whittle colliery
 

Arther Good was from round about there,he was into classic cars, worked for carr and havis . i was living in Swarland at my mothers at time.

Arthur Good.
 

Was one of the Good family originally from Alnwick, their father worked for the gas board and moved to Amble, he lived in Gibson Street. Davy Good ,his son and a bricklayer to trade, worked on stonework at Shilbottle colliery at one time, late 50's early 60's.

Philip Barnes
 

Looking at previous posts worked out you must have been one of the Barnes brothers, a Pipeman, Faceworker and Electrician. I know Nick was living in Northseaton but not seen him for years. Les was one of the Electricians who helped me through my apprenticeship there.

Whittle plans
 

It's the first time I have viewed the colliery plans in relationship to the surface map. Brings back memories. I served my time as an Apprentice Electrician there and did my face training on Y63 and Y101 (horrible wet hole) with the fillers.
Worked on Y102 and Y103 after I qualified and also did a bit of face installation on Y66. No mention of the big steel air doors around about Y18/19 area on the loco road.
Can't imagine how many gallons of water must be down there now.

Hi Kev, glad to see you here. Email sent, you'll remember me I hope.

Those air doors, installed by yourself, Bob Burley, Paul Sexton and George Storey ? (or had Sexton left by then?)

I think Bob was the 8.00am shift entertainments officer.

Memory of those doors are coming back now. operated by track switches which operated a hydraulic actuator hung form the roof.

I think we still managed to have a few injured in the closing doors, and they were rammed by locos a few times.

I remember my first experience of air doors at Ashington underground training gallery. 'Right Lads' the instructor said, " Wa ganna cut through here to the supply road, it's a bit drafty so hing on te ya hats"..... he opened this sliding door which was about 2 foot square and 2 foot off the ground...Woosh! this open door must have been a direct short to the full pressure mine ventilation between intake and return air.. you could feel yourself being sucked towards this hole, it pulled your hat off and you got blasted through, you were lucky if you could keep on your feet.

I think it was the instructors way of having a good laugh, watching our surprised and shocked expressions.

The serious point he was making was of course to highlight potential danger around doors in some areas of the mine.

whittle colliery
 

yes im phil the pipeman , ashington trainers must have put everyone though this air hole could not see for dust hat flying around on battery cable. Paul sexten was still there long after air doors were fitted, I remember paul bob and george well . Half the time the air doors didn't work right the loco driver had to stop at a point and reach to girder with switch to open doors. Kev you know me hew are you ,Nick lives in ashington town now.

whittle colliery
 

Kev you will remember steff and J.C.

Air doors
 

Geordie was still in the Loco shed when the doors were automated, me and Adrian were the apprentices on the 8am shift so got sent with Bob a bit, I think John Trotter had a bit to do with the doors as well or perhaps he just got bored of phones and hung around a bit. We also did loads of 6.6kv cable jointing on the loco road, freezing.
Remember that one bloke did the track upkeep and one the manholes on the loco road but always seemed to be at opposite ends, you would think they would work together. Was the manhole bloke Davey Jones?

Guessed right then, how's your Les doing these days? Nick got into the grand a few times but don't get out in Ashington much these days so don't know if he still does.

Old drift
 

Is that drift just at the mine entrance gates next to where the wagons got loaded (landsale)

Bottom side and top side
 

Was it not 1 west winnings were the bottom side and 2 west the top side. I remember they carried on with Y63 maingate and holed onto the loco road and eventually put a manrider belt down Y64 so we could get the loco right in to Y25 landing.
Anyone remember how they used Y64 maingate for Y65 tailgate, the girders were nearly touching the ground at the end.
Eventually they holed a Shilbottle road through to Whittle possibly Y31, it came up behind Y58 bunker but think it might just have been for ventilation.

Local wildlife
 

Anyway I bet the local wildlife is thriving now, can anyone else remember "The Rabbit Catcher" with his Rabbit snares and fishing lines.
He used one of the dead rabbits jaws to bite Taffy the shearer driver on the bare arse in the baths once.

Tanky
 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/adogriff/4406734899/

Link to a picture of a Tanky passing the Blacksmiths and fitters shop

The drift
 

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...A9C41EC78DCB22

link to a picture of the drift in 2000 it says

Drift last year:

http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag...ttle_drift.jpg

http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag...le_drift_2.jpg

http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag...le_drift_3.jpg

http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag...le_drift_4.jpg

http://www.coquetandcoast.co.uk/imag...le_drift_5.jpg

Whittle drift
 

Doesn't look very secure does it? Just wondered where you found the original pics? I half expected the water to have reached the top by now unless they still pump from somewhere.

There's a water management system in place. I remember it was quite a big deal at the time with the River Coquet and Northumbrian Water's Warkworth plant being at risk of contamination. 'Environmental disaster' stuff in the local press when the water finally got near the surface.
Anyway, The coal authority stepped in and water management work was completed on time. There's now a pumping borehole 70m deep intersecting the drift - this water goes to some large lagoons and reed beds above the drift.

Summary on the Coal Authority Website.

Whittle drift.
 

I too am surprised at the apparent lack of security on the drift mouth. Anyone with any "pit sense" knows that the drift is probably full of black damp by now. Although it is in an isolated location it is not impossible for someone to wander in out of curiosity and find themselves in trouble.
I would have thought the coal authority would have made a job of it and sealed it up completely.