Colliers underground at Princess Royal 1930
Courtesy of: Gillian Moore. Uploaded: August 2009
Colliers underground at Princess Royal 1930
Gill wrote: "My grandfather William Lambert is the first one in the back row".
Dave Nash added (August 2009): "... Front right in this photograph as we look at it is my Grandfather Francis Nash of Ellwood. He later on, if not already when this photo was taken, worked as a pit deputy at Princess Royal" .
Peter Essex asked: "was smoking aloowed under ground at Princess Royal?"
Royston Pritchard added: ".. smoking was allowed underground in the Forest mines except when travelling on the trolleys (small trucks with seats on which miners rode to get to and from the coalface)".
Royston recalled a 'train' of trolleys waiting to take men to the coalface at Cannop colliery. Royston was instructed to shine his light down the 'train' and the Deputy, Ralph Smith spotted Ned Potter with a 'fag' in his mouth. Ned had been rolling his fags for the day. Ralph shouted "Put thic-there fag out Ned" to which Ned replied "I b'yun a smokin ol' butty", Ralph replied "well thee's got a fag in thee chops" to which Ned quickly replied "Oy, an' I be wearing me boots - but I byun a walkin".'
David Dowle added (August 2009): "Re smoking in Forest pits - as
you can see from a couple of the men the colliers were allowed to use open
acetylene lamps rather Davy lamps. I remember my father, who worked there
in the 40s and 50s preparing his lamp and explaining that they were able
to use them because of the lack of 'firedamp'".
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