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Rashers



Member Since: 21 Jun 2015
Location: Norfolk
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United Kingdom 2014 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Corris Grey
Supacat, are there any coal mines still in the UK?

There was a mine under the sea up on the North East coast (for the life of me I can't remember where it was), but a lot of coal production was open cast. I can remember my Uncle showing me (he was never a miner Laughing )
Post #852705 28th Aug 2020 6:08pm
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Supacat



Member Since: 16 Oct 2012
Location: West Yorkshire
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United Kingdom 2013 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS DCPU Keswick Green
I don't believe there are, the last privately owned ones have closed I think(?).

Easington is that pit in the North East. You mentioning Northumberland made me think of it again.

Did he ever tell you about them going out with a horse and cart and fishing with nets for coal?

There's even a Defender connection:



Post #852710 28th Aug 2020 6:17pm
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
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There are no deep coal mines in the UK as far as I know but there are at least 13 active open cast mines, and plans were approved last year to open a new deep mine in West Cumbria.

The UK coal industry is still clinging on, just, and it is interesting that the posts above show the strength of the feelings that persist even after all this time.

Does anyone remember who David James Wilkie was?
Post #852720 28th Aug 2020 6:53pm
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Rashers



Member Since: 21 Jun 2015
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 3566

United Kingdom 2014 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Corris Grey
My Uncle is not a Geordie (although he has lived in the North East longer than he lived in Norfolk). My Aunt is native to the area. I remember being told about picking coal from the beach. In fact, I may have taken as a child. I’ve been down the drift mine at Beamish which is a real mine unlike the one the Black Country Museum but still scary enough to realise how the Victorians operated.

Nice shot of the Defender 👍

I used to have to do confined space entry in a past life. The first Guy who trained me was trained in the mines (can’t think of anything more confined?) I think his name was Ray Wiles or something like that. He had a miners lamp which he showed and explained to us. It was a thing of beauty.

I am going to Google David James Wilkie. I have no idea?

Thanks for the mine info. Are there any British car manufacturers? Oh, I think we have already been there a few weeks ago Rolling with laughter Rolling with laughter
Post #852721 28th Aug 2020 7:11pm
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Rashers



Member Since: 21 Jun 2015
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 3566

United Kingdom 2014 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Corris Grey
I remember the news about the taxi driver. I couldn’t remember his name.
Post #852723 28th Aug 2020 7:14pm
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Rashers



Member Since: 21 Jun 2015
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 3566

United Kingdom 2014 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Corris Grey
Bradley open cast coal mine. It was only on the BBC News a few weeks ago.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-53805648
Post #852724 28th Aug 2020 7:17pm
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90 Dreamer



Member Since: 13 Jul 2019
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It'll be Westoe coal mine your meaning Rashers I would think down at South Shields right on the coast.......

https://www.nmrs.org.uk/mines-map/coal-min...land-area/

Had a few (older) friends that worked down the pit - terrible times
Post #852732 28th Aug 2020 7:32pm
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Rashers



Member Since: 21 Jun 2015
Location: Norfolk
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That was the one, 90 Dreamer Thumbs Up

It always amazed me that mines went out under the sea. To be honest, it still amazes me Shocked
Post #852752 28th Aug 2020 7:49pm
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
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United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
It is said that in the sub-sea levels of Botallack and Levant mines in Cornwall you could hear the crashing of the waves above your head. That must have been terrifying.
Post #852759 28th Aug 2020 8:00pm
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Rashers



Member Since: 21 Jun 2015
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 3566

United Kingdom 2014 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Corris Grey
That’s a brilliant Website, 90 Dreamer.

I have used it to find that my Aunt and Uncles estate was built on the site of the Phoenix Colliery Crawcrook. The sealed shaft is in an area of no mans land between the houses.

I apologise as this has gone completely off topic. To bring it back sort of back to the topic, my Uncle when he lived in Norwich worked for Mann Egerton (even then owned by Inchcape) who were the main BL agent for Norwich. He has always purchased Fords Whistle Not sure if his service to a BL dealer clouded his opinion of the marque?
Post #852760 28th Aug 2020 8:05pm
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Rashers



Member Since: 21 Jun 2015
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 3566

United Kingdom 2014 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Corris Grey
blackwolf wrote:
It is said that in the sub-sea levels of Botallack and Levant mines in Cornwall you could hear the crashing of the waves above your head. That must have been terrifying.


I think the thought of having a lot of water over your head is frightening. Hearing the waves, as you say, must have been something else Shocked
Post #852761 28th Aug 2020 8:09pm
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Supacat



Member Since: 16 Oct 2012
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 11018

United Kingdom 2013 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS DCPU Keswick Green
They must have been shallow mines?
Post #852765 28th Aug 2020 8:15pm
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Supacat



Member Since: 16 Oct 2012
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 11018

United Kingdom 2013 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS DCPU Keswick Green
Rashers wrote:
my Uncle when he lived in Norwich worked for Mann Egerton


It's a small world, my Dad used to work for them in Liverpool ~ no stereotyping but I still have one of their ladders in my workshop. Laughing
Post #852767 28th Aug 2020 8:21pm
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Supacat



Member Since: 16 Oct 2012
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 11018

United Kingdom 2013 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS DCPU Keswick Green
Generating clean energy from the coal mines
Dropped into my in box this morning and quite an interesting read:

https://www.theengineer.co.uk/generating-c...oal-mines/

“Mineshafts have always been a liability, but we look at them in a totally different way now,” Crooks told The Engineer. “When you look at the opportunities that sit around these mines this is no longer a liability: it’s an asset of strategic importance to the UK.”

Indeed, the Coal Authority now has around 30 different projects aimed at tapping into the estimated 2.2 million GWh of annually renewing zero carbon geothermal energy held within the mines."

Click image to enlarge
Post #854186 4th Sep 2020 6:38am
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