Hey I can remember setting 'steel planks' on the face - you had to balance this thing,a corrugated heavy steel plank about 6 foot long on your shoulder then arch your back up against the roof so the plank was forced up against it, then somehow in this position you had to get a timber prop and an axe/mel and hammer the prop up tight between the floor and the plank forcing it tight against the roof. Fun and games at the start and a laugh for the old hands but you soon got the hang of it.
I (we) must be among the youngest people around that have done this 'old' type mining. It was pretty much finished at Whittle and Shilbottle straight after this as they mechanised. I'm glad in a sense I did get the chance to do it as I feel I have a better understanding of what went at the old collieries we mention.
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