Change Wasn't Anything New For John In Recent Years
Some would never get the black coal dust on them again

Sunday morning saw a couple of pensioners going to church, his dad and a few more sat around smoking at the allotments,(how did they ever grow anything?) regulars, Dick, Johnny and Ron all making their way to the pub. None had jobs but they still get out for a drink as often as anyone in employment, so why did he have to go through the stress of starting a new pit. When was life going to be good to him? The answer he muttered to him self as he walked along Terrace Lane .

"Never" and his thoughts turned to Monday morning.

Watching TV on Sunday night he was restless, Emily had told him top go out for a drink, he'd sleep better even if he snored a lot after a beer or two. He didn't and had an equally restless night until the alarm clock went off at 5.30. He was due at the pit for 6.30 on the first day.

Bungling a mesh bag with all his pit gear he opened the car boot and scraped the frost away from the windscreen and rear window. Emily and Jade slept on in the warm coal fired centrally heated house. He turned and looked back before getting into the car and wondered if it will ever be the same.

For years he had worked man and boy at Newcroft, he had mates from other villages and towns as far away as Milton Grove and that was 14 miles as the crow flies. Some he would hardly ever see some would probably have settled at other pits and he had picked the wrong one. Some would never get the black coal dust on them again, never work in just underpants and pit boots sweat dripping into your eyes making them sore.

Newcroft men had the jokes, the camaraderie, the digs and friendly sarcasm, the ragging they gave and took. Maybe it would be the same eventually but in a different place at a different time; who knows he wish he had the answers.

He entered the Betteville car park and finally he had an excitement travelling through his body which he remembered from his first ever day at Newcroft. The pit yard was totally different but he was familiar with the old National Coal Board signs and similar offices. He found his way easily to the Training Office where he met up with the training officer not much older than himself. This put him at ease as he was shown around the new pit baths to get his locker. He dumped his work clothes from what he considered closing an era of Newcroft. He recognised an old mate or two from the town or village and they passed comment about him as if he weren't there.

"He's a good un your setting on Bill."

"I used to take him walks as a baby, I worked with his dad."

This put him at ease and made topics to talk about as he bedded in.

The first shift and even the first week he would be taken by fellow officials around all the districts and roadway in the Black Shale seam before starting his duties properly. He would have to sign all the forms to complete his transfer on that day so his trip down the mine was short and not far from the pit bottom. When he got on the pit top or shaft side he could smell the return air. It didn't smell like the Tupton seam but he already new that pits and seams have their own smell. He remembered the Black Shale smell from his training days at Bowen pit.

The visit was short and Tuesday he would go with a Deputy all shift on his assigned district. They would no doubt swap information and stories. The he would learn the procedures and practices of his new employment. It would be a bit of an adventure finding his way around a totally new mine; this became a home from home experience. You see since he left school the only job he'd had was in the pit all his working life so far. All miners like to see how other pits operate. It has never been a boring day to day drag in mining; John and his mates often got into conversations about their work while having a pint. Mining does get in your blood. Whether you like it or not. John remembers the friendly squabbles with lads who worked at Betteville when he had started at Newcroft. Although only a few miles away, some of the terminology they were brought up with was amusingly different to Newcroft. This caused a lot of mickey taking between rival young miners and a lot of bragging and the yardage and tonnage got longer and larger every time.

What kind of an industry, struggling against nature, striving and battling every day but able to bring men to comradeship.