[Alan J.]

The colliery shown as an air shaft was in fact a seperate entity to the one near the Togston Crescent area. It was a later venture than the first one and was opened at the end of the 1890's. The housing provided for the workforce was those of Acklington and Scott streets in Amble. For some reason it did not last too long but it had, as shown on the map, sidings connecting it to the main line to Amble. When I was a boy, in the 1950's, we went up the railway line on birdnesting expeditions and there were two shafts, just further up from the Hope bridge which crossed the line from Hope House farm to Radcliffe. These were open but surrounded by a brick wall on one about six feet high and a stone wall to the other of about the same height. Being boys we would climb up on the walls and you could see down the shaft, on one there were still the remains of insulators that had held either shaft signals or telephone wires. It was a miracle that no one had any accidents there but I think a sense of self preservation came into it coupled with common sense, not necessarily present today, if there is not a warning sign it must be OK Health and safety would have a field day now !!!