office … Plotted levels etc.

Fri 10 … Office … Small tracing of MkI and MII AS 200hp Shearer in relation to Gullick 5 leg chocks. Levels etc. Surface Gallery levels on 1/500 plan.

Sat 11 … 15767 tons

Mon 13 … Office … Discuss JA Daniels developments. Plotting levels etc. Discuss Jimmy Pickering Safety Officer re Shotfiring patterns. Discuss Bernard Bailey, Civil Engineer re Lagoon No8.

Tues 14 … Office … Amendments to 57s and 58s Support Rules for Groetschel bars in LG stable hole and prints taken. Shaft diagrams with cables for Electrical Engineer. Plan showing 2s and airways back to Pit bottom.

Wed 15 … Office … To Stores re cabinets etc delivered from Area HQ. Planning the new Office. Surface … Levelling from No1 Winder BM down sidings to Dirt tips and Jesse’s ponds … 2 men (RB*, SNW).

Thurs 16 … Office … Calculations re slurry / tailings lagoons. Discuss Ted Hodgson Dirt tips. Supports info re Sam Coles also shotfiring patterns. Print to HMI G Weston. Info by phone re 44s and 116s to Mr J Kerr, Spare Production Manager.

Fri 17 … Surface … Set out pegs and measured up Lagoon No8 on Tip 4 … 2 men (RB*, HAR) … Office … Plotted same and calculations.

Sat 18 … 16181 tons

Mon 20 … Office … Updated D Rodden’s Wall plan. 116s DG snicket drawn on 1/500 …. Surface … Levelling up the Dirt tip … 2 men (RB*, SNW) … Office … Calculated and plotted same.

Tues 21 … Surface … Levelling round base of tip … 2 men (RB*, SNW).

Wed 22 … Surface … Tacheometric survey round base of Dirt tip to far end … 3 men (RB*, SNW, HAR).

Thurs 23 … Surface … Tacheometric survey round base of Dirt tip to Lagoon No3 … 5 men (RB*, SNW, ANM, DS, HAR).

Fri 24 … Surface … Tacheometric survey of tracks near water softener … 3 men (RB*, SNW, DS).

Fri 24 … Office … Diagrams of all panels for JA Daniel’s lecture.

Sat 25 … 16021 tons

Mon 27 … Office … Plotted levels near Cooling Towers. Discuss Sam Cole re Powder store. Calculated Dirt tip survey using the Electric Facit machine. Had a manual one before … Sorted out computer info for AE Betts.

Tues 28 … U/g … (36) Theodolite angling 20s headings and set out 44s AW turn … 4 men (RB*, SNW, ANM, CM).

Wed 29 … Office … Calculated Dirt tip survey. Notice for Canteen. Letter to Davis of Derby re Laser beam.

Thurs 30 … Office … Discuss D Rodden 116s thick coal sections etc. East side Cannel coal position. Colliery Strategic Plan. Made up 6 inch Wall plan. Vic Brown U/m re 10s.

Fri 31 … Office … Holiday chart. Plotted 650s levels. Made up plans to March. Notice for Safety Engineer. Discuss NUM Box outside the pit yard end of the Offices with NUM Officials. Drawing of 10s Waffler heading for Vic Brown U/m.     Output 1971-1972 = 795,082 tons  - 16236 tons

Apr 1972

Mon 3 … Easter Monday, Tues 4 … Statutory Holiday …   Annual Leave Wed 5 – Sat 8

Sat 8 … 8057 tons

Mon 10 … Office … Adjusted bubble on Creswell Watts 20” theodolite (borrowed). D Rodden’s Wall plan to date. Discuss JA Daniels re proposed East drivages and 25s conveyors etc. Put books into new filing boxes and labelled same.

Tues 11 … Office … Plans, sections etc for East drivages, discuss John Raine, Geologist. 10s sections to D Rodden. Info re East Feed conveyor for catenary curve to Les Kerry, Projects Planner. Plotting Dirt tip survey.

Wed 12 … Office … Conveyor belting return. Plotting sections along East drivages … Design meeting for East Drivages … R Scott Chief Mining Engineer, TJR Sales, Production Manager, chair. (RB)

Thurs 13 … U/g … Survey and examination of 600s Main area for rock and coal re East Drivages with John Raine, Geologist … Office … Plotting 25s C conveyor. Plotting geological section.
Surface … Levelling round base of Dirt tip … 2 men (RB*, SNW).

Fri 14 … U/g … (7L) Levelling and measurements Drapers Paddy Engine house… 3 men (RB*, SNW, HAR) … Office … Plotting same on 1/500 and 1/50. (75 u/g)                                                            

Sat 15 … 16403 tons
Sat 15 … North Notts Mining Engineering Society Dinner at Shoulder of Mutton.

Mon 17 … Office … 6 inch plan from Thoresby. Continued plotting Dirt tips.

Tues 18 … Office … Finished plotting Dirt tips and traced same. Plan and section of 20s CG for proposed manrider. Print of same and also 25s AW ditto for George Hartley Deputy Mechanica Engineer s/f.

Wed 19 … Office … Distributing Quarter end plans to various departments. Plotting various. Discuss TJR Sales, D Rodden Joe Callinan, Planner and Area Ventilation staff East drivages. Calculations. Info to Peter Hall Mechanisation dept re East drivages.

Thurs 20 … U/g … (37) Precise catenary measuring from No2 Pit bottom down Harrison’s hill to Tebbetts via 622s … 5 men (RB*, SNW, ANM, DS, HAR) … Office … Info to Joe Callinan, Planner re Drapers paddy.         

Fri 21 … Office … Check calculating Pit bottom to Tebbetts theodolite survey and check measures also.

Sat 22 … 16700 tons

Mon 24 … Office … Progress with JA Daniels and Mike ? details for Mr JP Berry, Deputy Director. Sections of 116s. Plotted 6 inch plan to date. Plan and elevation of Drapers paddy, print for Jim Leaman, Area.

Tues 25 … U/g … (38) Catenary measuring 10s district … M&C Boom ripper in AW … 4 men (RB*, ANM, DS, HAR) … Office … Calculated same … Surface … Measurements for Incident with Crane … Office … Plotted same. Time Office check on linesmen.

Wed 26 … Surface … Tacheometric survey of top of tip and in the afternoon survey of slurry pond … 4 men (RB, SNW, DS, HAR).

Thurs 27 … U/g … (39) Catenary measuring into 42s AW … 6 men (RB*, SNW, ANM, DS, HAR, SMG) … Office … Discuss Brian Wormald Training Officer.

Fri 28 … Office … Meeting … 25s / 42s connection road … K Shaw, TJR Sales, J Maskrey, D Rodden, J Callinan, RB … then surface in afternoon … completed survey of slurry pond … 5 men (RB*, SNW, ANM, DS, HAR). 

Sat 29 … 17001 tons
Sat 29 … I organised that Dougie Stockham (DS), Supervisory Linesman and all other Linesmen to start at 8am in future instead of 7am. This worked extremely well as he now went down the pit at the same time as me or other staff. He was also able to call in at the Control Centre every morning to gather information about the previous afternoon shift, night shift and the early day shift and then gathered further information from the ‘Green Hut staff’ … Safety, Ventilation, Undermanager’s clerk etc and thereby I was able to know more than most what the situation was at the colliery and Dougie would thrust a cup of tea in my hand as I entered the office as he told me all the news. Armed with the information, staff and linesmen would be deployed by him accordingly to various jobs, such as face check lines etc enabling me to notify all concerned with straightness of faces etc from Deputy up to Manager. Apart from the Survey department being very efficient it helped others on the management team. The number of jobs from other departments began to fall steadily until eventually almost nil, unless something special was required. Plans required were quickly printed and coloured for each discipline using an up to date negative instead of the previous system of taking a blank print of the workings and putting all the relevant information on it by long hand that probably took the best part of a shift dependant on the information needed to be shown.

May 1972
Albert Littler Assistant Undermanager appointed Undermanager at Bilsthorpe, Ken Greaves demoted from Undermanager at Bilsthorpe to Assistant Undermanager, Ollerton.

Mon 1 … Office … Calculated Dirt tip survey. Ron Hays re plans ... Meeting in afternoon … North to East conveyors to change round from 20s CG and 650s trunks on North side to 42s / 25s connection to East side trunks … D Rodden.

Tues 2 … U/g … to 25s AW connection, 42 LG swilley, 20s headings, 55s borehole site etc … (RB* with Derek Stephenson, Fred Marples & Co) … Office … Plotted 42s swilley and 25s Junction.

Wed 3 … Office … Plotting Dirt tip surveys.

Thurs 4 … Office … Continued plotting Dirt tip surveys. Discuss JA Daniels. Ron Hays and Albert Robinson re 116s sections etc

Fri 5 … Office … Continued with Dirt tip plotting survey - 18510 tons

Sat 6 … Sacked Stef Bak (SB) and John Gilroy (JG) … now 4 linesmen David Evans DE, head linesman, SJM Gill (SMG), Bob Shepherd (RS) and Clive Morris (CM).

Mon 8 … Office … Progress etc … to Area HQ … Meeting … Jim Harvey Estates dept … Office … Met Ken Greaves, Assistant Undermanager, Plan of pit for him. Plotted levels on Dirt tip plan. Discuss D Rodden re New Return drivage.

Tues 9 … U/g … Investigation of 650s A2 Conveyor, Tebbetts, Drapers paddy etc re new East drivages. Spuuding for surveys for same and South paddy, check on 150s … 2 men (RB*, SNW) … Office … Arthur Morley rang re Kevin Bradley to transfer. (80 u/g)

Wed 10 … Office … Planning new East drivages … Meeting in afternoon … D Rodden … Scotched same, back to original scheme, but take out Drapers engine. D Rodden rang re Thouless and housing loan.

Thurs 11 …Office … Meeting in afternoon planning East drivages … D Rodden, Joe Callinan Planner …

Fri 12 … Office … Checking South Drivage sections. Calculated and plotted Dirt tip contours.

Sat 13 … Surface … MES Visit to Drillfield Engineering at Atherstone, Warwickshire - 19500 tons

Sun 14 … Visit to Mansfield Brewery.

Mon 15 … Office …Made 4 Safety notices. Sections etc to Ron Hays, Group Surveyor. Electrical info. Checking up on 44s.

Tues 16 … Office … Continued with Electrical plans. Discuss Jack Revell, Drawing Office re No2 shaft frames etc. Continued contouring Dirt tip plans … Surface … to No2 pit top with Jack Revell… later adjusted Watts dial.

Wed 17 … Office … Contouring Dirt tip plan … Surface … Checking rail lines and measurements for Rexco garage … 2 men (RB*, HAR) … Office … Discuss Architect, Clerk of Works, Electrical Engineer re moving into new Office.

Thurs 18 … U/g … Dial survey and measurements of 10s panel … 5 men (RB*, ANM, DS, HAR, RS) … Office … Clearing out Office. Discuss Eddie Moody, Joiner. Discuss JA Daniels re turn at 44s, 62s and 58s Stable hole supports.

Fri 19 … Office … Checking on 62s and 44s. Dismantling drawing table etc with the Joiners. Support Rules for 58s Stable hole.

Sat 20 … 21003 tons
Sat 20… Cleaning new office and windows etc … 2 men (RB*, DS) … it was the old Time and Wages office and the other half with studded wall would be a Conference Room adjacent.

Mon 22 … Office … Finished 58s Stable hole Support Rules. Sorting out the new Office. Laid some lino in the Lean to. D Rodden’s Wall plan to date.

Tues 23 … Office … Continued with Surface plan. Sketch of 57s Sumping drum shearer to Terry McAdo, Meco Rep. Checking old Dirt tip plan for fence lines, soil heaps etc. Plotting same.

Wed 24 … Office … Sorting out drawers etc. Electricians in the office sorting plugs etc.

Thurs 25 … Office … sorting drawers. Discuss George Dean, Method Study (ex Linesman at Rufford in Surveying class with me at one time, changed over to Mine Manager’s Certificate). Pressing through with red carbon old roads etc on Pit bottom plan from reduction. Plotted 58s conveyor offsets.

Fri 26 … Office … Info to Peter Hall, Mechanisation dept re 10s and 58s. Cleaned out drawers. Plotted 10s and 58s levels, 20s sections and 44s face thirling info.

Sat 27 … 19350 tons

Mon 29 … Spring Bank Holiday

Annual Leave Tues 30 May – Sat 3 June

Wells Next the Sea

15400 tons

June 1972

Mon 5 … Office … Progress on plans. Discuss JA Daniels and Derek Stephenson the proposed East drivages. Rang Norman Preater, Welbeck and BACM Chairman re Arbitration for Surveyors grade. New Office being painted.

Tues 6 … U/g … Trig levelling down old gate behind Drapers Engine house (RB*, SNW and Alan Blyton, Ventilation Officer and Jimmy Golightly, Roadways Deputy) … Office …Plotted same. Info to Norman Preater re work load re claim.

Wed 7 … Office … Sorting out equipment in old Office upstairs. 44s face heading thirled.

Thurs 8 … Surface … to Mansfield Colliery sorting out some tackle (RB*).

Fri 9 … Office … Meeting 20s re-design … TJR Sales. Moving tackle from upstairs Office to new downstairs Office.                                                                                                                                  
Sat 10 … 22500 tons
Sat 10 … Moving remaining tackle from upstairs into new ground floor office … 3 men (RB*, SNW, DS).

Mon 12 … New ground floor Main Survey Office and Surveyor’s Office occupied ….. 2 new tables made by Joiners and a desk from Area HQ … Bookcase etc and Cabinets. No one allowed in office in pit boots … frowned upon pit clothes also … applied to higher management staff also … they respected my policy. General tidy up. Tracing contours in feet and metres on new Dirt tip Ozaloft negatives. Rang W Thouless re property at Wynndale Drive. This property was too far away from the Colliery they said, but the Manager lived less than half a mile from there, so they reluctantly agreed, but the purchase fell through due to the time wasted at Area HQ on deciding whether I was entitled. The NCB Estates assessor was delayed yet again. I think they assumed I would accept the house on Forest Road, one of the ‘Ten Commandments’ built originally in 1922 by Butterley Co for their top officials. I was told by D Rodden to go and view the house. It was really in need of a full refurbishment and decoration. I told him so and he agreed and said he thought I would say that. Of course after some 50 years they were dated and dingy and on no account was I going to live in a house backing on to the pit yard.
Mon 12 … Moved from Pit Head Baths to new Shower Room in Office block next door to Survey Office.

Tues 13 … Office … Inking in contours in feet and metres on tracings of Dirt tips, stencilling.

Wed 14 … Surface … Levelling sidings and old Dirt tip … 4 men (RB*, SNW, DS, HAR) … Office … Plotting contours. Dyno tape labels for furniture. D Rodden’s Wall plan to date.

Thurs 15 … U/g … (41) Theodolite angling from drift along 100s LH and 100s RH and closed Access drift on old Loco Road as well … 4 men (RB*, SNW, DS, HAR) … Office … SNW rang Clarksons re theodolite.
Fri 16 … Office … Making Working plans up to Quarter end. Stencilling levels etc. Ron Hays came for Creswell theodolite that I had borrowed.                                                                                 
Sat 17 … 18478 tons

Pit Holidays Mon 19 June to Sat 1 July

Mon 19 … Surface … Dismantled old canopy round office … 2 men (RB*, SNW) … Rang Tom Graham Area HQ re desk for office.

Tues 20 … Office … Cleaned new Office windows … Surface … O.S. Surveyor … Harrison to revise surface

Wed 21 … Office … Copy off O.S. Surveyor’s plan of the village. Cleaned the office floor. Cleaned up rubbish outside and dismantled posts. Form from Norman Preater BACM. Discuss Ron Hays. Discuss V Brown U/m.

Thurs 22 … Office … Work on Dirt tips negative. South side Electrical plans … Surface … Observations to ropes at No2 shaft pit top … 3 men (RB*, SNW, ANM) … Checked theodolite back from Clarksons, been sent for overhaul.

Fri 23 … Office … Statistics form for Support of roadways … Surface … to No2 pit bank with Jack Revell Area Drawing Office (RB*) … Office … Computer forms sent (6). Rang W Thouless and Shuttleworth re property at Wynndale Drive - Nil tons.

Mon 26 … U/g … (42) 10s LG, and belt line on 25s C conveyor. Check theodolite angles on old Loco Road in Pit bottom … 3 men (RB*, SNW, ANM) … Office … Calculations for same. Shotfiring pattern amended.

Tues 27 … Office … Stippling Working plans. Shuttleworth from Estates visited Wynndale Drive proposed purchase.

Wed 28 … Office … 1/5000 plans and stippling.

Thurs 29 … U/g … Dial survey of 116s LG and measurements … 3 men (RB*, SNW, ANM) … Office … Drawing of Washery pipe. (85 u/g)

Fri 30 … Office … Calculations. Sorting Computer results. Plotted 116s.
Nil tons