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Message: Emoticon Listing HTML Help	[quote]Some information from a couple of web sites. 1896 W E C Wilson manager(mgr), J Hodges undermanager (umgr) 831 working underground(ug) 174 working on surface (s) 1908 A T C Savage mgr, C Simms and J A Hodges umgr, 1376 ug 294 s. 1918 R H Ferens mgr, G Thorpe and C Beedham umgr, 1064 ug 297 s. 1923 W Clayton mgr, J Brough and A Hickling umgr, 1405 ug 306 s. 1938 Alfred Grimes mgr, H Gittings umgr, 763 ug 181 s. 1945 G S Milne mgr, G Thorpe and C Beedham umgr 881 ug 347 s. In 1896 the Deep Soft and Deep Hard seams were worked. The coals mined were used for household and manufacturing purposes. In 1923 the Main Soft, Roof, Ell and Waterloo seams were worked. The output was used for gas, household, manufacturing and steam purposes. How did the coal not get mixed up ? The sytem used was to mark each tub of coal with a mark showing which stall it had come from. when the tubs came up the shaft they were moved to the appropiate place in the screens. When the coal came out of the screens it had ben sorted by grade and size. The colliers employed a check weigh man who ensured that each tub was correctly recorded by the company thus stopping fraudulent claims against the workers. This ensured that the correct payments were made. Some from the two surviving grey cells via my late father Ray (Yogi) Wyles. He started at Copppice as an underground ropeman and ended up as a blacksmith/shaftman. He must have been one of the last men to ride the shafts of Coppice, Woodside and Mapperley Pits. At the time, the shafts had to be examined at least once every 24 hours. He told me that the first face to have a power loader on it nearly gave the undermanager a heart attack. The cutters had used all their negotiating skills on the contract. They started hittting the money once they had cut half the length of the face. A full cut of the face was called a strip. The face started cutting Monday dayshift then cut again on the the afternoon shift. The nightshiift was used to get the face ready for cutting on the dayshift. The first thing the undermanager wanted to know how the face had cut on Monday. He went blue in the face when told the dayshift had cut four strips and the afternoon shift had cut three. There used to be a face known as the Golden Mile. This was the best coal at the pit and it got coal 5 days a week even in the summer. In cold weather this face would get coal on Saturdays, a very rare event. Anyone remember Best Derby Brights, household coal at its very best. Another from the old man was that he had to move a piece of machinery from Coppice to Mapperley. He was told to go to the stables and collect a pony. After collecting the pony he said he was riding the belt back and what should he do with the pony. He was told just keep hold of the reins youth and the pony will look after himself. Machinery delivered, old man jumps on belt to get back to Coppice. He travelled less than five yards and there was an almighty bump behind him. Turning round to see what had happened he was greeted by the pony sat on the belt. The biggest shaft at Coppice was always known to the old man as the Mickley Shaft. This was 20 feet in diameter and around 500 yards deep. The diameter was huge for the time,the usual diameter for a shaft was 16 to 18 feet diameter. There was an upcast shaft with a ventilating fan on the surface to pull stale air out. The fresh air going down the other shafts with the air flow being controlled by sets of ventilation doors. The small shaft was the Shonky Shaft and was used for man riding during coal and material winding periods at the other two shafts. Does anyone remember the brickworks in front of Coppice. It was adjacent to the level crossing and used for Civil Defence and rescue training. Bricks and mortar were used quite a lot underground for support purposes in the pit bottom and roadway junctions. A ton of bricks moves easier than a ton of steel underground. It is only memories know but the pit bottoms used to be like underground churches. Thirty feet high with an arched roof, whitewashed and kept clean. regards Phil[/quote]
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philfred

Coppice Colliery
replied on: 4/24/2005 12:37:33 PM

Some information from a couple of web sites.

1896 W E C Wilson manager(mgr), J Hodges undermanager (umgr) 831 working underground(ug) 174 working on surface (s)

1908 A T C Savage mgr, C Simms and J A Hodges umgr, 1376 ug 294 s.

1918 R H Ferens mgr, G Thorpe and C Beedham umgr, 1064 ug 297 s.

1923 W Clayton mgr, J Brough and A Hickling umgr, 1405 ug 306 s.

1938 Alfred Grimes mgr, H Gittings umgr, 763 ug 181 s.

1945 G S Milne mgr, G Thorpe and C Beedham umgr 881 ug 347 s.

In 1896 the Deep Soft and Deep Hard seams were worked. The coals mined were used for household and manufacturing purposes.

In 1923 the Main Soft, Roof, Ell and Waterloo seams were worked. The output was used for gas, household, manufacturing and steam purposes.

How did the coal not get mixed up ? The sytem used was to mark each tub of coal with a mark showing which stall it had come from. when the tubs came up the shaft they were moved to the appropiate place in the screens. When the coal came out of the screens it had ben sorted by grade and size. The colliers employed a check weigh man who ensured that each tub was correctly recorded by the company thus stopping fraudulent claims against the workers. This ensured that the correct payments were made.

Some from the two surviving grey cells via my late father Ray (Yogi) Wyles. He started at Copppice as an underground ropeman and ended up as a blacksmith/shaftman. He must have been one of the last men to ride the shafts of Coppice, Woodside and Mapperley Pits. At the time, the shafts had to be examined at least once every 24 hours.

He told me that the first face to have a power loader on it nearly gave the undermanager a heart attack. The cutters had used all their negotiating skills on the contract. They started hittting the money once they had cut half the length of the face. A full cut of the face was called a strip. The face started cutting Monday dayshift then cut again on the the afternoon shift. The nightshiift was used to get the face ready for cutting on the dayshift. The first thing the undermanager wanted to know how the face had cut on Monday. He went blue in the face when told the dayshift had cut four strips and the afternoon shift had cut three.

There used to be a face known as the Golden Mile. This was the best coal at the pit and it got coal 5 days a week even in the summer. In cold weather this face would get coal on Saturdays, a very rare event. Anyone remember Best Derby Brights, household coal at its very best.

Another from the old man was that he had to move a piece of machinery from Coppice to Mapperley. He was told to go to the stables and collect a pony. After collecting the pony he said he was riding the belt back and what should he do with the pony. He was told just keep hold of the reins youth and the pony will look after himself. Machinery delivered, old man jumps on belt to get back to Coppice. He travelled less than five yards and there was an almighty bump behind him. Turning round to see what had happened he was greeted by the pony sat on the belt.

The biggest shaft at Coppice was always known to the old man as the Mickley Shaft. This was 20 feet in diameter and around 500 yards deep. The diameter was huge for the time,the usual diameter for a shaft was 16 to 18 feet diameter. There was an upcast shaft with a ventilating fan on the surface to pull stale air out. The fresh air going down the other shafts with the air flow being controlled by sets of ventilation doors. The small shaft was the Shonky Shaft and was used for man riding during coal and material winding periods at the other two shafts.

Does anyone remember the brickworks in front of Coppice. It was adjacent to the level crossing and used for Civil Defence and rescue training. Bricks and mortar were used quite a lot underground for support purposes in the pit bottom and roadway junctions. A ton of bricks moves easier than a ton of steel underground. It is only memories know but the pit bottoms used to be like underground churches. Thirty feet high with an arched roof, whitewashed and kept clean.

regards Phil

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