A Unique History From My Work Diaries - 1953 - 1990

Senior Surveyor

British Coal

Senior Surveyor - 1 October 1986

Area HQ Edwinstowe Office, Room 58 ... Tel 822481 ... Extn 2274 ...  Tracer Jane Arnold  then Debbie Wawszczak  (Vaffchak)

I had to be aware and conform to various Acts, Regulations and Production Instructions

Production Instructions

PD 1950 / 12   T & CP (Town & Country Planning) Directions under Article 4 GDO (General Development Order)

1950 / 24   Closure of Collieries and other activities

1954 / 6    Code of Surveying Practice 2    

PI    1959 / 5 - Plans of Abandoned mines

1960 / 5 - Licensed mines … Verifying and checking Disposals and Royalties

1960 / 6 - Ventilation Development plans

1967 / 5 - Notice of Approach or Intention to work … Electricity Undertakings in England & Wales

1967 / 6   Ancient Monuments etc … Buildings of Outstanding Historic or Architectural Interest

1967 / 10 Water Resources Act 1963 (Sec 78) … Bore a hole or sink a shaft or abandon an old shaft

1968 / 8   Workings under the sea

1969 / 4   Control and securing of disused or abandoned shafts and adits

1970 / 8   Precautions when NCB employees go underground at Licensed mines

1971 / 1   Management of Tips

1971 / 4  Safety precautions when drilling from surface through coal measures

1972 / 4   Procedure for assessment of reserves

1974 / 1  Signing of mine plans

1974 / 2  Joint NCB / IGS (Institute of Geological Science) examination of Geological records in relation to safety of mining operations

1974 / 4   Geological assessment of faces and headings to determine ITP of rocks

1975 / 8   Demarcation between mine and factory law at mines

1977 / 7   Updating of plans at Collieries (revised Jan 1979)

1977 / 9   Recording and sealing of boreholes (amended June 1978)

1983 / 1   Petroleum boreholes and seismic surveys in Coalfields

1983 / 4   Subsidence damage considerations in Colliery planning and costs

1984 / 4   Ignition risk … quartz, pyrites (Cardowan)

Statutes

Mines & Quarries Act 1954 (came into force 1 January 1957)

The Coal & Other mines (Working Plans) Rules 1956

The Coal and other mines (Surveyors & Plans ) Regulations 1956

The Coal and other mines (Abandonment Plans) Rules 1956

The (Precautions against inrushes) Regulations 1979

The Coal & Other mines (Ventilation) Regulations 1956

The Coal & Other mines (Fire & Rescue) Regulations 1956

The Coal & Other mines (Electricity) Regulations 1956

The Mines & Quarries (Tips) Act 1969

The Mines & Quarries (Tips) Regulations 1971

The Mines & Quarries (Tipping plans) Rules 1971

The Coal & Other mines (Managers & Officials) Regulations 1956

The Coal mines (Precautions against inflammable dust) Regulations 1956

Area Instructions

Apr 1967   ORG

Apr 1968   Surveyors & Plans … Opencast and deep mine workings … water dangers from Opencast sites 

Apr 1976  Prevention of spontaneous combustion

25 - July 1979  Incendive sparking  … keep records

24 - July 1979  Water management control

30 - July 1979  Demarcation plan

48 - Aug 1979   Signing of Mine plans 1974 / 1

Aug 1986    Signing of Mine plans

Oct 1973     NCB / 51 (1) 5 Alterations to Area boundaries

Mining Codes 19th Century

Railway Clauses Consolidation Act 1845

Waterworks Clauses Act 1847

Public Health Act 1875

(Support of sewers) Amendment Act 1883

Later mines (Working facilities & Support) Act 1923

Water Act 1945

British Rail & NCB agreement 30 Nov 1959 for 21 years, extended 2 years … now 6 months 26 Jan 1982

Subsidence Claims

1. 1957 Coal mining Subsidence Act … 6 years
2. Title deeds … 12 years
3. 1975 Coal Industry Act Para 6 Sec 33 Coal Act 1938  Statutory Undertakers …   make good or compensation before workings take place
4. Mine Working Facilities Order 1966 … Chancery Division of High Court re compensation
5. Copyhold
6. Mining leases

1975 Coal Industry Act

Sec 2 Notice … Para 6 in London Gazette plus Local newspaper (in same ownership)

                     Para 5 (Lease) (not in same ownership) 1 Jan 1939 … Building foundations  …

                     Coal vested in NCB (National Coal Board)

Sec 3 Notice    Copyhold        

GDO (General Development Order) update

   26  Boreholes and seismic surveys

   27  Reworking of Tips

Duties of Senior Surveyor

• Integration of North Notts and South Notts Areas as Nottinghamshire Area
  
• Attend Production manager’s meetings (as link man for other departments)
  
• Area and Colliery liaison … advice … help …
  
• Code of Practice … M & Q Act 1954
  
• Outside bodies NCB / local
  
• Drawing office materials etc
  
• Instruments … new and for repair / adjustment etc
  
• Firms … to see new techniques
  
• HP 65 etc calculators repair, service etc … see to invoices with finance dept
  
• Computer graphics and use
  
• Liaison with Mike Goldsby Deputy Chief Mining Engineer
  
• Parish Notices … Working rights etc  SSSIs .. Ancient monuments Sec 2 and Sec 3
  
• Coal stocks … Records / physical check by instrument (Rufford site)
  
• Gyro theodolite observations and calculations … liaise with HMI
  
• Auto plummet use and EDM (Electronic Distance Measurers) use
  
• SM 1 (Surveyor to Manager) files and monitor progress of signing (M Goldsby referral)
  
• 212 Notices … Opening and closing of seams
  
• Statutory Undertakers … EMEB, CEGB, STWA, Br Gas, Highways, Nuclear, British Rail
  
• Lasers … records and repairs etc
  
• Scalings and yearly ratings, coal sections and calculations.
  
• Adjacent Areas … exchange of workings … boundaries etc and adjustments
  
• Tip plans and records … Future tipping areas … Planning applications … liaise with Civil Engineer for Tips.  
• For tip change liaise with HMI
  
• Ordnance Survey … liaise with local office in Mansfield
  
• Demarcation and plans of surface (Manager’s jurisdiction) and updating to Director to sign
  
• Underground demarcation .. division of mines and report (168) to Director
  
• Subsidence department  
  
• Subsidence levelling at Collieries
  
• Shaft pillars check
  
• Opencast Executive
  
• Minestone Executive
  
• Triangulation and correlation of underground workings
  
• Special surveys
  
• Risk Assessment plans and information
  
• Planning department liaise … to check everything for new panels before signing plan
  
• Signing of mine plans
  
• Strategic plans underground and surface check
  
• BGS (British Geological Society) liaise and notification
  
• Borehole records liaise and notify Severn Trent Water Authority
  
• Geological records … liaise with Geologists
  
• Private mines … Licence and Royalties
  
• Underground gasification  … initial meetings the cancelled
  
• Vale of Witham prospect … initial meetings then cancelled
  
• Progress plans and make sure collected / exchanged weekly for HQ depts
  
• Old shafts … Records and examination liaise Mining Records, Colliery, Boring
  
• Rescue boreholes … Foraky rig at Colwick and plans for Collieries
  
• Rescue & Firefighting plans updates from pits to HQ and Rescue Station
  
• Methane (Petroleum licence) and BP boreholes liaise Eakring office
  
• Photography of plans in use and Abandonment plans, liaise Photographic dept
  
• Report writing various
  
• Pumping figures for underground water and recording
  
• Pumping and Water usage records and reports
  
• Liaise with North Derbyshire (Central Area) and South Yorkshire, water and boundaries
  
• Water pollution and discharge and reports
  
• Water abstraction, license and records
  
• ORG 67 (Organisation of NCB from Mar 1967) and fulfilment of contents
  
• Update and maintain Colliery 1/2500 (second copy) plans and 1/10560 and 1/10000
  
• Supervise Apprentices and records.  Mock Practical examinations for certificate
  
• Appointed MQB /JEB … Mines Qualifications Board Examiner
  
• Assisted with plan construction at Calverton
  
• Completed plans at Mansfield, surveyed well, shaft measures and fill

Nottinghamshire Area

Ex North Nottinghamshire Collieries

1  Bevercotes … Graham Hall, Steve Barnes
2  Bilsthorpe  … Geoff Austin, Graham Kemp, David Archer
3  Blidworth  … Trevor Speed, Philip James, Robert Bradley to oversee at closure
4  Clipstone  … Tony Wright, Hadawi Abdul Razak Al Rekabi
5  Creswell  … Bill Fox, Billy Ellison
6  Harworth  … Des Thompson, Peter Thompson, Chris Shail, John Walls
7  Mansfield  … John Grayson, Keith Briggs, Ian Shore, Robert Bradley apptd temp
8  Ollerton  … Garry Hall, Philip Shaw, John Stapleton, Stas Watson
9  Rufford  … Peter Robinson, Andy Wells, David Archer
10 Sherwood … Herbert Shaw, Stas Watson, Robert Quincey
11 Silverhill  … John Nightingale, Graham Parker
12  Sutton  … Garry Hall, Peter Robinson, Mick Parker
13  Thoresby  … Ian Shaw, Ian Wilson, Stas Watson inc Ollerton take
14 Welbeck  … Norman Preater, Graham Walters, John Hind

Ex South Nottinghamshire Collieries

• Annesley … Ken Gray, George Simms (1/2/1987), Ian Revill
• Bentinck … Brian Stevenson finished, became combined mine Annesley Bentinck
• Calverton … Eric Pendleton, Dick Bramley
• Cotgrave … John Stapleton, John Potts, Steve Barnes
• Gedling … Richard Clarke, Stef Sharman
• Hucknall / Babbington … Tom Leafe, Tony Barnes
• Linby …Graham Walters, Norman Dunks
• Newstead … Roy Garrett, Robert Quincey, closed Mar 1987, Robert Bradley apptd temp
• Asfordby … Keith Goodwin, transferred to Notts 1/11/1987

Survey offices presentation

Annesley … Fairly new. Very good condition. Main office. Surveyor’s office. Carpets. Strong room. Print room. Near main road. Good windows.

Bentinck …

Bevercotes … Upstairs. Double glazed. Good but in need of decoration. Main office and Surveyor’s office. Strong room. Print room. Plans good. No tea facilities.

Bilsthorpe … Only fair. Main office only. Draughty. No print room. Store room and srong room. Plans fair. Tea facilities.

Blidworth … Very good. New windows double glazed. Main office only. Print room.  Strong room. Tea facilities. Quiet.

Calverton … Very scruffy, in need of decoration. Cluttered with computer equipment. Strong room. Main office only. Tea facilities. Quiet.

Clipstone … Good. Main office only. Strong room. Print room. Plans fair but folders poor. Quiet.

Cotgrave … Excellent. Main office. Surveyor’s office.Print room. Tea facilities. Quiet.

Creswell … First floor. Dingy. Old building. Old tables. Steps. Small Main office only. Poor floor. Poor layout. Plans in different type of folder to other collieries in wooden case. Do not use the metal cabinet provided. No strong room. Print room. Printing machine noisy.

Eastwood Hall … Mining Records. Good. Main office and Visitor’s room. Very quiet. Main strong room and Lower strong room for boxes.

Edwinstowe … Main room. First floor. Quiet. 3 desks in line for Senior Surveyors. Rear table for Environment and 3 tracers.

Hucknall … closing down

Linby … Fair, Main office only. Print room / tea facilities. Suspended ceiling recently. Quiet.

Mansfield … Good, carpeted. Plan safe. Plans in newish folders. High ceiling, Windows quartered. Quiet.

Newstead … First floor. Main office only. Fairly good. Clean. Needed decorating. Cupboards needed painting. Plans in old cabinets. Quiet.

Ollerton … Good, Main office and Surveyor’s office. Print room. Second exit. Store room / safe. Plans good and folders. Boxes for notebooks on shelves. Net curtains to windows. Tea facilities. Quiet.

Rufford … Main office deplorable condition. Dusty. Quiet. Lads lounging about in pit clothes. Plan safe. Tackle poor.

Sherwood… First floor. Old building. Small office. Old tables. Clean. Small windows. Strong room but plans and folders good kept in main office. Tea facilities.

Silverhill … Excellent facilities. Main office. Surveyor’s office. Print room. Strong room. Tea facilities. Private entrance. Quiet.

Sutton … Vic Hallam hut. Excellent facilities. Main office. Surveyor’s office. Tea facilities Quiet.

Thoresby … Excellent. Main office and Surveyor’s office but no Print room. Light and airy. Quiet. Computer equipment laid out well. Plans good. No tea facilities … supplied.