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BRADFORD COLLIERY - Page 8
Bill Ramsdale - BRADFORD COLLIERY was a fascinating place - 2,200 Men Trapped In Death Pit

Marjorie Peers - My husband, Frank Peers, was nearing the end of his shift on October 16th 1953 - FIRE
Danny Taylor - How High Was The Bradford Colliery Headgear?
Lauren Murphy - Bradford Pit Memorial Project
Laura Briggs - My uncle Edward Farrell, age 16 a pony driver at Bradford pit was killed Sep 1918.
Barrie Eckford - Memorial? - Acknowledgement of Bradford Colliery Existence.
Matthew Conlan - Olympics 2012 - Does anyone remember Peter Bradshaw?
Miss Kelly - Looking For More Information Bradford Colliery, My granddad, Henry Bairsto, wrote a book on his experience in the colliery

Emails Page  1   2   3   4 

From:
Sent:
Subject:		 Marjorie Peers
1 Sep 2015
My husband, Frank Peers, was nearing the end of his shift on October 16th 1953 - FIRE

Dear Fionn  My husband, Frank Peers, was nearing the end of his shift on October 16th 1953 when the winding house caught fire. He is nearly 82 now and remembers the message reaching the men to set their props and make their way to Parker Pit, they knew that something had gone wrong.

When they got there it was packed with miners waiting to be rescued, some were panicking but most settled down and ate the food and drink that was sent down. Only six or seven men could go up at a time with one man sitting astride a pipe, half way up, with a hammer to bang the pipe to let them know above it was on it’s way up.

It was late in the evening when he himself came up and he went straight to the pay office for his wages but it had closed for the weekend.

My husband was twenty two at the time with seven years service, despite the accident he enjoyed the job and the company of the men. If there is to be a memorial for the men who worked at Bradford I would like Frank's name to be included please. 

Yours truly
Marjorie Peers.

From:
Sent:
Subject:		 Danny Taylor
28 Jun 2015
How High Was The Bradford Colliery Headgear?
Hi there

First of all thanks for a creating a very interesting website, it has been a pleasure to read about an important part of the countries heritage.

I am after a quite specific piece of information, I was wondering if you know roughly how high the pit headgears at Bradford colliery are in the very atmospheric photo circa 1930?

Many Thanks,

Daniel

Height of headgears etc.
Looking at various photographs and estimating heights relevant to the height of a person, car, truck etc.
The original wooden headgears would be app 56 feet (17m) to the centre of the winding wheels and say they were app 18 feet (5.5m diameter).

The later steel headgear I estimate to be 65 feet (19.5m) to centre of winding wheels on both shafts.
The top of the headgear framework on that shaft is in line with the centre of the top winding wheel on the concrete enclosed shaft which is estimated at 72 feet (22m). The top of that shaft I estimate at 85 feet (26m).

I trust this may be of some use to you.
Bob Bradley

From:
Sent:
Subject:		 Lauren Murphy
28 Jul 2014
Bradford Pit Memorial Project

Hello,
 
I have been running Bradford Pit memorial project for around two years now, a project which aims to remember Bradford Colliery Manchester and the people that worked there. I have recently been employed full time by Laing O’Rourke construction to work full time on the project in the aim to create a monument in dedication to the miners on the former pit’s site: Sportcity Etihad stadium.
 
Having seen on your website lots of different examples of mining memorials, I thought I would get in touch as I am currently researching and looking into the type of monument we would like and wondered if you could give me a few names of sculptors/designers who have dealt with anything like this?
 
I also noticed a while ago that a lady named Laura Briggs emailed in to you about our project and her uncle Edward who worked at Bradford pit and was crushed trying to save his pit ponies. If you could put me in contact with her I would really appreciate it – as her story has touched a lot of people and only reminds me of why our monument is so important.
 
Any help/advice you can give me would be much appreciated and hope to hear back soon,
Kind Regards,
Lauren Murphy
Regeneration and Community Coordinator
Laing O'Rourke Construction North
Bradford Pit Memorial Project Lead

From:
Sent:
Subject
 Laura Briggs
19 October 2013
My uncle Edward Farrell, age 16 a pony driver at Bradford pit was killed Sep 1918.

Hello

I was born in Bradford and lived at 263 Mill St which was just across the road from the pit and spent my childhood in Bradford going to St Bridgids school.  I read in the Evening News about Lauren Murphy and John Henshaw's Bradford pit memorial Project.

As a child my mum would tell me about my uncle Edward her brother. Edward was a pit pony driver at Bradford pit and loved the ponies, mum said he used to share his snap with them. On September 14th 1918 Edward was working with his ponies when tubs of coal started to move, Edward moved his beloved ponies to safety but was not able to save himself, he was 16 years old.

The Manchester Evening News reported:-
Edward Farrell age 16 of 11 Lime Street, Bradford, Manchester
a pony driver for the Bradford Colliery Company
was fatally crushed between a number of tubs at the pit.

On Edwards Death Certificate it states that an inquest was held on September 16th 1918.

On reading in the Evening News about the pit memorial project I just had to write and mention his name because he gave his life for his beloved ponies.

Regards

L. Briggs

From:
Sent:
Subject		 Barrie Eckford
19 June 2010
Memorial? - Acknowledgement of Bradford Colliery Existence.
Allow me to tell you of my interest in the Bradford Colliery. Two weeks ago I was having an afternoon drink at a road side bar in Amsterdam; whereupon a Mr. Keith Evans was told of my involvement with the Trades Unions. He approached me as to a feature in the Manchester Evening News, where some lady (name I cannot recall) wants an acknowledgement of the existence of the pit and to those who worked it to provide the wealth for town and country.

I asked him that the "lady" must write to me in my position of the branch secretary of my union and I would ask those members to consider a donation.

Today, Saturday 19th June 2010, I spoke personally to the President of the Dunham Miners and The Assistant Gen. Sec. of the Yorkshire Miner's. They have agreed to consider a donation also.

Please shed light on the project to have this important part of Manchester's history recorded and let me have an address to further the campaign.

Regards,
Barrie D. Eckford
Manchester EPIU Branch/Lodge 6/1400/1 secretary.

There is a major project going on in Manchester at Eastlands on the site of the Manchester Citys Football Ground
which is built on the site's of the old Johnsons Steel Works and Bradford Colliery.

Bradford Colliery meant so much to this area and a lot of people want a memorial placing outside the football ground in memory of all the people who worked and died at Bradford Pit

Information from Coal, Colliery and Mining Forum

From:
Sent:
Subject 		Matthew Conlan
7 August 2012
Olympics 2012 - Does anyone remember Peter Bradshaw?
Velodrome
The Velodrome is near to the former Bradford Colliery site
Hello there,
I just like to say that the site was of great interest to me, having found that the location of the Velodrome was near to the former Bradford Colliery site.

It was not just the Olympic/Cycling connection but I served my time as a Mechanic in the coal industry firstly at Hapton Valley (2yrs) and the rest at Agecroft.

It was whilst finishing my apprenticeship off at Agecroft that I came into contact with former workers from Bradford, one in particular I remember was a Mechanic called Peter Bradshaw who would often mention that he'd worked there. I wondered if he was any relation to the man you mention in your article? Or maybe you knew him? Anyway the reason I contacted was to say it was very interesting to read your article.

Thanks and regards.
Matt Conlan  

From:
Sent:
Subject

Miss Kelly
5 May 2012
Looking For More Information Bradford Colliery, My granddad, Henry Bairsto, wrote a book on his experience in the colliery
Good evening
 
I have been doing some family research and came upon your site when looking into the Bradford Colliery in Manchester.
 
If you are still looking for some more information my grandad wrote a book on his experience in the colliery, I don't have a copy but I think you can still buy it. It was called: Just Henry, memories of Bradford and Moston Collieries in Manchester by Henry Bairsto. - Amazon -

If possible would you be able to send me a photo of information of where you got this from of the Colliery for my research, any help would be much appreciated.
 
Thank you
 
Miss Kelly