CLOSURE BEWILDERS THE PITMEN OF WHEATLEY HILL
One of the many puzzled men at Wheatley Hill Colliery which closes down tonight, is Mr William Gibson of Burns Street, a chargehand fitter at the colliery and secretary of the Wheatley Hill Lodge of the Mechanics’ Association. He said, “Look around the pit. You will not see one bit of coal stockpiled. However much coal comes up there is a demand for it, so it is difficult to understand why the pit should have to close. “I know that our output per man-shift could be higher, but I feel that this could have been remedied if more money had been spent on the pit and more coal producers brought in. There is another seam to open and if this had been done, together with the seam now being worked, I believe Wheatley Hill could have been kept going for another six to eight years”.
UNWANTED REDUNDANCY
Mr Gibson is one of the men being kept on for salvage work but he asks, ”What happens when this is finished? It may mean another job at another colliery but what guarantee is there that it will not close in the near future? We could go on like this until we are in our fifties. What will happen to us then if there are no more jobs in the coal industry? Who will employ us when we get to that age? Extra redundancy pay is all right but few men want to be redundant in their 50’s”.
Similar sentiments came from 49-year-old Mr Thomas Ayre of Burns Street, the colliery medical attendant. He has worked at Wheatley Hill Colliery since leaving school in 1933 and for most of his time there worked down the pit. He says “Why cant they get industries to take over these old pit buildings? I would give anything a try. It certainly cannot be any worse than working down there”. Mr Ayre who is also on salvage work does not know what the future will hold after that. He comments, “we were born too soon”.
The closure of the pit is a sad moment for the head horse keeper, Mr Alec Poole (60) of Luke Terrace, Wheatley Hill who has been looking after the ponies at the colliery for 12 years. There was a time when he had 72 ponies to care for, but after tomorrow there will be only 12 left at Wheatley Hill. Most of the ponies will go to a pony farm at Consett. Mr Poole, who has worked at Wheatley Hill for the past 46 years said, “It has been a pleasure to work with the ponies and I will be sorry to see them go”. When the salvage work is finished it will also be the end of work for Mr Poole, who will become redundant.
WOMANS VIEW
Mrs Valerie Miller, wife of the young chairman of the Wheatley Hill Miners Lodge, 24-year-old Mr Brian Miller, expressed her view of the closure. Born and brought up in Wheatley Hill where her father also worked at the pit, she said, “it is difficult to realise that the pit will not be working any more. It has been part of my life as long as I can remember”. Mr Miller, who has been on power-loading at the colliery is to transfer to Blackhall Colliery with others.
UNWANTED REDUNDANCY
Mr Gibson is one of the men being kept on for salvage work but he asks, ”What happens when this is finished? It may mean another job at another colliery but what guarantee is there that it will not close in the near future? We could go on like this until we are in our fifties. What will happen to us then if there are no more jobs in the coal industry? Who will employ us when we get to that age? Extra redundancy pay is all right but few men want to be redundant in their 50’s”.
Similar sentiments came from 49-year-old Mr Thomas Ayre of Burns Street, the colliery medical attendant. He has worked at Wheatley Hill Colliery since leaving school in 1933 and for most of his time there worked down the pit. He says “Why cant they get industries to take over these old pit buildings? I would give anything a try. It certainly cannot be any worse than working down there”. Mr Ayre who is also on salvage work does not know what the future will hold after that. He comments, “we were born too soon”.
The closure of the pit is a sad moment for the head horse keeper, Mr Alec Poole (60) of Luke Terrace, Wheatley Hill who has been looking after the ponies at the colliery for 12 years. There was a time when he had 72 ponies to care for, but after tomorrow there will be only 12 left at Wheatley Hill. Most of the ponies will go to a pony farm at Consett. Mr Poole, who has worked at Wheatley Hill for the past 46 years said, “It has been a pleasure to work with the ponies and I will be sorry to see them go”. When the salvage work is finished it will also be the end of work for Mr Poole, who will become redundant.
WOMANS VIEW
Mrs Valerie Miller, wife of the young chairman of the Wheatley Hill Miners Lodge, 24-year-old Mr Brian Miller, expressed her view of the closure. Born and brought up in Wheatley Hill where her father also worked at the pit, she said, “it is difficult to realise that the pit will not be working any more. It has been part of my life as long as I can remember”. Mr Miller, who has been on power-loading at the colliery is to transfer to Blackhall Colliery with others.