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Calendar
The Decline Of The Industry Continued
After Nationalisation 1947

Chimneys
1993
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1993 - Page 20


Calverton Closed 1993 After 41 Years

- Continued -

Tonnage & Manpower NCBNo6 Area EMD

  • 1948: 511 tons, 24 men
  • 1949: High Main 8,679 tons, 184 men
  • 1950: 10,577 tons, 228 men
  • 1951: 14,501 tons, 301 men
  • 1952: 84,844  tons, 537 men
  • 1953: 212,879 tons, 733 men
  • 1954: 517,182 tons, 1,071 men
  • 1955: 635,654 tons, 1,304 men
  • 1956: 668,264 tons, 1,428 men
  • 1957: 825,563 tons, 1,704 men
  • 1958: 932,021 tons, 1,837 men (max)
  • 1959: 961,232 tons, 1,776 men
  • 1960: 931,382 tons, 1,605 men
  • 1961: 1,040,617 tons, 1,552 men
  • 1962: 1,075,084 tons, 1,516 men
  • 1963: 1,206,142 tons, 1,492 men
  • 1963/64: 1,243,056 tons (max) 1,487 men
  • 1964/65: 1,066,072 tons, 1,451 men
  • 1965/66: 990,818 tons, 1,402 men
  • 1966/67: 893,422 tons, 1,342 men
South Notts Area:
  • 1967/68: 916,111 tons, 1,432 men
  • 1968/69: 1,002,404 tons, 1,554 men
  • 1969/70: 891,706 tons, 1,559 men
  • 1970/71: 777,837 tons, 1,520 men
  • 1971/72: 622,884 tons, 1,545 men
  • 1972/73: 724,609 tons, 1,485 men
  • 1973/74: 644,626 tons, 1,464 men
  • 1974/75: 705,395 tons, 1,431 men
  • 1975/76: 785,185 tons, 1,439 men
  • 1976/77: 731,130 tons, 1,433 men
  • 1977/78: 917,794 tonnes, (903,296 tons), 1,463 men
  • 1978/79: 853,806 tonnes, 1,450 men
  • 1979/80: 970,844 tonnes, 1,471 men
  • 1980/81: 933,078 tonnes, 1,467 men
  • 1981/82: 787,210 tonnes, 1,467 men
  • 1982/83: 730,597 tonnes, 1,545 men (profit £1.535m)
  • 1983/84: 780,177 tonnes, 1,512 men (loss £3.321m)
  • 1984/85: 677,909 tonnes, 1,491 men (loss £2.834m)
  • 1985/86: 797,430 tonnes, 1,477 men (profit £955,000)
British Coal:
  • 1986/87: 872,911 tonnes, 1,423 men (profit £138,000)
  • 1987/88: 618,465 tonnes, 1,244 men (loss £11.817m)
  • 1988/89: 693,959 tonnes, 960 men
  • 1989/90: 748,073 tonnes, app 950 men
  • 1990/91: 804,000 tonnes, app 900 men
  • 1991/92: 860,000 tonnes, 847 men down to 608 u/g, 114 s/f plus 73 under officials and 33 WPIS
  • 1992/93: 1,005,000 tonnes, app 825 men down to 640 whereas at 28th March 1992 there were 608 u/g 114 s/f plus 73 under officials and 33 WPIS
  • 1993/94: 375,000 tonnes, 406 men, Coal face workers 177, Development 32, Roads 73, Salvage 23, Others 403, Surface 140, down to 471 u/g, 102 s/f plus 57 under officials and 28 WPIS but there were 23 contractors u/g and 11 on the s/f also.  Around 640 men were employed then the Colliery closed 19th November 1993, with 300 men, but would be re-opened by RJB Mining 23rd May 1994 with 120 men app.

Agents:

  • Major FMT Bunney (2760) Agent 1937-1939
  • Alan Hill (734) Agent 1940-1941
  • David M Rees (2780) Agent 1941- (later General Manager No4 Area)
  • Arden A Bowker (2736) Agent 1947-1950 (later General Manager No3 Area)
  • Norman Siddall (3655) Agent 1950-1952 (later General Manager No1 Area, eventually Chairman of NCB)
  • William Sharpe (2223) Sub-Area Manager 1953-1956
  • Eric P Lawrence (3181) Group Manager 1956-

Sub-Area Managers / Group Managers / Production Managers:

  • Norman Siddall (3655) Sub-Area Manager 1951-1952 (eventually Chairman of NCB).

Managers for Calverton:

  • AE Booth (1623) 1937-1939 sinking No1 as satellite shaft for Bestwood
  • C Knowles (2503) Manager (also for Bestwood) 1940-sinking -1945
  • Fred Bishop (3258) 1945-1946
  • Norman Siddall (3655) 1947-1949 (promoted to Agent)
  • John  Sheldon (3654) sinking No2 1949-1955 (to Area Mechanisation)
  • William (Bill) T Elliott (5567) Manager, Agent/Manager 1956-1968 (was a linesman at Hucknall in the past)
  • Allan E Darlow (5476) 1969-1975 Agent Manager (transferred from Linby, transferred to Gedling)
  • Philip W Linsley (8006) 1976-1983
  • Denis Hutson (6726) 1983-1987 (transferred to Hucknall)
  • Steve Wright (9981) 1987-1990 (transferred from Linby, transferred to Closed Collieries Manager)
  • Mick D Orchiston (11282) 1990-1991 (transferred from Sherwood, transferred to Ollerton)
  • Robert (Bob) J Hallam (11252) 1991-1994 (transferred from Sherwood, transferred to Welbeck).

Deputy Managers:

  • Frank Goodwin (6332) 1963-1971
  • Philip W Linsley (8006) 1971-1976 (promoted to Manager)
  • John Alistair Drysdale (7637) 1973-1983
  • Terry T Pennick (10744) 1984-1988 (promoted from Babbington, transferred to Area Safety Branch, later Asfordby)
  • Kevin B Smith (10806) 1987-1992
  • Colin G Fiddler (11597) 1988-1991  (promoted from Thoresby, transferred to Asfordby)
  • Neil Simmons (11836) 1991-1992 (transferred to Asfordby and later Thoresby)
  • Kevin Bancroft (11819) 1992-1993 (transferred to Bilsthorpe, later Manager, Manager at Clipstone.)

Assistant Managers:

  • Frank Goodwin (6332) 1957- (promoted to Deputy Manager)
  • David S Crisp (9601) (Services) 1976-1978 (promoted from Linby, promoted to Deputy Manager Newstead, later Manager Bentinck, then Production Manager Nottinghamshire Area)
  • Keith Tait (8947) 1980-
  • Ron Errington (10382) 1987-.  

Undermanagers for Calverton:

  • W Jackson (9885) No1 1940-1942
  • C Hunt (2nd) 1942-1944
  • Harry Brown (2nd) 1944-1946 and 1950-
  • GMT Seaward (2nd) 1947-1949
  • Fergus McNeill (4553) 1953-1956 (left to Indian mines, returned to Warsop, later promoted to Manager Harworth)
  • AE Pitchfork (Senior) (3879) 1956-1957 (promoted to Manager Kiveton Park)
  • L King (4946) 1956-1957
  • Ben H Beevers (5551) Days 1/4/1957-
  • Charlie Daykin (7382) Afters 1/4/1957-
  • Geoff Handley (5834) 1963-
  • John Alistair Drysdale (7637) 1966-1972
  • Fred Cope (8029) 1968-
  • Lyn Haywood (7866) 1969-1970 (later Manager New Hucknall)
  • Keith Tait (8947) 1971-1975 (promoted to Assistant Manager)
  • Harry Bartley (9032) 1976-
  • Steve Wright (9981) 1979-1982 (promoted to Deputy Manager Linby)
  • Tim N Burke (10738) 1983-1984 (transferred to Moorgreen, later Deputy Manager then Manager Ollerton)
  • Kevin B Smith (10806) 1983-1985 (promoted to Deputy Manager)
  • Mick D Orchiston (11282) 1984-1986 (promoted to Assistant Manager Mansfield, returned later as Manager Calverton, transferred to Manager Ollerton, transferred to Daw Mill – sacked by RJB Mining)
  • Ray Errington (10382) 1986-1987 (promoted to Assistant Manager)
  • AG Pearson (11200) 1988-1989
  • David J Messon (2nd) Nov 1987- (promoted from Assistant Undermanager)
  • Chris P Jennings (11422) 1989-1990
  • Kevin Humphreys (11654) (transferred from Rufford).

Assistant Undermanagers included

  • Gordon F Froggatt (8164) promoted to Pye Hill
  • DJ Bainbridge (promoted from Technical Assistant Bevercotes) 1988

Technical Assistants included:

  • DA Harworth 1979-1981 (promoted to Assistant Undermanager New Hucknall).

Surveyors: As for Bestwood, then

  • Ian McCraight (2040) -1954 promoted to Group Surveyor No4 Area, (committed suicide 1970)
  • Doug Raisbeck (3…) 1954-1956 transferred to Geologist at Bestwood HQ 1955, then to North Notts Area 1967?
  • Ken Raynor (2…) 1956
  • Owen Gregory FRICS (2…) -1957 previously Denby 1938, RAF during War, Surveyor at Denby, Mapperley  promoted to Senior Surveyor South Derbyshire, Deputy Area Surveyor, 1969 Area Surveyor North Western, and on amalgamation of North West and Staffs Areas appointed Area Surveyor for Western Area, 22 pits)
  • Charles J Whyte FRICS (2678) 1st Apr 1957 transferred from Annesley, promoted to No6 Area 1959, later Assistant Area Surveyor 1962, to Peter Kay, Area Surveyor (died in post 56), then Assistant to Wm (Bill) E Martin (1523) (transferred from No5 Area), appointed Deputy Area Surveyor South Notts Mar 1967, then from 7th Aug 1974 Area Chief Surveyor North Notts 15 pits to Mar 1989)
  • Alan Shaw (3…) 1957-1964 to Area HQ Subsidence dept)
  • Eric W Pendleton (3181) (transferred from Radford/Wollaton) 1965-1987
  • Richard (Dick) Bramley (5…) temp from June 1987, appointed Oct 1987-1989 promoted from Deputy Surveyor Calverton) d 2008
  • Steven (Stas) Watson (6149) 1990-1992 promoted from Sherwood, transferred to Ollerton, then Thoresby 1994)
  • Robert Quincey (5415 dated 2nd Dec 1968) (transferred from Sherwood on closure) 1992-1993 under MASHAM Regs 1993, Reg 28 (b) (ii) and Reg 31 (ACOP Para 204) in respect of access and working Abdy Brinsley from 1970 to 1993 – seam known as Low Bright / Brinsley until 1989). Norman Revell HM Principal Inspector of Mines, Southern Region, Potter Street, Worksop in post at 5th July 1994. See re-opening.

Fatal Accidents Calverton

  • Leonard Archer (31) crushed by tubs 3/6/1942, died 5/6/1942
  • William Wright (61) crushed by the cage 16/11/1948
  • A Sinker, Leonard Richard Robinson (23), who unfortunately fell 60 feet (18.25m) through the open space on the sinking platform to the No2 shaft bottom on 14/6/1949
  • Thomas Henry Simms (58) Packer, on development, fall of roof 21/1/1955
  • Sam Oxcroft (29), Welder electrocuted in surface electric shop 22/7/1955
  • James Bowley (27), run over by mine car 7/1/1958
  • Jack Buckley (63) killed on Ripping operation 8/7/1958
  • Robert Dunn (33), crushed by loco at powered air doors 28/5/1961
  • George Eric Brown (37) Fitter, trapped by the skip pocket door in the pit bottom 29/6/1962
    died 30/6/1962 In Memory
  • Janusyn Poznanski (39) a Pole, Trepanner machine driver on a Roofmaster supports face, head injury, 1/5/1965
  • Jim Reavill (36) a Face worker killed by fall of roof 15/9/1965
  • Joseph Marshall (36), haulage incident, killed between mine cars 9/2/1969
  • Michael Buckley (54) fell from a girder on the surface 19/2/1969
  • Herbert Lancaster (59), a Danny (tram) holding machinery became detached and fell over crushing him 31/10/1969
  • Colin Needham (43) Salvage worker C4s, crushed whilst transporting old face supports down C4s tailgate 5/1/1979
  • Trevor W Siddle (35), Attendant working at conveyor point, caught in conveyor 28/10/1982
  •  Emmett Dunn (46), Diesel Loco driver, the 100hp loco rolled back and trapped him at 50s Access air doors  date ?
  • Tony Palmer (30), Chargehand Chock maintenance fitter, standing at points when the diesel loco jumped the rails and pinned him to wooden junction chock 24/11/1971. He left a wife Pauline and 2 children Tracey (8) and Karl (3)
  • Kenneth Dave Bradshaw (46), driving loco out of garage and sustained head injury 12/4/1990.

Of course as at all pits there were the characters, one being Harry Fowkes who left school at 16 in 1960, started as a pony driver and haulage worker, after training at Hucknall No1 for 8 weeks and Hucknall College on Hucknall Market Place for 8 weeks, then graduated to coal face work in 1963, firstly by doing 90 days face training at Gedling in 1963 when he was 18, before returning to Calverton on face-machine training. He was on the market for around 12 years, a job not relished by many, but to quote him – ‘he loved it, filling in on various jobs on many districts in the pit, thereby seeing all parts of the mine and gaining much valuable experience, before becoming a regular face machine driver’.

Ghostly tales include people ‘seeing things’ on 142s, 140s, 48s districts!
Quaint names for parts of the pit included ‘Penguin Island’, at the bottom of the Brinsley drift from the pit bottom – a place very very cold due to roadway restriction and velocity of the cold intake air!

 

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