After 800 years of Durham coal-mining, the Wearmouth Colliery closed on 10 December 1993 - the last in the historic county.
Coal-mining is a dangerous industry - even now, but particularly a century and more ago. There were the perils of suffocation, explosion, equipment failure, accidents and of course roof-falls.
An old Durham miner I knew, one who remembered pit ponies, told me about the life of those who went below-ground. He said they were gentle, respectable men when up in the daylight - never swore - but cursed relentlessly when underground. We can romanticise their close-knit communities, their commitment to the friends and neighbours and lifestyles, the piety of many of them - good Methodists, often - but the virtues came at a great cost in shortened lives and hardship. So often the good things of humanity come from hard times.
My great-grandad was a pitman in Consett, Co. Durham. If you're ever in Durham Cathedral, pause by the memorial with its miner's lamp. Very moving.
ReplyDeletelove Mags B x
Aye lass. I'm the first generation of my family since the 1800s not to be a pitman. My great-great Grandad, died in the Seaham Colliery explosion of 1880 and my dad worked across the Durham coalfield (including time at Wearmouth). Never mind, though pet, we've got a nice shiny footy stadium in place of the pit. Nee jobs, but we've got a footy pitch. Panem et circenses as they used to say out bye after a lang day's hewin'.
ReplyDeleteI, too, grew up in a rolled-up newspaper in the middle of the road.
ReplyDelete