Blackhall, The Good Old Days

A Memory of Blackhall Colliery.

I was born in Blackhall in 1940 and lived in 11th Street and went to school at Henry Smiths - hated it, so I borrowed a fiver off my granda, signed my parents name on the form, and left when I was 15 (in those days when you went to Grammer School you had to sign to say you would stay till at least 16, or pay a fiver to leave at 15). By the time my mam and dad found out it was too late to stop it, I was in very big trouble - but I was free. When I look back now I am so thankful that I didn't have to go down the pit. What a terrible job, I think the best thing Thatcher did when she was PM was to close the mines. I know all the arguments against this, but remember the disaster at Easington - 93 men and boys killed in one explosion. My father was a shaft man at the pit working under a 10 inch diameter flowing water pipe every night, and this weakened him so eventually he had no inner strength to fight illness. While I will always be a colliery lad like I said. thanks to my family for keeping me out of the pit. Passed through the old place about 2 weeks ago, first time for 38 years, so sad it's all changed. Better or worse, can you remember?


Added 30 September 2012

#238325

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