I have been trawling the Net to try and find out anything I can about my late wife’s Grandfather a man named SHAW who was the Head Winder Man at Newstead years ago, he lived in the big house beside the Pit, with his wife and family of several girls in Newstead.

However I came across your interesting Web Site of Annesley Pit and photos, and it brought back many memories as I worked there underground during the war.

I noticed an E,Mail of some 5 years ago to you from Rita Deverell whose father was an important Blacksmith and Engineer dealing with the winding ropes, I wonder if Rita is still around as I would like to have been in contact, as my wife and self became friendly with her father and his wife.

I would be very glad to hear about Rita Deverell and if you would be interested in the photos I have.

I was able to take a number of old Black and White photos of Annesley Colliery, and also have a few taken Underground and in the Power House in the 1940s when I was an Electrician Underground.

Regards
Dave

Annesley

A few old photos that I took of my workplace in the early 1940s together with a couple of myself all those years ago, and how grateful I was for the kindness shown to me by fellow workmates and residents of Annesley and Newstead, where I lodged.

Taken around 1970s showing Annesley Headstocks, Nos 1 and 2 Shafts, the Power House Chimney to the right hand and in the distance a view of Newstead Colliery Headstocks to the right hand side. The main road to Newstead Village in the foreground, now a Housing Estate I hear.

Pit Bottom of No 1 shaft showing Twin Loading and Double Decker Cage resting during Afternoon Shift in 1943

Just after installing roadway lighting to a section of Haulageway near the Pit Bottom
on route to D Conveyor around 1943

Photo of Annesley Power House, Main Switch Board, with its joint generation of power with Huthwaite
by over head 11KV line on poles.

Annesley Twin Steam Turbo Generators, all overseen by resident Colliery Chief Electrician Mr Tom Buckley (1943)

'Selfie'
Being the sole afternoon shift Duty Electrician I had to play a trick to expose the picture of myself, during my break, in the Electricians underground cabin as the cameras were primitive at that time, around 1943