"Three miles thirty chains that's talkin' about that branch, that Sheepbridge branch it's gone now. I used to inspect on there. (Wilfred Plowman was later to work on the railways as a Shunter first then as an inspector)

But anyway, so I thought to myself, 'Well I'm not goin' to go out with these.' So I didn't put his muzzle on and didn't put either on but as soon as I went near 'im he made a grab at me. I happened to have a stick in me hand, what they call a…, a stick what we used to put in the wheels to stop the tubs and I give'im a clout wi' that. So 'e never come at me again and anyway he used to. The tubs held ten hundred weight well we used t' 'ave what they a depple, it was a piece of steel. There was a hook as hooked in the draw bar then come up the side of the tub and there was a piece dropped down the back of the tub and onto t' back of the tub, that held it up didn't it there. And in the middle here there was a piece sticking out.

Brinsley pit around 1910,  Photo by Rev F. W. Cobb

Two pieces sticking out like that then he had a pin with a chain on as you could drop in, well is limmers as we call limmers, they was shackled to the pony used to back 'em on and shove this 'ere and drop this pin in see and that and then off you were goin' with either empties or a full load.

Well, when you'd gone in an' you got loads on you'd three of us, two of 'em used to go and they used to go so far and wait for me to come. You see, they do as I just said then nothing ad appen 'til I said, 'Go on!' and then 'eed go. But this one as was rash as soon as he 'eard that pin drop 'e were off. And you got t' ride with 'im so you got to stand on top of one of the tubs, we used to 'ave six of 'em fully loaded, and the roof were only up 'ere six or seven foot and you got to be careful you weren't goin' t' cetch y'self. Then yer used to hear 'im comin' and 'e were at the back end of the last one so 'e couldn't get any farther but 'e were doing it so 'ard to catch up as 'e were that rash. And on the road there were three locks, three big doors. They used to put these on the roads and they doors, these doors were made that you 'ad to open them to let your horse through. But comin' back wi' loads you'd got ter, you pushed 'em so when you were comin' wi' loads and you got to these, this door on the front of 'is head gear 'ed some leather and 'ed put his head to the door and open the door and 'eed go through the door and the wagon, the tubs'd follow and then the door'd come back see.

Those doors was to make sure that the air were keep goin' round the coal face – youd get the sack if y' was t' sprag one o' those open. But anyway, I 'ad 'im fer a long while. And I could do what a liked with 'im. I used ter, when I was walking ter work in Summer there was one or two big houses and they 'ad big orchards I used ter 'ave ter pass as it was dark I used ter go in the orchard and push some, fill me shirt wi' apples and then when the apples wasn't there I used ter fill mi shirt with grass. And when I got down to my, to the horse I used to always give 'im a brush and comb. Now, the ostler used to do that of course, they looked after them well, but you know givin' them a good brush and comb is just like a us 'avin' a bath or a shower. 'e used t' love it, I used ter give'im a really good brush and comb and before I did thar I used ter put all these in his manger and give 'im a really good 'oin', I could do anythin' with 'im.

Well, instead of bein' in a single stand he was in a double stand and another 'orse aside of 'im. Well this 'orse 'e could kick anybody as good as good as mine. So I should 'ave gone between them to put 'is helter on see an' all that and 'is collar but I daren't 'cos if I'd a gone up there this other 'orse 'd 'ave me. So when I got there in the mornin' aside of the stand I used ter clap my hands and my pony'd look round and as soon as 'e saw me there he'd fight this other one right as far as he could with it an' 'old 'im there while I went up and did what I wanted." Nostalgically, "I cud do anythin' with 'im, I thought the world of 'im."

Well one day I layed in, were no good trying to go to work 'cos you couldn't get there. Got ter be down before half past five in the mornin'. The next day when I went there I found 'ed got a nasty cut down 'is nose there and I reported it and the ostler said 'ed seen it he said 'He's been 'it, the boy as ad 'im yesterday must 'ave 'it 'im wi' a stick actually no doubt mostly did do did doin' and there were a nail in it.' And I said, 'Look what 'e's done.' Well a couple of days after when I used to go to turn 'im round 'ed turn round and then in 'is stand 'e wouldn't move in the finish up they 'ad to take 'im up and they 'ad t' shoot 'im c'cos 'ed gone out of 'is mind.

But err, I used t' think the world of that 'orse.

Anyway, I never took to it that job, never took to it, too ruff for me. Ahyhow my father was a good business more like little crafts never 'ad to ruff it then. I mean I jus' use to, they took me from there, took me to the coalface and I worked in a four foot six coal face. Y' jus' use to wear a pair of shorts and a pair of 'evy boots and that's all y'ad. You usse' to come out side and you use' to get one of the other men t' rub y' down with a piece a newspaper. Y' back wer' jus' white lather – that was work won' it. Four foot six and y' got, all the coal y' got y' got t' pick it out.

And the' put another pony in th' place of that one's shot and the' use' te at the end of this shunt where y' put the wagons where it joined the main line, the main rope there use' t' be a boy there and 'e use' t' 'ave a one workin' with 'im under 'im and the' call 'im the Corporal 'cos 'e use' t' ave t' 'cos 'e use' t' 'ang the empties onta the en' of the rope 'n' see thes plenty empties see. And see thes use' t' put twelve a time an' tek them t' pit bottom. And the wagons use' t' come, the empties use' t' come down an' clip on the rope in eh, in trains of twenty. And if I didn't want any I use' t' jus' let them go down 'cos the rope was go another 400 yards before it turned roun'. So I wanted some empties and when the next gang came down t' lift the clip up to stop 'em. I stopped them. But as I stopped and lifted the clip up mi foot slipped and got it fast.

Well, what was goin' t'appen then, I couldn' do anythin' it was, it'd be the end 'cos I could it was, I could see meself bein' crushed. In two a three minutes time the'd be more wagons comin' dahn they'd run inta these and then of course I should go down an'. But eh the were two wires runnin' up at the top there. And if y' wanted a the rope t' stop for any reason y' just ha' to touch them an' it rang a bell in the bottom an' it the drive would stop. But all at once the rope stopped and tha' assisted me well becus a was able t' release me shoe lace, me bootlace and get me foot out. And I was able t' get me boot out as well before anyone but a thought I'd take me foot out first to make sure so. Well ev'rythin' went right afta tha'.