A Unique History From My Work Diaries

Surveying Jobs

British Coal Nottinghamshire Area

Page - 74 -

Senior Surveyor 1988 – 1990

Registry numbers: P3614 … Boundary alterations.  P 5341 … water.   P5754 … SM1 Approach notices.

Mines (Working & Facilities) Act 1923 … Chancery Court Orders …
1937 … Bolsover Colliery Co … Creswell and Mansfield Collieries.
1938 … Sherwood Colliery Co … Mansfield Colliery.
1949 … NCB … Hucknall and Basford.
1955 … NCB … Hucknall and Basford.
1957 … 13 Mar … NCB … Mansfield Town pillar (to 2036)
1964 … NCB … Mansfield and Sutton Collieries.

NCB / SI (1) 5th Oct 1973 … Alteration to Area boundary … notify Staff Manager to notify Hobart House.

PI 1983/2 Subsidence damage considerations in Colliery planning and costs.
Purpose:  to ensure that each stage of Planning and Authorisation of mine layouts, the extent and cost of subsidence damage is fully taken into account and to ensure that proper budgets for subsidence damage are prepared.
Concept: The Board’s subsequent cost for subsidence damage from mining operations during any one year is charged against individual collieries during that year based on technical estimates.
Procedure: 
1) Estimate made in advance of the year.
2) Estimate revised during and at end of year (balance year – year carried forward.)

Authorisation of Mine Layouts see PI 1974/1
Area Surveyor and Minerals Manager responsible for ensuing calculations of subsidence effect are made and jointly with Area Estates Manager, for preparation of all forward estimates of subsidence damage costs at the 5 year development plan and Layout plan stages.

5 year Development plan:  Cost appraisal in outline form but sufficient to enable decision to be made to meet output and financial objective of colliery … nature of physical and environmental problems caused by subsidence.

Layout plan stage: Cost appraisal in detail for each panel, relative to all buildings, structures, services and land likely to be affected by the working of the whole panel  If costs are excessive the Area Surveyor and Minerals Manager to notify the Area Chief Mining Engineer.

The Area Surveyor is responsible for consultations necessary to carry out precautionary / preventative works are properly specified and agreed with third parties.

The Area Subsidence Damage panel ... Mining department representative to be the Area Surveyor … he provides the panel with relevant information to enable the panel to prepare budgets.

CCI 84 (4) Subsidence
1) If the calculation anticipated costs are+3% of saleable proceeds then the Area Director must be informed … e.g.  £40 / tonne proceeds maximum £1.20 per tonne subsidence costs.
2) If one single claim is +£250,000.
3) If exceptional social / environmental consequences.

Waddilove inquiry into Subsidence
One of main recommendations was ‘not notifying the public of the Board’s intentions to mine coal.

Action taken: Notice placed in 2 Local newspapers for 2 weeks once every 12 months in June.

1. a) Where mining has taken place during last 12 months.
2. b) Where mining is to continue during next 12 months.
3. c) Where mining is to begin.

And invitation to the public to request a mini mining report on an attached pro-forma.  (Note only 250 requests in 1986).

Outside bodies:

Ordnance Survey - Special Unpublished Survey Information … SUSI £18.50 per print or £22.60 per negative (1km x 1km).

Nottingham office … 291111 Mike Dimbleby. Mansfield office … 29240 Bill Houghton, Phil Bradshaw or Andy Barnes.  HQ Geodetic division, Ordnance Survey, Romsey Road, Maybush, Southampton.

Hewlett Packard Wokingham … for HP65, HP41 etc. programmable calculating machines.

HP power pack ‘Metyclean’ 92 Victoria Street, London SW1 5JP Tel: 01. 8282511
£28 for 2 (Feb 1986) part no 82001B.  Ring up to confirm, send cheque, get receipt, reimburse from petty cash.

Kern … Survey and General

Zenith … Tim, Chris, Wendy Wain, Jackie on switchboard

BGS  Keyworth … 06077 6111 Ext 3234. Paul Rathbone, Andy Howard, Bob Lake, James Buchanan, Colin Waters.

January 1988

Fri 1 … Statutory Holiday

Mon 4 … Office … Correspondence. Discuss Tim Colyer planner re Ompton Pumping station support area in Low Main seam for Bilsthorpe … found old plans … fitted by field hedges. Phone Garry Hall Ollerton re same. Also re Underground visit at Ollerton on 12th Jan. Phone John Cunnington South Yorks Area re boundary plan on its way for Haigh Moor and Swallow Wood seams for Harworth o.k. Discuss Malcolm Clarke planner re Strategic plan changes. Letters prepared re same. Also sent Sherwood 207s extension. Letter to Central Area for Shirebrook Deep Soft boundary with Sherwood. Sorting out orders for P & S. Discuss Graeme Marshall re water. Discuss WEB Brian Barlow. Discuss Tony Barnes re same. SM1 for Sherwood. Phone Roger Andrew Coleorton x 3 re Oxcroft water … pump still broken down. Water building up? To Registry for files. Phone O.S Mansfield re Center Parcs. Phone Bill Fox Creswell re Creswell / Langwith water figures twice … tomorrow Joe Penn Surface Superintendent. Phone Clipstone, John Cranham. Lesley Photographic re extra plan for Harworth also re Sherwood plans tomorrow. Picked up 1/10000 negatives for Blidworth, Mansfield and Calverton. Discuss Charles J Whyte Area Surveyor re staff … Jed Thomas to go to Ollerton from Linby for a month. Phone Rob Quincey Sherwood re plans. Phone Keith Briggs Mansfield re plans. Discuss Brian C Wright DCME (Mining) re Oxcroft pumping etc. To Clipstone … discuss Tony Wright and Hadi Al Rekabi plans.

Tues 5 … To Sherwood … plans for photography. To Mansfield … 1 plan for photography … missed last time. Office … to take plans to Lesley. Bevercotes 1/10000 back. Discuss WEB Barlow various. Phone Russ Worsey planner to discuss re all 4 boundary exchanges at present and the system of doing so … he had not done one before! Info from Roger Andrew Coleorton … print out of figures for Oxcroft. To Ollerton … to take SM1 for 17s Parkgate and discuss Philip Shaw and Doug Stockham. Also Michael Sheldon Apprentice. To Photographic to fetch 1/2500 plans and Harworth 1/5000. Phone Bill Fox Creswell re water figs. Made out records for the year end 1987 for Creswell, Langwith and Oxcroft … distributed to all. To Mansfield … to return plans … discuss John Grayson. To Sherwood … to return plans. To Rescue Station … altered the folder for Annesley Bentinck.

Wed 6 … Office … Finishing off plotting update boreholes. Discuss Ian Burns Environment re possibility of taking over ‘water’re Langwith discharge? With Tony Barnes preparing BGS plans with blocking out areas in all seams for consultation. Discuss M Goldsby DCME re Oxcroft water situation re pump down etc. Also re Creswell situation. Discuss water situation with Graeme Marshall, Ian Burns and Tony Barnes … to stay as we are … refer CJ Whyte. Phone Bob Draper re borehole plans ...’to take over’ … now they are finished! Phone Wendy Wain Zenith re picking up and returning instruments next Friday. Interviewed Martin Davies Mansfield Apprentice. To Bevercotes … to take 1/10000 negs and mark on plan area of Kents Thick extraction and possible Parkgate restart! Steve Barnes. Discuss Graham Hall.

Thurs 7 … Office … Correspondence. Phone Dave Clarke Mining Records re Derbyshire County Grid sheet numbers. Discuss. Phone Andy Wells Rufford re Abandonment plans to phone HMI again and update. Phone Tony Wright Clipstone re plans … next week. To Rescue Station to exchange Blidworth R & FF plans. To Sherwood … Updated second copy Working plans. Discuss Rob Quincey, Stas Watson and Carl Banton various. Office … Discuss WEB Barlow re plans etc. Phone Keith Jenkins Thoresby re plans … next week. Correspondence. To Bevercotes … updated second copy plans.

Fri 8 … Office … Correspondence. With Tony Barnes … drafting out squares on BGS consultation plans from updated Strategic plans. Meeting … CJ Whyte, Tony Barnes and Bob Draper BGS / BCC consultation procedure and copy of update PI / 1974 / 2. Phone John Grayson Mansfield re plans and Low Main area. Phone Geoff Austin Bilsthorpe re plans update. Phone Chris Shail Harworth re plans update. Phone Kenny Creswell re plans update. To Bilsthorpe… updated second copy Working plans and discuss. Office … Discus Wendy Wain and Grant French new Rep for Zenith … took Vickers dial and GKO A Kern level for pricing. To Ollerton … updated second copy plans and discuss. Office … discuss WEB Barlow. Phone Leigh Warhurst Deputy Surveyor Calverton re Gyro. Discuss CJ Whyte.

Mon 11 … Office … Phone Ian Burns from Ashfield District Council. Continued with BGS plans for Cotgrave, Annesley Bentinck. Discuss Graeme Marshall re T & CP update. Discuss same Bob Draper re arranging via geologist. Phone re R & FF plans. Discuss CJ Whyte. Correspondence. To Harworth … updated second copy Working plans plus 1/5000 neg taken. Boundary plans for Haigh Moor and Swallow Wood copies taken. To Rufford … Going through High Hazles Abandonment plans with HMI Ken Tyldesley and Andy Wells and discuss. Updated second copy Working plans. To Rescue Station … exchanged Mansfield R & FF plans. Phone Andy Wells to collect Rufford plans next Wednesday.

Tues 12 … To Ollerton … Underground visit with CJ Whyte and Garry Hall to 35s Parkgate panel, Parkgate Intake drift and Conveyor Road, to 4th drift top development, back through 3rd drift Engine house with new engine, through Access snicket to 150s and round Loco circuit to No2 shaft … deterioration noticeable in pit bottom and 400s and 3rd drift. Inbye roads standing well. Lunch in canteen. Accountability in afternoon with CJ Whyte and Garry Hall. Interviewed Michael Sheldon Apprentice second year at Mansfield.

Wed 13 … To Rufford … to collect High Hazles Abandonment plans for photography … saw Lesley and Glen Chappell. Office … Rufford plans to date. Trimmed and sorted out plans in safe. I signed Harworth Deep Soft amendment for David Snodin planner. I signed Clipstone Yard 202s amendment for Steve Richardson planner. Discuss CJ Whyte re staff. Discuss Tim Colyer planner re Ompton Pumping station. Discuss WEB Barlow re Rufford High Hazles Abandonment plans … re boundary o.k. Also re make new plan for Ompton Pumping Station … half depth from boreholes info. To Mansfield … updated second copy Working plans. Discuss John Grayson and Keith Briggs. Production Manager’s meeting 3pm. I spoke on Clipstone Haul Road update, Rufford Abandonment plans for High Hazles, Creswell pipeline, Mansfield National Fuel Depot (NFD) and SSSIs (Sites of special scientific interest). To Rufford to take plans back. Office … Letter to P & S for D Moult Manager Sherwood. Plans back in safe. WEB Barlow and CJ Whyte re ‘Time keeping check’! (Not me because I am always early when going to the office in the morning to do some things before the others get there and always a few minutes later leaving at knock off similarly … to miss the rush … a lot easier). Discuss Graeme Marshall and Ian Burns.
Interview for Area Planning Engineer, Roy Stubbs retired and Eric Spencer appointed.

Thurs 14 … Office … Correspondence. Forms for P & S made out for instrument repair. Phone Tony Wright Clipstone. Phone Ian Wilson Thoresby. Phone Bill Fox Creswell … plans not ready this week! Phone Trevor Speed Blidworth re SM1s … sent back for signing! Phone Richard Turner Silverhill re whether to send SM1. Phone BGS Keyworth, message for P Rathbone re plans. Phone Bob Draper re same. Phone John Raine Area Geologist. To Clipstone … updated second copy plans and discuss R & FF plans. To Thoresby … updated second copy Working plans and discuss R & FF plans. Discuss Ian Shaw re staff number. Office … Correspondence. Tracing Ollerton workings on Ompton Pumping Station plan for reviewing support pillar from boreholes at half depth. Phone Laura at Mansfield re meeting minutes. Phone John Grayson Mansfield re NFD amend on Manager’s Demarcation plan.

Fri 15 … To Rescue Station … to exchange Clipstone and Thoresby R & FF plans. To Sherwood … 1/2500 plans and 1/5000 copies. Back to Rescue Station … sorted out files. Office … Traced Ompton Pumping Station and Ollerton Parkgate workings … calculated and plotted half depth warning line from all 3 wells (the 3 pyramids). Also line for Bilsthorpe Low Main. Discuss same with WEB Barlow. Discuss M Goldsby DCME re Ompton water wells. Discuss Graeme Marshall same. Phone Graham Walters Linby re headstocks at Newstead to get height using EDM. To Thoresby … changed R & FF plans … first time using computer graphics. Discuss computer with Ian Shaw, Ian Wilson and Keith Jenkins. Office … Drafted out letter to BGS re plans. Phone Roger Andrew Coleorton re Oxcroft pumping … could be 3 months before restarting! Phone Bill Fox re same, also re letter received at Creswell from Manager at Bolsover! Discuss RA Caunt CME re same. With CJ Whyte and Tony Barnes to see M Goldsby DCME re same. Also re staffing arrangements and computer etc. Norman Preater Welbeck retired today.

Mon 18 … Office … Discuss David S Widdowson Production Manager re Oxcroft / Creswell water and I said to look at model  etc. with Bill Fox. Correspondence. SM1 for Creswell 38s Threequarter also SM1 for Blidworth. Phone Garry Hall Ollerton twice re AGA 220 battery etc. Phone Steve Leavesley re same at Rufford. Phone Bill Fox Creswell re water figures. Discuss WEB Barlow and CJ Whyte re Ompton Pumping Station … leave as it is! Also discuss various. Phone Richard Clarke Gedling re SM1. Discuss Mike Gallagher Mineral Valuer who called in re info on Blidworth Colliery. Discuss Graeme Marshall and Ian Burns various. Phone Dave Clarke Mining Records Eastwood Hall re Oxcroft information. To Creswell … discuss Bill Fox re water and Oxcroft pump. Phone George? Bolsover Surveyor re Oxcroft water level etc. Discuss Gordon Froggatt Manager, Principal HMI Ken Twist and Bill Fox re water affecting Creswell etc. … plans of seams and Bill’s model. I asked about HMI John Bennington’s report! To ask Warsop and Shirebrook Surveyors about water.

Tues 19 … Office … Correspondence. Discuss Graeme Marshall. Discuss Tony Barnes re work load etc. and staff numbers at collieries. Phone Andy Wells Rufford. Phone Malcolm Clarke planner re figures. Phone Mick Barber Shirebrook re Teversal water … up to 30 gpm and Oxcroft water … possibly 20m via Langwith. Phone Ian Beckett Surveyor at Warsop re Top Hard water and connection to Clipstone … no water problem. Phone Ian in Statistics re figures for development for past year? Phone Mike Gallagher Mineral Valuer re info at Blidworth (old magazine). To Drawing Office … demonstration of computer graphics … mainly Support Rules … all collieries to view. Discuss same Trevor Huntingdon, Ian and Tony Barnes. Parcelled up one set of plans for P Rathbone BGS. Sent out correspondence and plans for Sherwood 207s Yard … extension. Discuss Tony Pickering Area Ventilation Engineer re Creswell 38s Threequarter SM1. Phone Bill Fox Creswell re same. Discuss Ian Sweetland Ventilation dept. Phone Bill Fox Creswell re meeting tomorrow with DS Widdowson Production Manager. Phone Steve Richardson planner re boundary plans. To Rescue Station … to exchange Sutton R & FF plans.

Wed 20 … To Mansfield and then to Rufford to pick up Mine plans. Office … took them to Photographer. To Creswell … Meeting on water with DS Widdowson Production Manager, GF Froggatt Manager and Bill Fox and self. Discuss also old workings. Updated second copy Working plans. New plans for 38s SM1 to take back to Area HQ. With Bill Fox … drafting out report of result of Oxcroft ceasing pumping. Office … Collected plans from Photographer. Query from Michael Mottram Staff dept re MQB exam. To Mansfield to take plans back and discuss. To Rufford …. To take plans back and discuss about Area computer re Support Rules etc. Writing report.

Thurs 21 … Office … Sorting out Creswell plans. Top Hard plans in safe. Other plans in safe for Creswell and Rufford. Discuss Bevercotes subsidence Steve Elliott. Phone Garry Hall Ollerton re ‘Hucknall Junction plans’ …. Referred him to George Simms at Annesley. Discuss CJ Whyte re Oxcroft / Creswell water. Phone Ron Gillott Woodhouse Laboratory re Creswell water samples and in particularly 1in4 drift sample. He phoned back … definitely different to Hollow Lodge and Langwith samples. Phoned Bill Fox re same. Also re optical plummet. Phone Tim Colyer planner re visit to Creswell. Phone Keith Goodwin Asfordby re optical plummet. Phone Stas Watson Sherwood re SM1 amend for 109s from HMI Sam D Briggs. Discuss Ian Burns re Sherwood Demarcation amend (had it in November 1987!) Phone Norman Dunks Linby … redundant finishes work tomorrow. To Planning dept discuss David Snodin planner. Discuss Stuart Whittle planner re Rufford overspill. Discuss Eric Spencer Area Planning Engineer re boundary changes and proposed Clipstone Low Main. To Sherwood … to take new folder and 1/10000 negatives, also update of Manager’s Demarcation plan with Carl Banton and Stas Watson. Discuss Rob Quincey re Layout plan for wide coal headings …. change etc. Office … Discuss Ken Lambert Ventilation Engineer re SM1. Discuss Bob Draper re plan book. Discuss CJ Whyte same. Discuss Malcolm Clarke planner re advances for next year. Discuss Eric Fretwell re Sherwood plan (surface) o.k. Discuss Trevor Huntingdon Drawing office and Tony Barnes re computer and Gedling Support Rules.

Fri 22 … Discuss Oxcroft / Creswell / Langwith water problem with M Goldsby DCME. Phone Steve Barnes Bevercotes re 150m stop form for panels. Phone Bill Fox Creswell re same. Discuss Tony Barnes re water problems and future advances at pits. To Planning dept … several planners discuss same. Mine water reports … discuss re Creswell and Silverhill / Williamthorpe. CJ Whyte re optical plummet for Asfordby and top soil rejection at Ollerton by Notts. County Council. Phone Garry Hall Ollerton re same (for John Peers Surface Superintendent). Phone Tim at Zenith re estimates for various instruments. Phone Ron Gillott Laboratory re Shirebrook Top Hard water … not same as Langwith. Meeting CJ Whyte and Tony Barnes re staff … Welbeck? Grant French Zenith brought notebooks and tapes for Andrew Hutchins P & S.

Mon 25 … Office ... Correspondence. Discuss BC Wright DCME Mining re Oxcroft / Creswell / Langwith water situation. Planning out ‘new plan’. Updating 1/25000 plan indexes for … Thoresby, Welbeck, Bilsthorpe, Harworth, Creswell. Discuss Terry Camm Safety Engineer re Creswell 38s SM1. Met Albert Sturgess National Chief Surveyor. To Photographic twice re Rufford plans and 35mm done. Discuss CJ Whyte whether Keith Banton and Richard Longden can take MQB / JEB Practical exam in May? Discuss Tony Barnes. Phone Ian Wilson Thoresby and Graham Parker Silverhill re computer programs. Phone Andy Wells Rufford re plans. Phone Bill Fox Creswell re water figures. To Clipstone … to take folders and updated 1/25000 plan. Picked up 1/5000 plan.

Tues 26 … To Sherwood … to take surface plan and possibility of working headings between old Deep Hard / Piper panels? M Goldsby re Creswell 38s Threequarter SM1 ... not satisfied! WEB Barlow re whether Sherwood can work wide headings in pillars left by workings in Deep Hard / Piper? Check Steve Hill Subsidence dept. Phone Bill Fox re SM1 re M Goldsby. Phone David Snodin planner re co-ordinates for Harworth boundary. 1/25000 index negatives to date for Ollerton, Creswell, Rufford, Sherwood. Discuss Peter Daffin Estates re Sherwood Demarcation plan amends. Also to fix up a visit next Monday to visit Estates Office … to finally sort out all Demarcation plans. Discuss John Wilson Bretby Subsidence dept re subsidence etc. To Creswell … to take SM1 form back for amending. Discuss Bill Fox, Gordon Froggatt Manager and Ted Giles Deputy manager re SM1 and Manager’s Demarcation plan. Phone Debbie re send new print etc.

Wed 27 … To Welbeck … to pick up Mine plans for photography … discuss John Walls and Chris Farr various. Office … to Photographic with plans. Phone Eric Fretwell re Deep hard / Piper at Sherwood re possibility of new extraction o.k. Continued with 1/25000 negatives update. Sherwood and Mansfield Demarcation plans. Phone John Grayson Mansfield, Trevor Speed Blidworth and Stas Watson Sherwood re send 1/25000 prints. CJ Whyte re update staff family tree. To Welbeck … to take Mine plans back … discuss John Walls and John Hind various. Office … with Tony Barnes … chart for work load at Collieries re CJ Whyte. Phone CJ Whyte re send one pamphlet for face survey by computer re Debbie. Rufford plans in the safe. Bob Draper to keep pillar section reports. To Clipstone 3pm Production Manager’s meeting DS Crisp. I outlined the new headgear at Harworth. Information about noise, pollution, dust etc. for HQ Technical dept Bretby re Hawkhurst Moor proposed new pit. (Would never get off the drawing board!)

Thurs 28 … To Sherwood … surface Demarcation plan check with Carl Banton and Surface Superintendent Geoff? Discuss Rob Quincey and Andy Vjestica (his brother in law) re headings proposal. To Mansfield … surface Demacation plan check with John Grayson. Picked up 1/25000 index plans. Office ... 1/25000 negs updated. Discuss Ian Burns re complaints etc. Discuss WEB Barlow. Info re staff on chart. To Drawing office … computer with Andy Wells Rufford. Discuss Graeme Marshall various. Creswell 150m to go form. Phoned Bill Fox. To Civil Engineers then Mechanical dept, WEB Barlow and eventually CJ Whyte re possibility of second town water supply for Clipstone Washery. Phone John Grayson Mansfield re staff numbers. CJ Whyte re staff numbers. Phone Garry Hall Ollerton T16 theodolite / EDM not in line. Phoned Tim Zenith re price quotation for repairs. Royal School of Mines student questions re Harworth Swallow Wood and Haigh Moor seams under British Rail. Phone Bill Fox Creswell. Phone George Simms Annesley re shaft measuring equipment. To Creswell … to collect 38s SM1 form, plus cradle and frame for instrument. To Annesley … to take cradle and frame for AGA … discuss George Simms, Ian Revill, Richard Pearson and Gary Blacknell.

Fri 29 … Office … Terry Camm Safety Engineer re amend to Creswell 38s SM1 … no method! Continued with 1/25000 negatives to date for index. CJ Whyte re staff. M Goldsby DCME re Sherwood 109s SM1 … No! Meeting M Goldsby DCME, CJ Whyte and Tony Barnes re staff proposals. Later CJ Whyte meeting continued with updates. Phone David Archer Rufford …. No visit to Eastwood Hall today. Phone BGS re meeting set up … Andy Howard. SM1 for Sherwood 109s and SM1 for Creswell 38s to M Goldsby DCME. Collected Rufford High Hazles plans and 1/10000 plans from Photographic. Discuss Ken Lambert and Andy Liney Ventilation Engineers. Wendy Wain Zenith collected Creswell optical plummet etc. and discussed orders. Phone … Arranged meeting for Bob Draper, Tony Barnes, Mike Allen Geologist and self … phone Andy Howard for Thurs 11 Feb. Phone Tim Zenith re orders. Phone Jackie Zenith re order numbers for dial and level. Phone Tony Wright Clipstone re Deputies there on strike on Monday!

February 1988

Mon 1 … Office … continued with 1/25000 negs. Discuss Tony Barnes. Phone Bill Fox pumping figures. Phone Steve Westmoreland planner re 1/5000 negs for surface … sorting out those negs already got … Debbie to sort out for ones missing. Memo from Michael Mottram Staff dept re Surveyor’s exam in 1989. To Estates dept … Peter Daffin and Ray Timmons, occasionally … went through all ex North Notts. pits Demarcation plans and noted amends that were necessary. Lunch in Thoresby canteen. Continued with surface plans. To Thoresby … plans … discuss staff and viewed new Amstrad computer. Office … sorting out plans. Discuss CJ Whyte. To Rufford … to take High Hazles Abandonment plans, 35mm negs, ½ plate negs and other negs and 4 folders plus 2 others for progress plans.

Tues 2 … to Cotgrave then to Asfordby travelled with CJ Whyte, Tony Barnes and Graeme Marshall. Discuss and slide show with Keith Goodwin Surveyor and Roger Smith. 

Underground visit down shaft in sinking kibble to No2 pit bottom. Noted water breaking into shaft at between 10 to 20gpm (up to 60gpm on Wed, the freezing process for sinking was partway down the shaft and was switched off!) Water was several inches deep in places up to boot tops. (I remarked …’Is this this Gypsy’s warning’? Unfortunately I was to be proven right, the pit would close due to flooding). Lunch in the canteen. Surveyor’s accountability with Keith Goodwin and Peter Toon.

Wed 3 … Office … Phone Richard Clarke Gedling re EDM. Phone Tony Barnes at Annesley. Stuart Lawson ET discuss various. Phone WEB Barlow re CJ Whyte with Tony Barnes. Phone Steve Barnes Bevercotes re plans for all seams to the shaft! Sorting through plans. Discuss Andy Liney Ventilation Engineer and Tony Pickering Chief re Asfordby. Phone Richard Clarke Gedling to send Total station instrument. To Bevercotes … discuss M&QA etc. and Tip plan photos to be done again! Discuss Graham Hall, Steve Barnes and Stuart Lawson ET. Discuss David Snodin planner re Planning Interview. To Ollerton … discuss Garry Hal, Philip Shaw and Bob Hallott re staff etc. Also had Instrument adjusted. Office … discuss Bevercotes Tip plan reproduction with CJ Whyte and WEB Barlow. Tony Barnes to look for old 1/25000 plans for water re query Alan Marlow Coleorton. Phone John Cunnington South Yorks Area re boundary plan for surface … to send it.

Thurs 4 … To Rescue Station … to exchange Bevercotes R & FF plans. Office … Stuart Lawson ET discuss water reports. Phone Eric Spencer Area Planner re proposed Clipstone Low Main extension and Area boundary change … to send plan. Debbie re Area boundary plan of surface for Notts. & South Yorks. Phone Alan Marlow Coleorton re info and plan to send for water report … asked re Pleasley water also Roger Andrew to send info re Oxcroft water level. Meeting CJ Whyte and Tony Barnes re staff. Phone Andy Wells Rufford. Phone David Archer Rufford various. To Rufford … picked up High Hazles Abandonment plans and info and transported to Eastwood Hall Mining Records. Discuss Dave Clarke, David Archer and Stuart Lawson ET … examined plans in safe. Office … phone Martin Bradder planner re Mansfield Main Bright boundary. Phone Steve Richardson planner re Clipstone Low Main boundary change … to prepare a plan.

Fri 5 … Office … put a new wheel on Rotatrim machine. Stuart Lawson ET various. Correspondence. To Registry. WEB Barlow re Area boundary. Phone Graeme Marshall re piano wire for Harworth. M Goldsby DCME re SM1 Asfordby … to put reference number on o.k. To Repository with Stuart Lawson ET … Area boundary … missing! Phone Eric Fretwell Subsidence dept re same and re old one. Phone Martin Bradder planner re Main Bright boundary … found in Repository! Phone Steve Richardson planner re proposed Low Main boundary amendment at Clipstone … to see Area Planner Eric Spencer or M Goldsby DCME. Trimmed several of Welbeck 1/2500 plans and installed in safe. Phone various enquiries. Discuss Stuart Lawson ET. Discuss Tony Barnes and Ian Burns re plans required for surface by Albert Sturgess National Chief Surveyor. Phone Andy Howard BGS re confirmation to go Thursday? Eric Fretwell found old surface boundary plan Misc. 137. Phone Graham Hall Bevercotes re boundary for Kents Thick (old plan JR Greasley). To Photographic … found Rufford ½ plates and one 35mm slide. Phoned Dave Clarke Mining Records re same. Phone Bob Draper to take Tuesday. Phone John Grayson Mansfield re results from Sherwood / Mansfield connection. Phone Garry Hall Ollerton. Phone Mike Gallagher Mineral Valuer re are plans ready? CJ Whyte discuss. 

Mon 8 … Office … sorted out Index plans … still a few missing! Discuss Graeme Marshall various. Discuss same WEB Barlow. SM1 copies for Creswell 38s and Sherwood 109s filed. Phone Stas Watson Sherwood re same. Phone Roger Andrew Coleorton re water situation at Oxcroft … to phone me tomorrow re depth etc. South Yorks Area exchange plans. Need to get our set ready to send to them. To Harworth ... discuss staff and various with Peter Thompson and Chris Shail and Karl Mitchell. Took reel of piano wire for shaft job. Office … colouring index plans.

Tues 9 … Office … Finished 1/25000 Index plans … reference books. Phone Tony Wright Clipstone … their printing machine knocked … ordering new one. Trimmed 20 Welbeck negatives. To Photographic …. Discuss Glen Chappell re progress and Lesley to go in at weekend. Debbie re Area boundary plan to go to John Cunnington South Yorks. Plan to Alan Marlow Coleorton re 1/25000 Top Hard for water. Phone Roger Andrew Coleorton re update info at Oxcroft. Discuss RA Caunt CME re situation at Oxcroft. To Welbeck … to take Mine plan photos. Discuss John Walls, 1/25000 print of Deep Soft. Discuss David Snodin planner re Bothamsall oil bore No 20 milling out! Meeting CJ Whyte, WEB Barlow, AR Barnes, Eric Fretwell, Graeme Marshall and self … general and agenda for Annual Surveyor’s meeting 3rd March. Phone CJ Whyte re pollution at Newark Road Boughton Dyke … to investigate. Discuss Ian Gill geologist re Creswell No1 borehole from Bolsover? (38s). Made 1/25000 Deep Soft Index negative for Welbeck.

Wed 10 … Office … Phone Garry Hall and John Peers Surface Superintendent re pollution report. Discuss DS Widdowson Production Manager re update on Oxcroft and also Ollerton pollution in Boughton Dyke. BC Wright DCME Mining re Oxcroft situation. To see M Goldsby DCME re Oxcroft update and also re Ollerton pollution in Boughton Dyke. To Ollerton … with Garry Hall and John Peers to pollution in Boughton Dyke as reported by M Morris STWA on 8th and 9th Feb … followed the route on No4 Tip. Discuss same with Melvyn Broadhead Plant Manager at Rexco … amicably. Pollution liquor from there. Office … Wrote report on same for CJ Whyte. Discuss same with WEB Barlow. Discuss same with Andrew Higginson Civils, Graeme Marshall and JRB. To Stationery office Andrew Hutchins … ordered more files … plastic envelopes for Index. Meeting at Sherwood 3pm cancelled re DS Crisp Production Manager.

Thurs 11 … To BGS Keyworth. With Tony Barnes, Bob Draper, Mike Allen geologist and self met Andy Howard. … Again no post Lofthouse cover since 1978 for the majority of the pits !!! why? CJ Whyte joined us after lunch. Continued with Mike Allen and Bob Draper checking through boreholes on BGS / BCC plans.

Fri 12 … To Clipstone … discuss Tony Wright and Hadi Al Rekabi re Mine plans and anomalies etc. Borehole from S1s Shirebrook to investigate for 68s Low Main extension. Discuss the shaft accident. Office … Discuss Peter Thompson Harworth re surface borehole to investigate for 1s / 3s cross connection in Deep Soft. Left message for TR Draper re these 2 boreholes to check. Correspondence. Sorting out plans. To Rescue Station … to exchange Bilsthorpe R & FF plans.

Mon 15 … Office … Phone Steve Barnes Bevercotes re arrange an Underground visit. Photocopying. Finished off organising for 1/25000 Index plans and filed away. Hangers in safe. Filed old development plans away in folders. Martin Bradder and Steve Richardson planners re Mansfield Main bright … I signed the negative and signed Rufford Yard seam amends. Also re Clipstone 68s Low Main proposed extension through borehole from Shirebrook. Copies of same to them. Bob Draper brought copies for Shirebrook and Harworth boreholes. Phone Mick Barber Shirebrook Surveyor re same. To Photographic ... Welbeck and Rufford 1/10000 and Gedling 1/2500 seconds. Phone Hadi Al Rekabi Clipstone re Shirebrook borehole o.k. Phone John Grayson Mansfield re T16 theodolite returned. Discuss CJ Whyte re Shirebrook borehole. Phone Alison Zenith re order numbers. Discuss Tony Barnes re Asfordby Demarcation plan sent. Discuss also re Welbeck EDM use … 300m to face? Phone John Walls Welbeck re DM 102 EDM and certificate. Discuss Mike Allen geologist re Geological 1/10000 plottings … odd updates of co-ordinates but mainly their plans wrongly plotted. To Photographic … took surface plans for 1/5000 reduction. To Mansfield … to take T16 theodolite returned from Zenith. Discuss signing of Mine plans etc. Phone Rob Quincey Sherwood re alterations to Deep Hard / Piper. To Rescue Station … exchanged Silverhill plans. Asked about the closure of Ilkeston Rescue Station?

Tues 16 … To Bevercotes … Underground visit with CJ Whyte and Graham Hall … to Top Hard 5s development, 7s face … roof falling in! Kents Thick development, 8s Retreat development. High speed Diesel paddy. Lunch. Accountability … criticized plans and system of recording. Graham Hall requested 2 Geological coloured maps.

Wed 17 … To Welbeck … to pick up 1/2500 Imperial Mine plans for photography. Office … Took 1/5000 and 1/10000 metric to Photographic dept. CJ Whyte re Ollerton STWA complaint re water usage valves etc., Canteen etc. Copies of letter to Les Crellin Chief Engineer and Colin Rose Ops Engineer. Phone Garry Hall Ollerton re same and sent copy. Discuss Graeme Marshall and Ian Burns re same. Discuss Steve Westmoreland and Tim Colyer re 1/5000 surface plans. Phone Bob Draper re order Geological sheets and to check on O.S. 1/2500 sheets for Ollerton / Bilsthorpe. Peter Thompson Harworth re model. Phone Chris Thorne geologist re Geological sheets. To Geological dept to fetch Geological sheets 101 and 113 for Bevercotes. John Raine Area Geologist re old light table at Laboratory … o.k. and told Bob Draper. Checking over Mansfield Deep Hard / Piper Single entry wide heading. CJ Whyte re plan for meeting at Thoresby Welfare Hall … 20. Discuss John Grayson Mansfield re boundary and workings at Clipstone Low Main. To Bevercotes to take Geological plans. To Welbeck … to take Mine plans back. To Rescue Station … Blidworth amend to R & FF plan.

Thurs 18 … Holiday

Fri 19 … Office … Correspondence. New R & FF book for information at pits. Phone David Archer Rufford. Phone John Grayson Mansfield. Phone Ian Shaw Thoresby. Phone Tony Wright Clipstone re to do coal stock surveys. Discuss Tony Barnes re same. Computer list of borehole from Mike Allen geologist. Arranged prints for surface Tip plans. Filling in information on prints e.g. Manager’s jurisdiction, shafts, Coal Prep Plant and coal loading etc. Discuss Steve Richardson planner re Sherwood 203s. Phone Eric Fretwell Subsidence dept re same … o.k. I signed 1/5000 Layout for Sherwood 203s / 207s Yard seam extensions. Discuss Martin Bradder and Steve Richardson planners. To Planning dept and safe to check up. Phone Tim Zenith re amend to price of T2 theodolite for Clipstone … £600. Discuss WEB Barlow various and plan for Sherwood Yard seam. Continued with surface plans. Wendy Wain Zenith brought back Vickers 1 minute theodolite. Discuss WEB Barlow re work load. To Rufford … discuss David Archer re surface operations, also took 1/10000 Yard and Low Main negatives.

Mon 22 … Office … continued with surface plans … coal stocking areas and tip areas. Discuss Ken Lambert Ventilation Engineer re Thoresby Conjure Alders gone? ... no! Phone Peter Thompson Harworth re tomorrow. Phone Bill Fox Creswell re pumping figures. Phone Geoff Austin Bilsthorpe. Discuss John Cranham Clipstone. Discuss Tony Barnes and Ian Burns re surface. To Bilsthorpe … info for surface plan re lorry access, tips etc. with Geoff Austin, Graham Kemp and Graham Millward and checked over plan. To Mansfield … likewise with John Grayson and to Clipstone … likewise with Tony Wright.

Tues 23 … Office … continued with surface plans … colouring. Phone Philip Shaw Ollerton. Phone George Harper Kern UK to meet a week on Friday. Debbie to take SM1 forms for copies and Sherwood Demarcation plans. To Harworth … discuss Peter Thompson info for surface plan and checked over. To Bevercotes … discuss Graham hall and Steve Barnes info for surface plan and checked over. Brought back HP65 connector … to send for a new one today. To Ollerton … discuss Philip Shaw info for surface plan and checked over. To Thoresby … discuss Keith Jenkins info for surface plan and checked over. Phone Ken Lambert Ventilation Engineer re Conjure Alders Methane house … to start demolishing it tomorrow. Office … continued with plans. Checked Harworth SM1 form for 1s / 3s connection. Phone Andy Howard BGS re price … £148 per day … for 12 days … carry on. Discuss Bob Draper and WEB Barlow re BGS and also JEB exam. Phone Dave Muller geologist … message for John Raine re BGS price. Phoned Tracer at Coleorton … message for Alan Marlow … depth of Langwith shaft to water level? To P & S re forms. Phone Keith Goodwin Asfordby re DM502 borrow from Cotgrave. Also discuss about the shaft water … worse?

Wed 24 … To Rescue Station … exchanged Rufford R & FF plans. Sorted out South Notts plans in Van 180. Took over Ilkeston duties last Saturday. To Sherwood … discuss Stas Watson surface plan. Also discuss Willie McGranaghan (ex Ollerton) new Assistant Manager promoted from Undermanager Clipstone. Office … continued with surface plans. Phone Mike Allen geologist came for Bevercotes boundary plan for Kents Thick seam re T & C P Application 1980. Investigating Mansfield Deep Hard / Piper Layout for 3 areas of Single entry working. Phil Critchley and Steve Hill Subsidence dept plans. Bob Draper to investigate 2 oil bores for same. Phone Martin Bradder planner re same plan. Sorting out plans to send to South Yorkshire. With Tim Colyer later re same … gave him a set of South Yorks exchange for Planning dept, also re 1/5000 reductions. Phone Wendy Wain Zenith … to meet with Steve Burt on Fri this week at 1pm. Tony Barnes sorted out 2 dials to go for repair / adjustment. Discuss WEB Barlow re Mansfield Deep Hard / Piper Layout. Trimmed some prints. Debbie re plans in hand. Sorted out 1/25000 plans. Started colouring in Colliery Demarcations on same. Discuss Ian Burns Environment re ask British Rail for sections for Trowell line. Phone John Raine Area Geologist re price charge by BGS of £148 per day! Colouring Colliery areas on 1/25000 surface plans.

Thurs 25 … Office … continued with 1/25000 surface plans. Tony Barnes on holiday. Discuss same with CJ Whyte. Phone Peter Thompson Harworth re accident at Balfour Contractors … referred to CJ Whye … no action. Phone Paula Safety dept (saw Dennis Roebuck at Sherwood meeting.) Bob Draper brought Bevercotes 1” and 6” Geological maps … query oil bores … he had contacted BP re same. Steve Westmoreland planner re O.S. sheets for reduction to 1/5000. Phone several times ... various. To Bevercotes … to take Geological maps. Lunch and discuss Mine plans and records with Graham Hall re Accountability remarks earlier. To Welbeck ... to take Mine plan copies and reductions … discuss John Walls re T & C P queries re the tip. To Sherwood … Production manager’s meeting DS Crisp … I spoke on Welbeck T & C P and visit to Asfordby. Discuss Rob Quincey, Stas Watson and Martin Bradder planner re 203s / 302s SM1. Phone John Grayson Mansfield re Anglo American and D’Arcy oil bores?

Fri 26 … Office … Drafted out letter for Albert H Sturgess National Chief Surveyor for surface plans. I signed Thoresby Parkgate Layout plan (Dec 1987) for Andy Vjestica planner. I signed Creswell Threequarter 41s for Tim Colyer planner … amend face head. Discuss Martin Bradder planner re Mansfield Deep Hard / Piper layout … Area 3 … oil bores? Sent plans to Albert Sturgess Hobart House. Phone Keith Briggs Mansfield same. Bob Draper’s office same … no. Phone Philip W Wood Manager Newstead re message to CJ Whyte re plan cabinets to go to Bentinck. Phone Andy Wells Rufford re No1 and No2 are live. Discuss Ian Burns … Mansfield Council will not accept Welbeck T & C P application for tip extension without £4,950 fee! M Goldsby says no. Read SM1 forms Annesley No2 shaft and also K81s Blackshale. 2 dials and order numbers for Zenith. Lunch at Hop Pole with Wendy. Phone Ian Wilson Thoresby re rumour of heading from Clipstone? Phone Brian Stevenson Bentinck re cabinets from Newstead for storage and discuss. CJ Whyte re plan for Minestone Executive … Newstead tip … sent to Mike Ringer Philadelphia office Worksop. Discuss CJ Whyte same. Phone Keith Briggs Mansfield re copies. To Mansfield … to fetch copies of oil bore logs. Office …Discuss CJ Whyte and John Ottaway Civil Engineer re Newstead proposed extension. Also re Oxcroft and Langwith water situation and pumping figures.

Mon 29 … Office … Finished off Exchange plans 6” for South Yorks. Discuss WEB Barlow. Discuss Martin Bradder planner and I signed Mansfield Deep Hard / Piper Layout plan. Phone Roger Andrew Coleorton re Oxcroft pump. Phone Stuart Mellor Surveyor Bolsover re same. Discuss DS Widdowson Production Manager re same. Discuss AR Caunt CME re same … NOT operational yet. Phone Tony Wright Clipstone re plan folders and rods for cabinet. Phone Peter Williams Creswell re info on Oxcroft. To Clipstone … to take 12 rods for plan folders. To Sutton store to pick up Vickers dial for Rufford. Kern adaptor tribrachs 2 of and Wild tribrach and optical plummet for repair. Discuss Peter Robinson and Mike Parker re plans. Office … phone Bill Fox Creswell re pumping figures. Phone Tracer at South Yorks Doncaster and sent plans of workings to Tony Wormley. Phone Dave Clarke Mining Records Eastwood Hall twice. John Raine re BGS payment! Also re Mansfield oil bores. Phone Paul Rathbone BGS re payment also re Mansfield oil bores. Discuss M Goldsby DCME re Oxcroft pump situation … to ring Central Area, Coleorton HQ.

March 1988

Tues 1 … Office … Investigation into Mansfield oil bores … Anglo American and D’Arcy. Phone Bob Draper at Eastwood re same … waiting for reply from Marjorie Fields BP office Eakring. Phone Andy Howard BGS re same following re Paul Rathbone yesterday. Checking on surface plans … new one needed. Phone John Grayson Mansfield re same. Info continued on 1/25000 water plan of North part of Area. Sorting out plans for copies for Annual Surveyor’s meeting. Drafted out letters for 212 notice for Mansfield Low Main seam finishing. Discuss John Cranham Clipstone re Mine plans and methods etc. Discuss Tony Barnes re plans produced by computer at Calverton and Thoresby. Phone various queries. To Creswell … discuss Bill Fox re info on new water plan negative. Discuss also re introduction of Contractors with Tim Colyer as well. It will be necessary for SM1 form for P2s / P4s panels. Phone CJ Whyte re staffing etc.

Wed 2 … Office … sorted out plans in the safe … copies. Discuss Tony Barnes re SM1 action re letter from Roger Bexon Production Manager re Blidworth method of work … spoke about it on 12/2/1988. Discuss CJ Whyte various … staff left etc. and plans. Also with CJ Whyte and Tony Barnes re the Blidworth situation. To Thoresby … discuss plans etc. Calculations on Amstrad PC to convert Latitudes and departures to NMG co-ordinates for the Anglo-American and D Arcy oil bores for Mansfield Colliery … difference in co-ordinates! Discuss Tony Nicholson from Cotgrave, started yesterday. Possibility a NAK 1 Wild level, legs and staff stolen from underground … checking! Office … discuss WEB Barlow. To Rufford … to look at Mine plans and also to take the VickersN2 dial. Office … to Andrew Hutchins Stationery office re new wheel for the Rotatrim … ok.

Thurs 3 … Annual Meeting of Surveyors in Thoresby Welfare Hall. I gave a talk on standardisation of Mine plans … many differences!

Fri 4 … To Eastwood Hall Mining Records with Bob Draper. Sorted out old flat sheet Standard Mine plans and photos for Area HQ. Phone Debbie … CJ Whyte … to come back to meet George Harper Kern Rep. Office … George Harper did not turn up … waited all day! Phone Maria Harworth, Peter Thompson off ill and pit on strike. Phone Geoff Austin re points to look at on Bilsthorpe Low Main 1/5000 Layout plan. Phone Garry Hall Ollerton re points on Parkgate 1/5000 Layout plan. Info from WEB Barlow … printing. Glen Chappell contacted me says next week is the last week for Lesley working in Photographic. Discuss Brian Hopkinson Marketing re coal stocks at Calverton. Discuss same Graeme Marshall. WEB Barlow and Terry Pennick Safety dept and Tony Barnes re accident on Mansfield Colliery Pit Lane … out of Manager’s jurisdiction … ignore. Robert Orgill from Estates dept came for print of Mansfield surface Demarcation … o.k. Discuss same CJ Whyte. Also re cheques to Subsidence dept next month. Meeting CJ Whyte, Tony Barnes and self … follow up to yesterday’s meeting … working party re office efficiency and SM1s. Phone Andy Howard BGS re Anglo-American oil. Saw Bob Draper info from BP to look at.

Mon 7 – Fri 18 … Holiday … Skiing in Voss, Norway

Mon 21 … Office … correspondence. Discuss Tony Barnes catch up. Sorting out plans for WEB Barlow. I signed Ollerton 1/5000 Parkgate Layout plan for Steve Westmoreland planner. I signed Bilsthorpe 1/5000 Parkgate Layout plan for Tim Colyer planner and discuss oil bores re Low Main. Discuss Tony Barnes re boundary alteration procedure … not done one … David Snodin planner re same. Phone Tony Wright Clipstone re Wild T2 theodolite back from Zenith. Also discuss re surface Demarcation. Phone Stuart Mellors Surveyor Bolsover re Oxcroft … referred me to Roger Andrew Coleorton. Phoned him … no progress as yet. Phone Graham Hall Bevercotes re Geological plans. Discuss Graeme Marshall various. Phone Bob Draper re Geological plans for Bevercotes also re Bolsover boreholes … to take a copy to Bill Fox at Creswell. Phone Geoff Austin Bilsthorpe various. Phone Zenith re instruments. Sent M&Q 212 notice for Mansfield Low Main finished. Made out others in preparation. To Clipstone … surface Demarcation etc. Also re T2 theodolite fitting for DM 102. Phoned Zenith re same and left a message. Phone Geoff Austin Bilsthorpe re pit visit 10am. To Mansfield … discuss John Grayson re work load re plans etc. also tackle, reports, 212 notices etc.

Tues 22 … Office … picked up info for Abandonment plans. To Bilsthorpe … Underground visit with CJ Whyte, Geoff Austin, WE Brian Barlow and Graeme Marshall … to Vertical bunker and 4s Parkgate. Lunch. To Mansfield … with CJ Whyte and WEB Barlow … discuss John Grayson and Keith Briggs, Ian Shore and Gary Quibell re Abandonment … plans etc., info and report … copies of info … John Grayson to order boxes. Phone Dave Clarke Mining Records Eastwood Hall. He came to Mansfield and stamped all the plans … EM number. Phone Coleorton … asked to borrow stamp for certificates … Doug Walker.

Wed 23 … Office … Bilsthorpe plan examined re the Motorway drivage. Phone Andy Wells Rufford re Mark Stevenson after discussion re Peter Chatterton with CJ Whyte and Tony Barnes. Discuss list of info for Mansfield. Discuss WEB Barlow re Mansfield. Phone Zenith, left a message re T2 theodolite at Clipstone. Phone Tony Wright re same and possible tipping Clipstone dirt at Mansfield re John A Daniels Manager re Demarcation plan. Discuss Harry Parratt re stopping Lesley in the Photographic dept! Phone M Goldsby DCME re no action yet at Oxcroft. Phone Bill Fox Creswell re same. RA Caunt CME had been to see Bill Fox’s model of the Mine. Also re optical plummet. Phone Creswell Storekeeper re invoice? … to ring back. Phone Zenith re same. Phone Graham Millward Bilsthorpe re eyepiece for dial. Phone Coleorton Roger Andrew re plan stamp … o.k. To Sherwood … meeting Tony Barnes, Rob Quincey Sherwood, Ian Wilson Thoresby, Hadi Al Rekabi Clipstone and Graham Parker Silverhill … formed a committee working party into office efficiency. Lunch … CJ Whyte, WEB Barlow, Brian Stevenson and Rachel Hole Bentinck and Tony Barnes at Little John pub … Leaving party. Phone John Grayson Mansfield. Office … Discuss Ian Burns re Clipstone / Mansfield tip. Discuss Glen Chappell photographer re plan photos. Discuss Doug Walker Coleorton … brought Rubber stamp … introduced him downstairs.

Thurs 24 … To Mansfield … to take plan stamp and check list of plans  etc. to be kept. Discuss Gary Quibell list of plans, shaft measures etc. Office … discuss WE Brian Barlow. Discuss |Bob Draper and copies of Bolsover boreholes for Creswell 38s Threequarter. Andrew Hutchins … ordered 3 rubber stamps for plans and get a pad. Discuss Andrew Higgins Civils re Mansfield / Rufford / Clipstone complex and re Clipstone to tip on Mansfield tip. Phone Bill Fox re Creswell re water figures. Phone Wendy Wain Zenith re T2 theodolite for Clipstone and optical plummet for Creswell. To see Marie in P & S re plummet. Lunch at the Robin Hood … Retirement Party for WE Brian Barlow Deputy Area Surveyor. Office … Discuss Graeme Marshall and Tony Barnes. To Sherwood … Production Manager’s meeting DS Crisp. I spoke on Mansfield finishing production and being abandoned and Welbeck tip application … reply to press. JA Daniels Manager Clipstone discuss re proposed Demarcation plan amend re Mansfield tip and Haul road etc.

Fri 25 … Office … Discuss Ken Lambert re Mansfield ventilation re No2 shaft. Discuss Graeme Marshall and Ian Burns re meeting minutes and T reorganisation. Phone Roger Andrew 457 ft depth of Oxcroft shaft … pump obtained. Discuss David Snodin planner. Discuss Ken Lambert, Andy Liney and Mick Bostock Ventilation Engineers re Mansfield. Phone Bill Fox Creswell. Discuss Tony Barnes re closing a pit … copies of P Is etc. for Mansfield meeting. Phone Maria at Harworth. Discuss Martin Sly Civils Tips re Clipstone / Mansfield tip and Haul road. To Harworth … discuss Peter Thompson Blyth abandonment! Barnsley pit bottom amends. Plans for Haigh Moor and Swallow Wood re panel and development stopped last week. Level instrument requires Wild NAK1. Also discuss possible Mock Practical exam Easter week o.k. Brought tip plans to 1983. Phone Bill Fox Creswell then Wendy Wain Zenith. To Creswell … met Ian Gill geologist. Discuss Bill Fox re position Bolsover Deep Hard boreholes … query thickness of Threequarter seam! Phone CJ Whyte re John Grayson and Keith Briggs. Also various … mock exam, plans and boreholes.

Mon 28 … Office … Phone Carl Banton Sherwood to phone Creswell re Keith Banton (his brother) at home. Phone Tony Wright Clipstone re Richard Longden. Phone Chris Shail Harworth. Phone Geoff Austin Bilsthorpe re Chris Procter. Phone Michael Sheldon at home all re mock practical exam. Phone John Grayson re any waterlogged areas. Phoned several times re plans, boundaries etc. etc. Phone Steve Westmoreland planner re 1/5000 Harworth u/g at colliery. CJ Whyte re water situation … Central Area want to meet us re Oxcroft, Williamthorpe and Morton. Updating water figures with Tony Barnes. M Goldsby DCME re Oxcroft 2 weeks. Phone Graham Kemp Bilsthorpe re no records for 1987. Discuss CJ Whyte re Mock Practical exam. Phone Ian Wilson Thoresby re found legs and staff. (Assumed had been stolen). Phone Garry Hall Ollerton re 34s Parkgate SM1. To Ollerton to take signed SM1. Office … Discuss Bob Draper re various. Sorting out papers in safe. Phoned Brian Barlow (retired) at home re where had he put the exam papers? Cleared out papers from Deputy Surveyor & Minerals Manager’s office. Discuss Tony Barnes.

Tues 29 … To Mansfield … discuss Abandonment etc., shaft details re missing connection! Meeting on Friday. Discuss Keith Briggs implications. Discuss Ken lambert Vent and John Grayson re other connection ‘found’ between shafts recently! Phone Debbie. Re Tim Zenith phoned re Clipstone T2 theodolite and DM 102 wrong side. To Bilsthorpe … to pick up exam papers from Brian Barlow at home. Office … Discuss CJ Whyte various. Made out marking book for Mock Practical exam. Discuss re pipe line furring up etc. re pumping. Eo Ventilation dept. Phone Bob Draper … reminder re Bevercotes Geological plans and Bothamsall oil bores nos 22 and 23.

Wed 30 … To Harworth … Underground in Barnsley seam NE Loco Road. Mock Practical exam. Theodolite test … Keith Banton, Richard Longden and Michael Sheldon and Chris Procter assisted.

Thurs 31 … To Harworth … Underground … Mock Practical. Levelling test. Discuss. Office … Discuss Bob Draper. Bevercotes SM1 form re proposed 5 feet diameter boreholes from Top Hard to Parkgate for increased ventilation. Discuss Martin Sly Civils re Mansfield tip … to Clipstone etc. Discuss John Grayson Mansfield. Discuss John J Hind Welbeck.

April 1988

Fri 1 … Office … To Stationery office … Janet re stamps for plans … not come. Correspondence. Phone Graham Hall Bevercotes re SM1 also re plans. Also re August last year at Bevercotes when O.S. Personnel had a problem gaining entry to the Colliery site. To Mansfield … Salvage meeting DS Crisp. To make appraisal of water situation. Discuss John Grayson. Discuss Albert E Littler to start as Manager at Mansfield from Thoresby next week with Ken G Fidler going to Thoresby as Manager. Discuss Barry Godfrey Ops Mech Engineer re Thoresby STWA appraisal … did not know! Office … Discuss CJ Whyte re water etc. Also re O.S. at Bevercotes re Chief Surveyor! Phone Coleorton … message to meet next week (Brian Chapman). Phone Billy Ellison Creswell re update on Oxcroft water situation. Phone Gordon Froggatt Manager re same. Phone Jackie at Zenith. Wendy Wain Zenith brought back 2 dials and took 2 others for overhaul. To Thoresby … prints. Discuss Ian Shaw various.

Mon 4 and Tues 5 … Easter Holiday

Wed 6 … Office … Phone Graham Kemp Bilsthorpe re water figures … none for last year! Correspondence. Discuss Bilsthorpe water meter with Colin Rose Mech Ops Engineer. Debbie … sorting out Clipstone and Mansfield surface Demarcation plans. Cleaning up plans etc. and filing away. JEB / MQB exam papers in the safe. 1/5000 Layout plans folded and filed. Discuss Bob Draper various. Tony Barnes re water file update. Phone Andy Howard BGS … arranged meeting for 9am 15th April cancelled … rearranged for 21st April. Phone Mike Allen geologist re same and also Bob Draper. Phone Andrew Hutchins Stationery office re stamps for Abandonment plans. Phone Alan Marlow Coleorton re water … arranged meeting at Cotgrave 10am on 13th April. Phone Philip Shaw Ollerton. Abandonment report for Mansfield Top Hard. Phone Keith Briggs Mansfield re surface negatives wanted. To Rufford … Andonment report for Top Hard … discuss David Archer. Phone Hadi Al Rekabi re Clipstone Top Hard Abandonment report. To Rescue Station … exchanged Mansfield and Blidworth R & FF plans.

Thurs 7 … Office … Invigilator for Mock Practical office test for Keith Banton and Richard Longden in Conference Room C. To Mansfield … to take new stamps for certification on plans. Also 2 surface negatives and copy of Mansfield Top Hard Abandonment report. Discuss John Grayson and Keith Briggs re water … no problem! Sent the borrowed Plan stamps back to Roger Andrew Coleorton. Phone Tony Wright re report for Clipstone Top Hard … no! Why didn’t they have one? Phone Ian Wilson Thoresby re plans required by Chief Surveyor for valuation. With Tony Barnes … sent out sheets for Yearly Rating figures and also letter from AH Sturgess National Chief Surveyor re info for Rescue boreholes down to 1,000m deep. Brian Hopkinson Marketing re levelling required at Creswell and Ollerton Rapid Loaders. Marking exam papers. Discussion CJ Whyte and Tony Barnes … Keith Banton failed and Richard Longden passed. Phone Bill Fox Creswell re P4s working towards British Rail tunnel and Rapid Loader. Phone Tim Colyer planner re same for planning … discuss same CJ Whyte. Phone Philip Shaw Ollerton re Rapid Loader levels. Phone Bob Draper re Abandonment report for Clipstone Top Hard. Sorting through Abandonment Report file P5289 … filling in information … why was it missing?

Fri 8 … Office … Sorted out all old Abandonment Reports and 212 notices and put in Registry file and referenced same. (The more I delve, the more things I find have not been done previously!) Discuss Corrick? Subsidence dept re 2 hammers. Discuss CJ Whyte re P4s Creswell approaching British Rail tunnel … he would ring BR and inform them. Phone Ian Wilson Thoresby re hammers! To Thoresby to take valuation info and discuss Ian Wilson. Discuss Tony Nicholson. Discuss Keith Jenkins re Computer Graphics re R & FF plans. Prints. Discuss Brian C Wright DCME Mining re Oxcroft again. To Ollerton … discuss Philip Shaw SM1 for 34s Parkgate and copy for Area HQ. Discuss Michael Sheldon and Bob Hallott. Office … Discuss Wendy Wain Zenith re instruments and orders. To Mansfield … to take Wild T16 theodolite and collect rubber stamps for transfer to Linby also closed and take copy of Rufford Top Hard Abandonment report … discuss John Grayson and Keith Briggs and Gary Quibell re last day … he transferred to Welbeck. To Clipstone … discuss Tony Wright re water also re the form to fill in re Rescue borehole info for 1,000m deep.

Mon 11 … Office … Discuss CJ Whyte and Tony Barnes re Rescue boreholes files … Not Kept! Letter to Colliery Surveyor re need to keep same. Phone Ian Shaw re Thoresby T16 theodolite vertical angles. Phone Keith Goodwin Asfordby re SM1 form and action!! Discuss Bob Draper re info required re drilling and Statutory Undertakers phone numbers etc. for the file. Also re old shafts examinations records! With Tony Barnes sorting out water problems re Williamthorpe / Silverhill … getting info together. Checking SM1 Bilsthorpe 117s. Phone Bill Fox re Creswell / Langwith water figures. Also re Langwith tunnel re British Rail re P4s (to see tomorrow). Paperwork to date for P & S dept. Phone CJ Whyte re when is Mining Records ready. Phone Dave Clarke. Phone Linby back. Chris Thorne geologist re borrow 1/10000 surface plan. Tony Barnes … gave him stamps for Abandonment plans (from Mansfield). To Bevercotes … to take BGS and check borehole positions against Risk Assessment plans with Steve Barnes. 6” print of updated workings. Discuss Graham Hall and Steve Barnes re various … photography and Rescue boreholes proposed file. To Rescue Station … to exchange Linby R & FF plans. New Station Superintendent Bill Muir, Peter Harley retired last week.

Tues 12 … to Creswell … Underground visit with CJ Whyte and Bill Fox. Top Hard pit bottom water tanks. Hollow Lodge pump house and then down 1in3 drift to Threequarter seam pit bottom and pump and tank … timings. Surface to reservoir etc. Discuss re progress also Whitwell British Rail tunnel. Lunch … Calculations of water quantities. Office … Phone Bill Fox re Oxcroft pump restarted on 9th April. Phone Ian Wilson Thoresby re Wendy Wain pick up theodolite today. Discuss CJ Whyte Rescue boreholes. Discuss Tony Barnes re same. (It would appear there is only me who has experienced doing traverses around periphery of workings etc. re possible setting out quickly and checking same yearly … as at Teversal in 1960s!). Discuss Bob Draper update of Statutory Undertakers telephone numbers etc. Letters for typing. Debbie re Clipstone, Mansfield Demarcation. Phone John Grayson Mansfield re Thursday seam reports. To Rescue Station … to exchange Calverton and Sutton R & FF plans. Met Bill Muir new Superintendent. He requested shaft sections.

Wed 13 … to Cotgrave … with Tony Barnes … water reports etc. Met Tony Pascoe Deputy Area Surveyor and Alan Marlow Senior Surveyor Central Area regarding water reports etc. Discuss Williamthorpe / Silverhill, Morton / Bentinck, Oxcroft / Creswell situations. Lunch. Phone Gordon Jacobs Inland Revenue Mineral Valuer re Thoresby. Phone Ian Wilson re plans. Phone CJ Whyte re same. Phone Ian Wilson again ... plans will be ready. Phoned Gordon Jacobs to confirm. Office … Checking over all collieries for workings for May 1987 – May 1988 and May 1988 – May 1989 for Public Notices, amends to Sue. Brian Hopkinson Marketing … explained re Creswell Rapid Loading Bunker levels and gradients.

Thurs 14 … Office … Phone Geoff Austin Bilsthorpe re 106s Low Main stood … discuss Sue. Ken Lambert Vent re Mansfield R & FF and also Mansfield / Sherwood ventilation report. To Mansfield … discuss John Grayson re High Hazles report. With David Banner Asst Mech Engr re pumping in all 5 seams. Checking over same with Tom Purseglove Acting Mech Engr. Working out pumping details for Abandonment report. Going through Pumping plans. Phone Martin Sly Civil Engr Tips re Demarcation plans for Clipstone and Mansfield. Lunch with John Grayson and CJ Whyte at Oak Tree. I insisted that he should write the Abandonment reports for all 5 seams, having been at Mansfield for about 20 years. He agreed. Office … Demarcation plans with Debbie. Phone several various. To Thoresby … Production Manager’s meeting DS Crisp. Query re Clipstone 68s boundary exchange in Low Main … Central Area doing it stated Martin Bradder planner. Valuation at Thoresby re rating. 2 hammers for Subsidence dept. After with DS Crisp and John Daniels Manager Clipstone re Demarcation plans for Clipstone and Mansfield No1 tip and No2 tip … agreed. Alan? Method Study requested a copy of shaft sections. Office … Discuss CJ Whyte and Graeme Marshall re update. Phone Dave Clarke at home re visit tomorrow of HMI re CJ Whyte. Geological plans Bob Draper.

Fri 15 … to Rescue Station … to take shaft sections for JW Muir Superintendent. Office … Phone Trevor Speed Blidworth re Rescue borehole plan. Phone Peter Robinson Sutton re same and also re 54s water and boring. Phone Hadi Al Rekabi Clipstone re same also re a copy. Phone John Stapleton re same. (… I couldn’t understand that no other pits other than Teversal had done the exercise in 1960s and kept plans etc. even though Teversal being a shallow pit the depths had increased over the years, nobody in North Notts. had done anything about it and had increased now to 1,000m. At Ollerton I had done minor traverses and resection and intersection to the headgear station and colliery base line and on the tip and some remote stations and levellings in front of panels in the open countryside, mainly for Subsidence dept but also with possible underground problems in mind, using O.S. pillars and sight points back to the colliery, Church spires etc. Nobody told me to do it and I never mentioned it, however I did not keep a specific plan for same, only notes and positions and bearings etc.). To Harworth … to take Valuation plans of Thoresby for Mineral Valuer to collect. Phoned Gordon Jacobs to confirm. Phone Mike Pope Deputy Area Staff Manager re Tim Bradley Cotgrave / Asfordby re off work. Phone Jed Thomas Cotgrave re same re Tim to contact Area HQ. Updated second copy Harworth Working plans. Discuss Peter Thompson re copy of Blyth seam plan received from Mining Records … not same as a Standard Mine plan! Discuss re Rescue borehole plans. To Bevercotes … took Geological plan. Updated second copy Working plans. Discuss Rescue borehole plans. Phone Bill Fox Rescue Borehole plans. Office … Phone John Walls Welbeck re Rescue borehole plan and also rating. Phone Tony Wright re surface Demarcation plans re JA Daniels Manager … amends. Phone Martin Sly re same. Phone Richard Thompson Estates re same and message for Peter Daffin re British Rail. Discuss DS Widdowson Production Manager re Oxcroft / Creswell / Langwith water and also re Harworth Haigh Moor stopped and also re various about Bevercotes (where he was Manager previously). Phone George Simms Annesley earlier re Rescue boreholes plan.

Mon 18 … To Rescue Station … exchanged Clipstone and Harworth R & FF plans. To Mansfield … investigating water and finishing off pumping reports. Discuss John Grayson (who only came in to finish Abandonment reports, he had been made redundant because the pit had closed). Discuss Keith Briggs. Writing water reports and 6” (1/10560) plans had no contours! Phone CJ Whyte re Sherwood visit. Phone Robert Quincey re same for Wed re Councillors also. Also re Rescue boreholes folder. Phone CJ Whyte. Phone Ian Shaw Thoresby re Wild T16 theodolite. To Clipstone … discuss Hadi Al Rekabi. Discuss JA Daniels Manager re Demarcation plan. Phone Martin Sly Civil Engr re ‘Farmer’s Cutting’! JA Daniels re now not necessary re Martin Sly. To Thoresby … to take Wild T16 theodolite on loan from Mansfield. Office … Phone Eric Fretwell re amended plan for Sherwood 132s to 10m wide … o.k. Correspondence. Debbie re to amend Clipstone plan. Phone Garry Hall Ollerton re sewage from Ollerton Sewage Pumping Station overflow again! Informed CJ Whyte. Also mentioned that Redhouse on Newark Road was for sale. Phoned Benny Wells Ollerton … not in, but spoke to Linda Stockham re Red House Estates dept for sale … possibly for Builder, Plumber etc. Discuss Tony Barnes re Rescue boreholes and Production Manager’s meeting minutes. Phone Billy Ellison Creswell re pumping figures. Phone Bob Draper re plans for BGS (Geological), also re Bevercotes plans requested (£60 petty cash re Roger Holmes).

Tues 19 … Office … Water report for Mansfield. Phoning round pits re John Grayson Leaving Party. Also the odd one about Rescue boreholes, plus Rufford again. Phone Ian Revill Annesley and Ian Orgill Blidworth re new Parish of Ravenshead … plan received. Phone John Grayson re various. Eric Seaton Ventilation dept re possibility of obtaining staff bubble. SM1 for Bevercotes Top Hard to DS Widdowson’s PA Christine. Phone Keith Briggs Mansfield re shaft section. To Creswell … Updated second copy 1/2500 Working plans. Discuss Billy Ellison and Peter Williams. Phone John Grayson re Low Main water. To Sherwood … discuss subsidence etc. with Rob Quincey, Stas Watson, Carl Banton re exam. To Clipstone … updated second copy Working plans. Discuss Tony Wright and Hadi Al Rekabi re Rescue boreholes plan etc. Office … Peter Daffin brought Clipstone British Rail land plan re haul road to Rufford tipping complex (Strawberry Nob) … to amend curtilage plan re banking. Also discussed Rufford British Rail land buying. Phone Steve Lunnon geologist re amends to Blidworth and Harworth information on Rescue borehole info sheets. Bob Draper discuss various. Discuss CJ Whyte. Discuss Tony Barnes re Silverhill water re report from Alan Marlow. Phone David Walton Civil Engineer re copy of Mansfield shaft sections.

Wed 20 … To Sherwood … Underground visit to 135s Single entry panel and ISM wide heading in Deep Hard / Piper seam with CJ Whyte, RA Quincey. Willie McGranaghan Assistant Manager, R Straw Deputy Director Admin plus 2 Execs, one Technical, and 2 Councillors from Mansfield District Council … (Richard Goad, Jim McGuigan, Jim? Leader). Discuss Barry Godfrey Ops Mech Engr re Mansfield shaft insets! … need to examine. Lunch … Discussion then with David Moult Colliery Manager. Phone Ian Shaw Thoresby. To Thoresby … discuss Gordon Jacobs Mineral Valuer re assessment of Thoresby surface etc. Phone CJ Whyte at Bevercotes tomorrow. Also re possibility of using the Field Well at Mansfield for Clipstone. Office … discuss Debbie re Clipstone Demarcation amends. Tony Barnes re water reports for the Coalfield Pumping Committee. To P & S wrong forms! Investigating the possibility of using the Field Well now Mansfield has finished production.

Thurs 21 … to British Geological Society (BGS) at Keyworth. Joint British Coal / BGS Liaison meeting … AR Barnes, TR Draper, MA Allen, A Howard and self. Examined and checked plans for Bevercotes, Creswell, Blidworth and Calverton (done last time).

Fri 22 … Office … Correspondence. Sorting out Rating figures. Phone Tony Wright Clipstone re Demarcation. Phone Martin Sly re Clipstone. Phone Philip Shaw Ollerton re error. Phone Graham Hall Bevercotes re error. Phone John Walls Welbeck re various and new Geological plan required. Discuss Bob Draper same. Discuss Graeme Marshall various. To Ollerton … plans and discuss Philip Shaw re Martin Davis … levelling technique (he asked re Mock Practical exam this year, say November! Office … Discuss Peter Davies Mech Engineer re possible knowledge of insets found in Mansfield shafts … no, but interested! Demarcation plans signed for Mansfield and Clipstone. Drafted out letters and M&Q 212 notices for Harworth Haigh Moor and Mansfield Main Bright, Deep Hard / Piper and Deep Soft all finished. To Clipstone … discuss JA Daniels Colliery Manager re Demarcation plan. Also re underground fire on face panzer! To Mansfield … discuss Roger L Trueman Deputy Manager re Demarcation plan re Clipstone take over No2 tip on Monday Apr 25. Discuss various with Keith Briggs and Ian Shore. Sorted out Rating areas.

Mon 25 … Appointed Surveyor for Mansfield Colliery. (It is necessary to have a Surveyor for the mine until it is abandoned and the shafts are sealed). But again … why me? CJ Whyte said I was the one who could see the job through! Office … Compiling Rating info. Debbie re Clipstone / Mansfield Demarcation plans. CJ Whyte re questions asked on Valuation exercise. Phone Albert Sturgess National Chief Surveyor re same. Phone Ian Shaw Thoresby re keep note of plans and information given. Compiling info to send to Chief Surveyor. Keith Briggs Mansfield re rating figures! To Civil Engineers re cost of laying pipes etc. John Ottaway stated £8 per metre. To Electrical Services re same. Writing up possibility of further borehole for water at Clipstone or use ‘Field well’ at Mansfield. To Civil Engineers Tips … discuss Martin Sly and Andrew Higginson re Clipstone / Mansfield. Also re Mansfield No1 tip and drain to Vicar Water. List of Surveyor’s names and Colliery addresses to George Harper, Kern. To Thoresby … updated second copy Working plans. Discuss Ian Shaw re notes compiled for Valuation ecercise. Discuss Tony Nicholson re progress. Also Ian Shaw re Darren Moody and swap Chris Farr Welbeck. To Mansfield … updated second copy Working plans. Discuss Keith Briggs re me being appointed Surveyor and not him? I said ‘Look round Keith, you have done nothing … waiting for stippling machine you say… not asked me for it … go and fetch it! Not finished the plans off. Not tidied up or sorted things out such as shafts and info etc. etc., that’s why Keith’. (He replaced me at Teversal in Feb 1971, transferred from Ormonde when I moved to Ollerton.) Rating figures to finish. Surveyor’s reports for 4 seams ready for checking.

Tues 26 … To BGS Keyworth … Joint BGS / BCC Liaison meeting. AR Barnes, TR Draper, MA Allen, self and Andy Howard BGS. Examined and checked plans for Harworth, Blidworth, Rufford, Cotgrave, Annesley, Sutton / Silverhill and part of Sherwood.

Wed 27 … Office … Correspondence. Discuss Richard Thompson Estates re Demarcation plans. Discuss Bob draper re Mansfield Wells and shafts info. Also re Clipstone possible borehole and also re Mansfield Well supply to Clipstone 3,000m away. Info from BD Foraki over the phone. Discuss Martin Sly Civil Engr Tips re Blidworth tip. Also Graeme Marshall and Tony Barnes. To Rufford … Updated second copy Working plans. Discuss Andy Wells and Pete. Also Surface superintendent John Weston re amend to Clipstone / Mansfield tip re stopping Contractors … they thought they were on Rufford tip! Phone Martin Sly re same. Phone Benny Wells Admin Ollerton re Red House sell to Builder. To Bilsthorpe … Updated second copy Working plans. Discuss Graham Kemp re Sports ground flooding re drain. Discuss Chris Procter Apprentice. To Estates Office Thoresby … Richard Thompson re Sports ground at Bilsthorpe … could not find the plan … British Rail land? Office … Phone Peter Williams Creswell … no water figures again! Discuss CJ Whyte re Clipstone / Mansfield water supply. Phoned Philip Shaw Ollerton re plans. Phone Alan Marlowe Central Area re Williamthorpe / Silverhill Water report … to send a copy.

Thurs 28 … Office … Correspondence. Plans in the safe. Phone Denise Tindale Tracer Ollerton re plans. Discuss and info C Thorne geologist re Manton Top Hard. Phone Keith Briggs Mansfield re find info. To Thoresby … to take O.S. plans and letter and see Rescue borehole file. To Ollerton … Updated second copy Working plans, discuss Denise. To Sherwood … Updated second copy Working plans. Discuss Stas Watson and Mick Orchiston Deputy Manager. To Mansfield … sorted through shaft info. Also well info with Keith Briggs and Ian Shore. Also updated 134s Deep Soft plan … not done! Investigated Brinsley seam plan and inset. Info re other insets and sections to date. Pumping plan info tomorrow re Dennis Banner. To Clipstone … Production Manager’s meeting DS Crisp. I spoke on Water situation Central Area / Notts. Also Thoresby Colliery Valuation exercise. Phone … Then DS Crisp re spoil make at Mansfield to go on to ex Mansfield No2 tip? Alan? Method Study re Mansfield / Clipstone tip. Discuss Tony Wright and Hadi Al Rekabi various and discuss new printing machine with Karen, Tracer.

Fri 29 … Office … Update of pumping info for CJ Whyte re M Goldsby DCME. Phone Graham Walters Linby re staff bubble … no! To Mansfield … Salvage Meeting DS Crisp 9.45am. Pumping records, Water report, shafts, wells and STWA. Discuss Ken Lambert Vent re stopping site proposals. Discuss Tom Purseglove Engineer re pumping figures. Discuss David Walton Civil Engr re wells and shafts. Discuss Barry Godfrey Ops Mech Engr re shafts visit next Thursday. To Sherwood … Discuss Stas Watson SM1 form 109s to Area HQ. Staff bubble for Mansfield. Office … SM1 to Tony Pickering Area Ventilation Engr. Staff bubble for Eric Seaton. Ventilation and discuss re Mansfield shafts, wells etc. Phone Garry Hall Ollerton re underground staff … to send Pen 0.1 and stencils to Andy Wells. Discuss instruments etc. with Wendy Wain Zenith. Sorting out plans in safe. Phone David Walton Civil Engineer re shaft visit with Don Brown. SRWA report for Mansfield to Les Crellin Chief Engineer and JB Godfrey Ops Engineer. Phone Surveyor and Steve Dedross Asfordby re shaft grouting … relayed same to Tony Wright Clipstone.

May 1988

Mon 2 …  May Day Holiday

Tues 3 … Office … Report for Albert H Sturgess National Chief Surveyor sent on Thoresby valuation. Phone Garry Hall Ollerton re 10s B borehole info especially a sealing report. Relayed info to Bob Draper for investigation. Phoned back … no! Phone Andy Wells Rufford re pumping figures for 1987 … now not using air cooling. Phone Tony Wright Clipstone re Richard Longdon and Keith Banton Practical test at Cynheidre S Wales. Also re flat sheets. Phone Bill Fox Creswell re same. Also re pumping figures. Phone Mike Oldham Road Transport re transport for the 2 lads and their equipment … to contact him next week. Phone Alan Marlow Central Area re Water report re meeting HMI later. Also re Oxcroft pumping. Discuss Dennis Roebuck Safety Engineer re same. Phone Keith Briggs Mansfield re tip plans. I gridded 13 flat sheets using template. To Thoresby … to pick up R & FF plans and Risk Assessment folder. To Rescue Station … exchanged Thoresby R & FF plans. To Mansfield …. Examining High Hazles plans etc. and made list of things that need doing. Phone Martin Sly Civil Engineer re tips. Discuss and took letter re STWA report to RL Trueman Deputy Manager and Tom Purseglove Engineer. Discuss Paul Grimshaw re Tip defects books etc. for Clipstone … arranged to be transferred as and when necessary. To Clipstone … to take 13 flat sheets and Reg 12 folder from Mansfield and discuss. To send on section negs to HQ, Underground staff from Mansfield for Ollerton.

Wed 4 …. Office … Discuss Bob Draper re info for Bevercotes boreholes re BP … not yet! Also GI bit. Phone Rob Quincey Sherwood re another SM1 next week. Phone Graham Hall Bevercotes re no Geological plans. Discuss CJ Whyte re Water reports … extra plans and info. Phone Bill Fox Creswell re Langwith pumping. Phone Harry Parratt re no plans been photographed in 6 weeks! Went to see Glen Chappell! Phone Steve Barnes Bevercotes after discuss Bert Grime ATT re display of survey equipment required at High Marnham Power Station for Open Days May 21 and May 22. Phone John Freeman geologist re Sherwood boreholes … info coming later. Checking over 212 notices and wrote letters for Mansfield seams. Phone George Simms Annesley asking re dates of all Colliery closures since 1980. Discuss Peter Thompson Harworth. He took GKOA level back. Also arranged for EDM equipment for shaft measure. Took roll of piano wire. Phone Bill Fox re AGA 110 for Harworth. Also phone Richard Pearson Annesley re send AGA cradle to Harworth direct. To Thoresby … R & FF plans exchanged. Also advise re Ventilation plans and R & FF extension re Deep Soft workings. Discuss Ian Shaw and Ian Wilson. To Ollerton … to take underground staff. Discuss Garry Hall and Philip Shaw and Joe Ottewell Safety Engineer. To Mansfield … continued checking over High Hazles Abandonment plans … discuss Ian Shore and Keith Briggs.

Thurs 5 … To Mansfield … sorting out various and arranging with Keith Briggs, Ian Shore and Glyn Williams (S/A). Underground with Tom Purseglove, Barry Godfrey, David Walton, Geoff ? S/E and Malcolm ? shaftsman. Measurements to top insets in No1 and No2 shafts. Also to the Yard well and measured the underground galleries at 2 levels. It would appear that no plan existed or were the Surveyors aware of the existence of galleries! Found coal seam corresponding to shaft sinking … sorting out same … Wrong shaft section on sheet! Phone Ian Wilson Thoresby re Tony Pickering Area Ventilation Engineer about recording R & FF information! Phone Ken Lambert Ventilation Engineer re arrange a visit to the Field well later. Office … Phone Geoff Austin Bilsthorpe same and Tony Barnes also. Assisting Tony Barnes and Sue Unsworth Tracer sorting out working areas for last year and next year for publication in the newspapers. Discuss David Walton Civil Engineer re amends to shaft sections at Mansfield. Instructed Keith Briggs and Ian Shore to complete survey work whilst I am away.

Fri 6 to Sun 22 … Holiday to Corfu 2 weeks.

Mon 23 … Office … Correspondence. Discuss Tony Barnes update. Discuss Graeme Marshall. Discuss CJ Whyte various and findings at Mansfield! Discuss Steve Barnes (Tony’s brother) Bevercotes re High Marnham Power Station display at the weekend. Drafted out M&Q 212 notice letters for Harworth Haigh Moor and Mansfield 3 seams and Colliery closure. Phone Graham Millward Bilsthorpe R & FF . Phone Garry Hall Ollerton re fall last week at top of Return Drift … old Top Hard gate over a back rip … cost the pit 2 days coaling whilst it was cleared and timbered up. Phone Tony Wright Clipstone re letter re same. Phone Hadi Al Rekabi re Richard Longden at exam … o.k. Phone Bill Fox Creswell re Keith Banton at exam … poor! Also re water rising up Langwith shaft. Phone Brian Chapman Coleorton. Phone Peter Thompson Harworth re shaft measuring … failed! To Harworth … to fetch AGA tackle for Gedling … discussed the measuring etc. … checked on surface Chris Shail. To Bevercotes … to fetch plate for laser. Discuss Graham Hall various. To Ollerton … to take prisms back. Also discussed the large fall. Took exam questions for Martin Davies. Discuss Peter Daffin various. Office … discuss Bob Draper various. Phone Malcolm Clarke planner re Harworth Haigh Moor seam. Meeting CJ Whyte re question of supplying 6” plans to Wardell Armstrong for STWA. Also re Clipstone ? Mansfield water supply. Also re Ompton pumping Station refusal to allow Bilsthorpe Low Main to work under. Discuss M Goldsby DCME and 212 notices signed. Also re update re Langwith water.

Tues 24 … Office … Correspondence and filing. Sent out M&Q 212 forms to HMI for Harworth, Mansfield and others. Checking surface Demarcation. Drafted out letter to STWA for Mansfield shafts. Phone Rob Quincey Sherwood re 1/10000 reductions for Top Hard, Dunsil and Deep Soft. Also re boreholes info and 132s SM1 whereabouts? And Glyn Williams Surveyor’s Assistant. Phone Graham Kemp Bilsthorpe re STWA. Phone Bob Draper re Bothamsall oil bores 22 and 23? To Bilsthorpe … exchanged R & FF plans. Discuss re Ollerton large fall. To Rescue Station … to exchange Bilsthorpe and Blidworth R & FF plans. To Mansfield … sorting out files and old tackle etc. Phone Bill Fox re Wendy Wain Zenith to take optical plummet back and bring another. Discuss John Fletcher re water returns etc. Boxes from Jerving. Discuss Roger Trueman Deputy Manager re M&Q 212 form etc. and Glyn Williams Surveyor’s Assistant to go to Sherwood on June 20th. Phone John Stapleton Cotgrave re T16 theodolite and DI 4 EDM … o.k. Phone Keith Jenkins Thoresby re T16 theodolite swap … o.k. Phone CJ Whyte re minutes of Mansfield Salvage meeting … additions to the report. Phone Bill Fox Creswell re optical plummet and new! Discuss David Walton Civil Engineer re proposed shaft fill etc. Discuss John Fletcher Engineer various. Transferring books etc.

Wed 25 … Office … Discuss Graeme Marshall various. CJ Whyte with Mansfield Salvage minutes. Phone Graham Hall Bevercotes re Certificate number and date. Also re Bothamsall oil bores. To see Mike Pope Deputy Area Staff Manager re Certificate dates etc. Phoned Graham Hall back. Phone Marjorie Fields BP re boreholes … Bob Draper had them 2 weeks ago!  Phone Anne Hollett Newstead Mining Records Office re boxes / info for Mansfield. Took Mansfield Abandonment reports to Typing. Ompton Pumping station … Tony Barnes checking through correspondence … Low Main at Bilsthorpe … no. Phone Garry Hall Ollerton re green line for 3rd and 4th drifts for Thoresby workings … no! To Mansfield … cleaning out drawers etc. and checking. Info re Yard well with Ian Shore and Glyn Williams. Discuss water with John Fletcher. Phone Geologists re clean out drawers at Mansfield. To Sherwood … Meeting cancelled DS Crisp Production Manager. Discuss Rob Quincey and Stas Watson. Took SM1 form back for 132s. Also all 1/10000 negs for underground Top Hard, Dunsil, Waterloo, Deep Soft etc. Discuss Geoff Hewitt Surface Superintendent re Injunction served for smoke emission from chimney. To Clipstone … to take 13 plan covers, note books etc. Discuss various re boundaries, Working plans with Tony Wright and Hadi Al Rekabi. 3 note books, 3 Levelling books and some R & FF folders.

Thurs 26 … Office … Correspondence. Phone Tony Barnes. Discuss Graeme Marshall various and Creswell tip. Also re Sherwood chimney smoke. Mansfield Water report. Phone Bill Fox Creswell. Phone Newstead re Bob Draper. Info from Bob Draper re Bothamsall oil bore Nos 22 and 23 for Bevercotes. P & S paperwork. Phone Bob Hallott Ollerton re no SM1 for gobbings within 2m. To Creswell … to take optical plummet, 2 note books, 2 Levelling books and some R & FF folders. Discuss water re Oxcroft and Langwith. Phone Andy Wells Rufford re 1/10000 surface plan. Also various and HP65 batteries. Office … checking paperwork. To Mansfield … sorting out. Discuss Albert E Littler new Manager transferred from Thoresby and Roger L Trueman Deputy Manager re roof bolting plan for 4s Low Main. Drawing out same.

Fri 27 … Office … Correspondence. Discuss Graeme Marshall. Phone Keith Jenkins Thoresby re to include Area Garage in Manager’s curtilage … Sue took ozaloft and amending same. To Bevercotes … examining Parkgate plans with Graham Hall ready for submission for Abandonment (17 sheets). Pumping! Abandonment report. Procedure etc. Took Bothamsall 22 and 23 oil bore surveys. To Mansfield … sorting out. Discuss Ian Shore and Glyn Williams various. Salvage meeting 2pm DS Crisp Production Manager. With Ian Shore and Glyn Williams … survey of Yard well tunnels. Discuss David Walton Civil Engineer re the wells. Discuss Peter Daffin Estates re possible route to Clipstone.

Mon 30 … Bank Holiday

Tues 31 … AR Barnes and Debbie holiday. Office ... Annesley SM1 form to M Goldsby DCME. Discuss Graeme Marshall. Filled in questionnaire to Carl King Electrical Engineer re Non App Electrical Appliances. Discuss Ian Burns re housing / buildings surrounding and within 250m of tips … method of update when not flown for photographs. Discuss same with Eric Fretwell Subsidence dept …. In future to send any info received from Council, Solicitors etc. to the pit in question. Phone Philip Shaw Ollerton re same … for namely at the back of No4 tip and the Heathers and Old Folks Home at Boughton. Discuss various re fall of ground at Parkgate Return drift top and also movement in pit bottom. Discuss John Reeve planner re questionnaire to fill in at pits for JCH Longden Deputy Director re German visit 14th June. Letter sent to STWA re Mansfield shafts fill. Discuss Glen Chappell plans again. Discuss Eric Spencer Area Planning Engineer re Clipstone 68s Low Main boundary … still with Central Area! Phone Peter Thompson Harworth re shaft measure … o.k.  Explained to Bob Draper re P & S forms for instruments, also invoice from Bevercotes re 2 O.S. plans. Phone Peter Thompson re Kern DKM for repair / adjustment. Phone Keith Briggs Mansfield re shafts information … later!!! Printing. To Registry. P & S order numbers. Phoned Central Area … no reply. To Mansfield … Discuss re orientation of Yard well with Ian Shore and Glyn Williams … to amend to Magnetic bearing less declination of 2 degrees. Discuss Keith Briggs re shaft inset positions … to re measure with 6” increment on Winder. Climbed down the Yard well and went into sandstone tunnels with Graeme Marshall. Discuss John Fletcher Engineer. Clearing out drawers.

June 1988

Wed 1 … Office … Correspondence. Checked AR Barnes correspondence and action where necessary. Coloured copy of Thoresby Demarcation plan and sent to Area Director Albert Wheeler for signature. Phone George Simms Annesley re surface Demarcation plan to take. Phone Roger Andrew Coleorton no figures yet, will ring back. To Clipstone … took 15 rods for plan folders. Discuss Tony Wright. To Annesley … took surface Demarcation plan … discuss George Simms various and the SM1 form with M Goldsby. To Rufford … took 2 HP65 batteries and 2 note books and 2 Levelling books. Discuss David Archer various. To Boughton … measured up The Heathers relating to Ollerton tip plan. Office … Updated 1/2500 neg. phone Peter Thompson Harworth re Dirt tip meeting. Phone Joanne Manager’s clerk Thoresby re Demarcation plan. Sorting out HP65 batteries, chargers etc. with Ian Burns. Drawing out several possible routes for pipeline from Mansfield Field well to Clipstone. Discuss same with Don Brown Area Civil Engineer … refer to Simon Boville. Phone Nic Smith British Rail re system for updating plans … to phone us i.e. either Tony Barnes or me. Sent a list of Collieries and Surveyors to the Derby Office. Phone Philip Shaw Ollerton re British Rail. Checked through Abandonment reports for Mansfield.

Thurs 2 … To BGS Keyworth with Bob Draper and Mike Allen. Finished the list. Continued part Sherwood / Sutton / Silverhill. Mansfield, Welbeck, Gedling, Clipstone, Annesley Bentinck and Asfordby.

Fri 3 … Office … Correspondence plus ARB’s. Discuss Graeme Marshall. Discuss CJ Whyte. Phone Peter Daffin Estates … to go through Alan Barron Estates Manager re Clipstone / Mansfield water. Phone Roger Andrew Central Area … pumping records for Oxcroft since April. Phone Bill Fox Creswell re same and pumping figures to date. Copies to Registry and Creswell. Gave Ian Shaw Thoresby a new Demarcation plan. Discuss John Reeve planner re info required by JCH Longden Deputy Director. Discuss Ian Shaw … no chance of plan so John Reeve went back to Planning dept. Mansfield Abandonment plan Reports back to typing for amends … Wendy Gardner. Discuss CJ Whyte re Area Surveyor’s Conference. Phone Keith Briggs Mansfield re update … shaft needs measuring! Phone Peter Robinson Sutton re borrow AGA 14 EDM. Discuss CJ Whyte re RA Caunt CME re Mansfield shafts fill notice to STWA ‘early’. To Mansfield … Discuss various Keith Briggs, Ian Shaw and Glyn Williams … showing them how to stipple by hand! Never done it! I stippled 9 High Hazles Working plan flat sheets. Kevin Beard Coal Prep re possible water from Rufford for Clipstone instead of Field well?

Mon 6 … Office … Correspondence re questionnaire for John Reeve. CJ Whyte re memo from RA Caunt CME re Mansfield shafts fill. I discussed things with RA Caunt and o.k. Phone Peter Thompson Harworth … phoned through figures. To P & S, Maria re quote from Kern for Harworth DM 502 theodolite. Discuss CJ Whyte re RA Caunt reply … o.k. Phone John Cunington South Yorks. Phone Keith Briggs Mansfield re pumping and abstraction figures. Phone Garry Hall Ollerton re 5 pagra sheets and rods needed. I gridded the 5 pagra sheets. CJ Whyte re water figures for Mansfield … discussed same with Kevin Beard CPP Manager re possible water from Rufford … again! Creswell P4s SM1. Letter for Joint Consultative with BGS to typing. Asked Joe Felip photographer re plans. To Ollerton … to take plans and 2 note books and 2 Levelling books. To Mansfield … continued stippling plans. Phone Graham Hall Bevercotes re Parkgate Abandonment plans ready now … will ask Manager to ring HMI.

Tues 7 … Offive … Correspondence. JCH Longden questionnaire completed. Phone various collieries re additional info re Vertical bunkers. To Planning dept gave John Reeve forms. Discuss same. CJ Whyte re Mansfield water figures … M Goldsby re the form. Phone Keith Briggs re water figures! Celia re same for info. Discuss Eric Fretwell re subsidence implications re Parliament! CJ Whyte re water figures for Mansfield … o.k. Wendy Wain Zenith re return of equipment for Creswell and order numbers … to sort out. To Bilsthorpe … to take ozaloft copies of 1/2500 surface for Rescue boreholes plan file. Discuss Geoff Austin and Graham Kemp re R & FF info book / sheets and related to Tony Pickering Area Ventilation Engineer questioning same in May and CJ Whyte letter … copy of same. To Mansfield … continued stippling High Hazles plans. Discuss Keith Briggs re Clipstone shaft pillar … High Hazles and lengths of roadways etc. for Deputy Director JCH Longden form.

Wed 8 … To Sherwood … to pick up 1/10000 negs that were borrowed. Discuss various and SM1 update with Rob Quincey. Office … Phoning round both groups of pits re Rescue & Firefighting (R & FF) update procedure and book system and to send in letters with complaint or otherwise. Phone Garry Hall Ollerton re Overlay for Bilsthorpe Low Main and boundary. To show Low Main in outline only and line in pencil. Phone Tim at Zenith re dial conversion with AGA 220 … no! Phone Andy Wells Rufford re same … did not want doing. Phone Keith Briggs re figures. Info to Trevor ? Business Planning. Discuss the R & FF system with CJ Whyte. To look at anyone needing old Laboratory at Mansfield Woodhouse. Phone Mike Pope Deputy Staff Manager re Keith Briggs date and plans finish. To Thoresby … with Ian Wilson … calculations for Bothamsall oil bores 3, 16 and 19 from Latitudes and Longitudes to NMG using Q tables. Group Staff meeting 2.30pm at Thoresby DS Crisp. I spoke about the Welbeck tip NCC visit again! Also Thoresby Demarcation amends. To Mansfield … continued stippling High Hazles plans. Phone Ian Wilson Thoresby re to update R & FF plans due to major change of ventilation for Top Hard.

Thurs 9 … Office … Small detailed sketches for all collieries for Quarter sheets for BGS and future use for plan signing. Discuss Ken Lambert ventilation amends. Phone John Walls Welbeck various. Discuss Peter Davies Mech dept re possible us of old vacated Mansfield Woodhouse Laboratory. CJ Whyte re same. Tony re add AGA 140 Total Station instrument on the list. To Coal Prep dept discuss Wilson Bryan re possibility of using Rufford return water for Clipstone in the future … to see into it. Phone Ian Wilson Thoresby re plans. Phone Peter Thompson Harworth re finding the other Northern Union Mining Co shaft when excavating for new winding tower (M Goldsby phoned him). Peter Robinson Sutton re 1/10000 Dunsil ? Sutton & Teversal. To see CJ Whyte re same. To Thoresby … to take R & FF plans for amends plus 2 note books and 2 Levelling books and folders. To Bevercotes … discuss Graham Hall and checked plans and Surveyor’s Report for Parkgate abandonment … amends. Phone Peter Thompson Harworth re my tale of explosives left in the old shaft by the German sinkers!  To Thoresby … to pick up R & FF plans re Top Hard major change. To Rescue Station … To exchange Thoresby and Ollerton R & FF plans. To Mansfield … continued stippling High Hazles plans (4 lrft out of 27).

Fri 10 … Office … General correspondence. To Thoresby … to take R & FF plans. Office … Discuss Ken Lambert Ventilation Engineer re Mansfield water / gas etc. for report. To Coal Prep Plant re Wilson Bryan … Geoff Abbott not in again! Discuss CJ Whyte update on various. Discuss Bob Draper BGS info. Phone Stuart Andrews Deputy Surveyor Manton search for info re Jockey House borehole also Rushley borehole (Tony Wormley finished at Area HQ June 1988). Phone Ray Jackson Estates re 2 plans for Newstead surface. To Sutton … discuss Mike Parker various. Took 1/10000 negs for Rescue boreholes folder. Interviewed Alan Wilmot Apprentice (John Wilmot’s son). Demo with new Amstrad computer by Mike Parker. To Mansfield … continued stippling High Hazles plans (2 left).

Mon 13 … Holiday

Tues 14 … Office … Correspondence. Phone Peter Thompson Harworth re Haigh Moor re notice from HMI re abandonment. Phone Garry Hall Ollerton re Jack Lyons Electrical Engineer died underground on 3s district. (So sad. Jack and I had a really good relationship when I was at Ollerton). Phone Geoff Austin Bilsthorpe re can have Mansfield table next week ? Discuss Wilson Bryan CPP Manager with Clipstone water usage and license amounts. To Ollerton …. Met Nic Smith British Rail. Ollerton plans to date and discuss Garry Hall. To Bevercotes with Nic Smith re plans update. Discuss Graham Hall re Mine Layout. Also re Retford BR Branch line missing off the plans! Office … to Planning dept. Discuss Malcolm Clarke planner and Keith Heskett same. Discuss Tim Colyer re Creswell and Langwith tunnel. Signed a small amendment to Ollerton 1/5000 (17s snicket) for Steve Westmoreland. Discuss various and update CJ Whyte re British Rail, about Jack Lyons dying underground at Ollerton. Mansfield plans and M Goldsby re staff at Mansfield; Clipstone re a proposed well and discuss with Coal Prep dept; also re copies of Public notices Notts and Central Areas. To Mansfield … completed stippling High Hazles plans … total of 27. Discuss Keith Briggs re table go to Bilsthorpe next week. Also re Deep Hard / Piper boundary. Require latest Strategic plan Dec 1987.

Wed 15 … To Sherwood … discuss Rob Quincey. Notice re Pit bottom sub-station for file. I took Mansfield 1/5000 and 1/10000 negatives. To Bevercotes … with HMI Sam D Briggs and Graham Hall. Examination of Abandonment plans for Parkgate … pumping figures to go on the plans! Discuss HMI SD Briggs re Mansfield situation for later. Office … Phone Wendy Wain Zenith re Golf Tournament for 1st July … to ring back. Russell Smith (ex planner retired) phoned re subsidence. Checking through Mansfield Abandonment reports and water figures. Discuss Eric Fretwell and John Wilson (Bretby) re subsidence. To Photographic … discuss Glen Chappell re Bevercotes plans etc. … arranged for 23rd June. To Mansfield … continued stippling plans … 4 Low Main and 4 Deep Hard / Piper complete. Discuss Keith Briggs re Low Main boundary. Discuss Ian Shore re Labels for Abandonment reports. Books being boxed by Glyn Williams.

Thurs 16 … Office … Mike Brown ET … general discussion. Phone Garry Hall Ollerton re R & FF dates. Same George Simms Annesley and Gary Quibell Welbeck. Made out new check list sheet. Phone Alan Marlow Central re stopped pumping at Morton on 13th June 1988 for 10 days. Informed Tony Barnes. Phone Mick Barber Shirebrook re visit to see Mansfield plans. CJ Whyte re various. Updating Mansfield Water report and sent to typing. Also High Hazles and Low Main Abandonment reports. Phone Steve Barnes Beversotes re photographing plans 23rd June. Phone Dick Bramley Calverton re steel tape for today! … tomorrow! To Mansfield … sorted out tapes, staves, legs etc. To Blidworth … took 30m for Calverton, 2 tacheo staves, 1 set of dial legs, 2 note books and 1 Levelling book, R & FF covers. Discuss Trevor Speed. To Mansfield … met Mick Barber Shirebrook. Discuss Pleasley water iii issuing through stopping faster! Looked over proposed development plans and examined High Hazles plans. Read Water reports and Abandonment reports. Continued stippling plans Deep Soft (7).

Fri 17 ... Office … M Goldsby announced his new job with Albert Wheeler from 1st July 1988. Peter Chambers to succeed him. Discuss CJ Whyte re various. Phone Trevor Speed Blidworth re info for 2s upbore at Blidworth. Phone M Goldsby re Morton pump down. Phoned Sam Dunlop Mech same. Discuss Bob Draper same and to find info. Also re 2 x ½ plate negs missing for Silverhill Low Main Abandonment plans re HMI K Tyldesley. Also re New Hucknall Tip plan missing! Discuss same Graeme Marshall (to look for New Hucknall plan at Bestwood). To Ollerton … SM1 form for 32s Parkgate. Discuss Garry Hall. To Bilsthorpe … to take Eakring G1 borehole info. Discuss various with Denise Tindale. Phone John Nightingale Silverhill re Low Main. Also re Peter Chambers. Office … Discuss Tony Barnes re Silverhill and New Hucknall situations. Funeral 1.30pm at St Mary’s Church of Jack Lyons Elec Engineer Ollerton. Office … Phone Peter Thompson Harworth re Haigh Moor plan sections. Also re old shaft positions? Phone Bill Fox Creswell pumping figures for 2 weeks. Code of Practice for P4s (1 sent back and 1 to Registry). To Mansfield … continued stippling Deep Soft plans. Phone SD Briggs HMI re surface Demarcation plan sent back. Discuss Albert Littler and Roger Trueman re same. Discuss Ian Shore. Clearing out old tackle. Glyn Williams Surveyor’s Assistant transferred to Sherwood.

Mon 20 … Office … Discuss GE Marshall various. Phone Andy Wells and Phil James (for Trevor Speed) re Golf tournament. Sorting out Mansfield Water reports and Abandonment.. Searching through Diary re Silverhill Abandonment plans … 1987? Discuss Dave Clarke at Newstead Mining Records Office re Silverhill ½ plates and New Hucknall etc. re HMI K Tyldesley … pressure on! Discuss same Bob Draper. Phone Dave Clarke again re Harworth. Discuss Eric Fretwell re subsidence. Discuss and copy of book for shafts to Steve Lunnon geologist. Discuss CJ Whyte re BGS / BCC (British Coal Consultation) … letters signed. Discuss Tony Barnes re water from Welbeck to Thoresby through connection … do not agree! Reply report re Mansfield shafts to David Walton Civil Engineer re only put 2 concrete plugs on each instead of 7 and 5. Phone Maria Harworth. Phone Keith Briggs Mansfield re meeting for shafts fill. To Harworth … discuss Peter Thompson re 2 Barnsley seam plans kept … to return to Newstead Mining Records after rubbing out additions and when Haigh Moor and Deep Soft plans for Pit bottom are complete … 50% done to press! R & FF symbols required says Chris Shail. Went through my talk re plans for Unit Surveyor’s meeting. Phone Debbie re Rep for Kern / Wild to meet Wed / Thurs? Phone CJ Whyte re 2 schoolboys for Ollerton and Thoresby for work experience. Office … Discuss various. John Raine Area Geologist re Joint letter re BGS and I signed it. Posted R & FF symbols to Harworth.

Tues 21 ... Office … Coloured BGS / BC Joint Liaison plans for Collieries. Phone Trevor Speed Blidworth re Golf tournament. Phone Andy Wells re same. Phone Tim at Zenith and arranged same for 1st July. Arranged for the 2 schoolboys for Thoresby and Ollerton for next week. Discuss Oscar Coulson new Deputy Area Planning Engineer. Phone Ian Wilson Thoresby … minutes of meeting there. Printing. Discuss Joe Filep Photographer re Bevercotes plans for Thursday … o.k. Phone Bill Fox Creswell re plans. Phone Peter Robinson Sutton … sent Ozaloft copy SK56SW. To Creswell … to take BGS / BC plan and memo. Discuss same and water situation. Brought graph with remarks by Bill Fox. To Thoresby to take BGS / BC plans and memo. Discuss same Ian Shaw and Ian Wilson. Office … Phone Ian Gill geologist re Mansfield Yard well and the Field well … what to do? Also shafts re geology and fill ... noted my remarks re concrete to David Walton Civil Engineer. Wendy Wain Zenith re plummet.   To Mansfield … continued stippling and colouring plans … 4 more Deep Soft to do.

Wed 22 … Office … Phone Peter Robinson Sutton re his BEM award … congratulations. It was for many years in the Observer Corps. Rep level for brother. Also received and sent back 1/10000 negs. Phone Hadi Al Rekabi re schoolboy for work experience for next 2 weeks. Phone Keith Goodwin Asfordby re Tracer to share … no chance! Discuss Bob Draper re BGS / BC file, letters to date etc. I signed Bevercotes 9s Top Hard Layout plan for Keith Heskett planner. Phone David Walton Civil Engineer Mansfield shaft fill. To Mansfield … completed stippling Deep Soft plans … total 14. Office … Picked up plans and Mansfield / Clipstone pipe line plan. To Clipstone 2.30pm Group Meeting DS Crisp. I outlined Clipstone requires water for CPP. Mansfield well is out … to sink a well at Clipstone. RA Caunt CME memo … already sending in ‘150m to go notice’ etc. Mansfield shaft fill possible change. Afterwards discuss DS Crisp re proposed bringing Welbeck mine water through Welbeck / Thoresby connection and up Thoresby shaft!! BGS / BC plans to Tony Wright and discuss various re Clipstone.

Thurs 23 … To Bevercotes … BGS / BC plan and memo. Discuss Graham Hall and Steve Barnes. Collected Parkgate Abandonment plans for photography. Office … to photographic. Joe Filep to copy Bevercotes plans plus 4 New Hucknall Tip plus 2 Silverhill Opencast plans. Phone Helen re schoolboys. Paul Jaycock new Rep from Wild Leitz … discuss various instruments etc. … Tony Barnes joined us. Phone Garry Hall Ollerton re 17s snicket. To see CJ Whyte with Malcolm Clarke planner and Steve Westmoreland planner re 17s snicket re JCH Longden Deputy Director. Phone Garry Hall Ollerton … not to set out any work without a fully signed 1/5000 Layout or a letter and plan to RA Caunt Chief Mining Engineer from Manager in future. CJ Whyte re update on Mansfield. Discuss Ian Burns re proposed new well at Clipstone. Bob Draper same. Phone Peter Robinson re plans not received at Sutton. Phone Joe Filep photographer. Phone Dick Bramley Calverton re RA Caunt memo ‘150m to go’. Phone CJ Whyte re Clipstone well. Also re Richard Longden passed Practical exam but Keith Banton had not heard. Phone Keith Briggs re boreholes … different positions … I instructed him to check all boreholes in all seams. To Bevercotes … to return Parkgate plans from photographer. Surface with Graham Hall … to site of Jockey House borehole drilled 1941 and found evidence of cores in hedge bottom at BGS site for borehole … not our position! Phone CJ Whyte and Bob Draper re same. Phone Garry Hall Ollerton … notified Manager re procedure for amendment of plans re setting out.

Fri 24 … Office … Made out BGS / BCC visit minutes. Phone Ian Wilson Thoresby re computer charge for maintenance … new computer? re M Goldsby DCME. Told Tony Barnes. Phoned John Hancock Surveyor British Gypsum re Apprentice forms etc. for JEB … Chris passed. Sent same and requested a visit. Phoned Keith Banton Creswell re his result …. Failed! Discuss with him. Discuss CJ Whyte various. I signed amended Sherwood Deep Hard / Piper wide headings … No 16 junction … for Martin Bradder planner due to sudden crush. Discuss Bob Draper re further info re Anglo American and D’Arcy oil bores and copies. Gave him a report for BGS visit for file. To Rescue Station ... to take addition for Blidworth and Harworth R & FF plans. To Sherwood … to take BGS / BC plan and memo. Discuss Rob Quincey. Discuss Stas Watson and David Moult Manager re gate crush in wide heading and Br Rail 134s. To Mansfield ... checking through borehole info and annotating plans … with correct title and reference and date. Discuss Keith Briggs re Anglo American and D’Arcy oil bores and fixed the positions from new information. Brought BGS / BC plan and memo and discuss. Discuss Ian Shore re pumping and borehole info to add. Phone Geoff Austin Bilsthorpe re new EDM.
CJ Whyte holiday. Tony Barnes Acting Area Surveyor for 2 weeks. Graeme Marshall in Russia. Keith Briggs holiday 2 weeks.

Mon 27 … Office … Discuss Thoresby / Welbeck water with Tony Barnes and Ian Burns. I asked Ian to ask STWA re Clipstone proposed well. Saw Wilson Bryan CPP re same. DS Widdowson Production Manager re water measuring device to go over the flume at Creswell? Phone Paul Jaycock Rep Wild Leitz re new Wild 1000 EDM for Bilsthorpe. To organise a demonstration on Friday? Phone Andy Wells Rufford re SM1. Phone Don Brown Civil Engineer re Mansfield shafts … water etc. … to find out what water enters the shafts. Phone Ian Shore re same. Phone Peter Toone Asfordby re types of EDM held. List of EDM equipment to Paul Jaycock. Phone Alan Marlow Central re letter for proposed boundary exchange in Tupton for Clipstone / Shirebrook. Received the plan. Checked with Eric Spencer Planning Engineer and Martin Bradder planner o.k. Sent to Albert Wheeler Director for signature. Discuss Malcolm Clarke planner various and gave him a copy of Ompton Pumping Station agreement. Martin Bradder planner re K7s Layout for Rufford Blackshale. Tim Colyer planner re me ask British Rail on Friday re Langwith tunnel re Threequarter P4s at Creswell. To Rufford … to check K7s Blackshale Layout plan. Discuss Yard well and boreholes with Andy Wells, also SM1 for K7s. Query extension of life! To Mansfield … discuss Ian Shore re water in shafts … another connection in the sumps? Discuss same Albert Littler Manager. Continued sorting out. Office … brought some Mansfield plans. Discuss Bob Draper.

Tues 28 … Office … Phone Steve Leavesley Rufford re K7s Blackshale SM1 plan. Phone Tony Maddock Sherwood re Carl Banton letter from RICS. Phone Bob Draper re Wellow borehole position. Discuss Tony Barnes, To Thoresby … to take Risk Assessment folder. Discuss Ian Shaw, Tony Barnes re new computer order. Surface with Bob Draper to site of old Wellow borehole 1917-1918 near Ompton Pumping Station … check for cores … none found, but evidence of bricks Ollerton & Sherwood marked and concrete and large boulders. To Bilsthorpe … to check records with Geoff Austin. Office … Discuss Thoresby proposed surface borehole with Ian Burns also re possible borehole at Clipstone. Discuss same with DS Crisp Production Manager and Ian Burns and explained procedure. Told him about possible other connection at bottom of Mansfield shafts. (Why doesn’t anybody know?). Drafted out letters for Clipstone boundary in low Main. To Photographic asked Joe Filep re Bevercotes plans … not this week! Saw Peter Williams Head of General Services re same and HMI involvement … referred to previous times of asking and re Harry Parratt etc. … now 10 or 11 weeks … nothing! To Mansfield … Phone Tony Barnes and Debbie for forms showing roadway distances. Discuss John Fletcher Mech Engineer and Ian Shore re water in shafts and possible connection and measurements etc. Wrote out all requisite HMI forms for 5 seams. Phone Bob Draper re get High Hazles old roll plan for checking.

Wed 29 … Office … Sent out memos re Clipstone / Shirebrook Low Main boundary amendment from Central Area and returned. To Registry … boundaries. Phone Ian Shaw Thoresby re filling Conjure Alders borehole from 4th July … message to Bob Draper. Andy Liney Deputy Area Ventilation re water level re 15 inches of Water gauge to 15 inches different. To Repository with Bob Draper checking Bilsthorpe Layout plan 106s Motorway and checking Harworth LP 1s – 2s connection. Searching through old records and plans. Found Jockey House borehole position and plan. Found evidence of Wellow borehole. Obtained Mansfield Top Hard and High Hazles plans to take to the pit for looking through. Phone Janet Wells Bevercotes Tracer re Jockey House borehole. To Ollerton … to take BGS plan and memo. Discuss PG Shaw re correct position for Wellow borehole opposite side of Road to Ompton Pumping Station as plotted. To Clipstone … to take boundary amendment plan and memo for Low Main (Tupton) seam re Shirebrook. Discuss Tony Wright. Discuss Hadi Al Rekabi re Rescue boreholes folder, also re stopping off Clipstone / Mansfield connection. To Mansfield … discuss Ian Shore various and stte of plans. Stencilling borehole info on High Hazles, Deep Soft and Main Bright plans To Rescue Station … exchanged Welbeck R & FF plans.

Thurs 30 … Office … sent copy of Jockey House borehole to Bevercotes. Discuss Tony Barnes re Layout plans and short cuts! I signed Rufford Blackshale K7s SM1. Sent out Clipstone boundary amends in Low Main. Discuss David Walton Civil Engineer re Mansfield shaft water. To P & S Marie re Harworth Kern DM 502 … wrong order number! Phone David Archer Rufford re CTS dial for repairs … made out order. Discuss Andy Wells. Phone Peter Thompson Harworth re Kern DM 502. Phone Ian Shaw Thoresby … Manager Ken Fidler ‘upset’ re bill for new computer … £20,000! To Bilsthorpe … BGS plan and memo and check location plan for Wellow borehole. Copies of Support system in headings for Asfordby. Met Paul Jaycock Wild Leitz … demonstration and discuss Graham Milward. Discuss Geoff Austin re staff etc. To Mansfield … discuss Ian Shore re water … confirmation re Main Bright and NW High Hazles water gets into No2 UC shaft sump. Continued stencilling borehole info on plans. Phone Debbie re EM Nos for Reports. Welbeck Tip application passed.

Only a few days earlier I had had an altercation with Mike Goldsby who was constantly refusing to sign and trying to change the wording on a lot of the SM1 forms from the Colliery Surveyor and he threw the papers at me several times saying …’Take that back to the Colliery Manager and tell him to alter it’. I retaliated by saying ‘I am not taking anything back to a Colliery Manager and telling him to alter it, but I would ask him, but in any case it is the Surveyor who writes informing the Manager of a potential hazard’. He glared at me but by now I kept going … ‘I’m not coming here on your request with a sticker on my desk saying ‘See me’ for you to snatch the phone up as I enter your office knowing that there is no one on the line, or you pretend to shuffle papers into order and make me stand there waiting’ … he continued to glare and I carried on … ‘Because you send the majority of the forms back to the Colliery for amendments that are unnecessary you have held the forms up being signed at the last minute before the form has to be sent to the Mines Inspector and some have been late, you have made yourself the laughing stock of the Area man’ … ‘What do you mean?’ I said ‘Well the Managers now have a nickname for you … ‘Herr Flick’ of the Gestapo out of ‘Allo ‘Allo comedy sketch on TV. ‘I’m sorry but that’s how it is. You and I are the same age. You are at that side of the desk and I’m on this side but for goodness sake let us treat me and others properly and discuss things. Who do you think has been protecting you, everyone knows you are inept. You will agree nothing has gone wrong whilst I have been doing this job but I have found several things wrong, missing or unchecked and put them right’. I finished at that point and left. After that he asked properly and there were no more SM1s sent back. I had proved a point. No doubt he told his superior about me and of course it cost me. He should not of contacted me direct in the first place and should have gone through the proper channels of contacting the Area Surveyor who would then have contacted me. Charles Whyte never knew what went off some of the time because he was missed out. Not many people liked him for his attitude.

Albert Wheeler Director promoted to region and transferred to Eastwood Hall. Mike Goldsby moved there also (why?).  Len Harris is the new Director and Peter Chambers DCME replaced Goldsby.