Silly things that have blown your mind

[Imurg]

That someone can open a car window and throw out things like plastic bottles and McD wrappings onto the roadside.

Well....looks like it's ok on a golf course....

 

[Tashyboy]

Some years ago my BiL, a face working miner, took me down Thoresby Pit on a special close relations/friends visit. After walking down the gate to the face - a walk of a couple of miles - we traversed the pit props to the middle of the face. The five or six of us then crouched down peering into each others faces with the head lamps. He then said, turn off your lamps, then uttered the immortal words ‘It’s f******* dark isn’t it’. That nearly blew my mind! Then he really did blew it, when he said ‘there’s a mile of rock just above your head’!’

That was the last Pit I worked at, I remember those days where family and friends went down. When the roof used to “ come in” or fall down. The cavity’s could be immense. I remember an official looking up into a cavity one day and his cap light never hit the top. He turned to me and said “ I can see the canteen womens knickers“.
Thoresby was known as the “Jewel in the Crown”, of old king Coal. I rescued this from the headstocks when they were blown up after the pit had shut.

 

[Tashyboy]

70 years since I went to school with John Lennon

? imagine ???

 

[need_my_wedge]

Did you ever go on the Waterloo-Bank underground?

Used to travel on the Tokyo subway in rush hour, that’ll do it

 

[SocketRocket]

Well....looks like it's ok on a golf course....

Opening your car window and....

 

[SocketRocket]

Used to travel on the Tokyo subway in rush hour, that’ll do it

Was anyone awake. I used to catch the JP line in Nagoya and everyone looked to be asleep.

 

[ExRabbit]

That someone can open a car window and throw out things like plastic bottles and McD wrappings onto the roadside.

A few years ago someone did this on a blind bend on a country road, but with some McFries too. My mate came round the bend on his Harley and ended up on the road himself. Luckily there was no oncoming traffic!

 

[need_my_wedge]

Was anyone awake. I used to catch the JP line in Nagoya and everyone looked to be asleep.

Not at 8 AM on the marunouchi sen.

 

[NearHull]

That was the last Pit I worked at, I remember those days where family and friends went down. When the roof used to “ come in” or fall down. The cavity’s could be immense. I remember an official looking up into a cavity one day and his cap light never hit the top. He turned to me and said “ I can see the canteen womens knickers“.
Thoresby was known as the “Jewel in the Crown”, of old king Coal. I rescued this from the headstocks when they were blown up after the pit had shut.

I still have a pice of coal that I brought up with me. by the way, the ride back on the conveyor belt was interesting. The visitors laid down, but the miners sat up, it was mesmerising watching them instinctively duck their heads for the steel supports every few yards.

 

[backwoodsman]

Some years ago my BiL, a face working miner, took me down Thoresby Pit on a special close relations/friends visit. After walking down the gate to the face - a walk of a couple of miles - we traversed the pit props to the middle of the face. The five or six of us then crouched down peering into each others faces with the head lamps. He then said, turn off your lamps, then uttered the immortal words ‘It’s f******* dark isn’t it’. That nearly blew my mind! Then he really did blew it, when he said ‘there’s a mile of rock just above your head’!’

Been down a pit twice - first was Ollerton Colliery on a school trip (effectively, given the area as it was then, to show you what the rest of your life was going to be like). T'was then I decided a) I was never going to work down a pit, and b) miners deserved every penny they got. Second was with the Mines Rescue team at Clipstone and was intrigued to learn that they still used canaries to detect gas, and delighted to learn that "we've never 'lost' a canary yet ..."

 

[NearHull]

Been down a pit twice - first was Ollerton Colliery on a school trip (effectively, given the area as it was then, to show you what the rest of your life was going to be like). T'was then I decided a) I was never going to work down a pit, and b) miners deserved every penny they got. Second was with the Mines Rescue team at Clipstone and was intrigued to learn that they still used canaries to detect gas, and delighted to learn that "we've never 'lost' a canary yet ..."

I went to school in Ollerton, the pit cast its shadow over my ( and every other boys) future! I went in the forces instead. My uncles‘ brother died in a roof fall down Ollerton pit.

 

[RichA]

Been down a pit twice - first was Ollerton Colliery on a school trip (effectively, given the area as it was then, to show you what the rest of your life was going to be like). T'was then I decided a) I was never going to work down a pit, and b) miners deserved every penny they got. Second was with the Mines Rescue team at Clipstone and was intrigued to learn that they still used canaries to detect gas, and delighted to learn that "we've never 'lost' a canary yet ..."

My family weren't miners, but I grew up in the Notts coalfield.
When I was younger I worked in a steel fabricating works that used to be the NCB national workshop. Virtually all my workmates were ex-miners. They all missed the money. None of them missed the work. I can only imagine how grim it was.
Clipstone, mentioned above, is still an incredible sight. Not many headstocks like this...

 

[Tashyboy]

My family weren't miners, but I grew up in the Notts coalfield.
When I was younger I worked in a steel fabricating works that used to be the NCB national workshop. Virtually all my workmates were ex-miners. They all missed the money. None of them missed the work. I can only imagine how grim it was.
Clipstone, mentioned above, is still an incredible sight. Not many headstocks like this...
View attachment 41166

I pass that nigh on every day taking the grandkids to school. I have taken and seen some fantastic photos with sun rises and sun sets with them in the background. There was a campaign to bring them down but I believe the developers are keeping them.

 

[Tashyboy]

I still have a pice of coal that I brought up with me. by the way, the ride back on the conveyor belt was interesting. The visitors laid down, but the miners sat up, it was mesmerising watching them instinctively duck their heads for the steel supports every few yards.

Some belts were legal Man riders, others not because of low roofs etc. you had a choice, walk a mile plus to come out of the pit or ride. 99.9% rode. i Dealt/ treated a guy who illegally rode a belt. When it came to get off you got off between two massive transformers which were hanging over a belt. There was a gap of 30 yards. He lifted his head to soon and smacked it on the under side of the transformer. It knocked him off the belt between the structure and running belt. It smashed his face open,I lost count how many stitches he had. He was stuck until his pals could stop the belt. The belt nigh on rubbed his skin down to bone on his neck and chest. He was a contractor so he was sacked.

 

[Tashyboy]

I went to school in Ollerton, the pit cast its shadow over my ( and every other boys) future! I went in the forces instead. My uncles‘ brother died in a roof fall down Ollerton pit.

I have a couple of good mates who live in Ollerton. Ex Woofers, sherwood and Worcester foresters. One of the lads who I worked with at Harworth lived in Ollerton, we car shared. His nickname was “ Willy watcher”. He worked in the pit Head Baths and when he was talking to you if you was naked he would be glancing at Yer Willy.

 

[NearHull]

I have a couple of good mates who live in Ollerton. Ex Woofers, sherwood and Worcester foresters. One of the lads who I worked with at Harworth lived in Ollerton, we car shared. His nickname was “ Willy watcher”. He worked in the pit Head Baths and when he was talking to you if you was naked he would be glancing at Yer Willy.

The hot water at the pit was a godsend to the miners I’m sure, but I sometimes saw the occasional miner walking home still totally blackened, apart from his eyes, in coal dust. I often wondered why that particular time they hadn’t showered - now I know, they met ‘Willy Watcher’!

( Tashyboy - check your pms)

 

[Tashyboy]

Seen it and responded ?

 

[Doon frae Troon]

The county of Argyll in Scotland has a longer coastline than France.

 

[backwoodsman]

I went to school in Ollerton, the pit cast its shadow over my ( and every other boys) future! I went in the forces instead. My uncles‘ brother died in a roof fall down Ollerton pit.

You've got me intrigued - as so did I . Firstly at Forest View Primary, then at Dukeries Comp (as it was then known). When were you there?

 

[NearHull]

You've got me intrigued - as so did I . Firstly at Forest View Primary, then at Dukeries Comp (as it was then known). When were you there?

Theres not going to be a connection with me, I was at Whitney Lane then went to Retford at 11. My younger brother and my wife both went to the Comp roughly 1966 to 1971.