The good old days.

[Chippy_Tea]

I think he needed more than a wash.


'Northumbrian miner at his evening meal', 1937, by Bill Brandt.

When pithead baths were first introduced in Northumberland many miners were too shy and refused to use them, choosing instead to still wash at home. Some also thought that washing your back made a man weak.

 

[MrRook]

Of course it makes a man weak when you remove the protective layer of crust.

 

[Banbeer]

Is she really thinking 'Dirty B4st4rd' or am I imagining it?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Anyone notice the kid peeping round the drying washing?

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Is she really thinking 'Dirty B4st4rd' or am I imagining it?

Another hour in the yard with the dolly tub to get those clothes clean after filling the tin bath for hubby, a woman's work was never done.

 

[Clint]

I bet he's got the teeth in for his tea...

 

[Banbeer]

You wouldn't mind but it's his day off

 

[Banbeer]

Anyone notice the kid peeping round the drying washing?

And he's wearing a digital watch I think.

 

[chthon]

Is she really thinking 'Dirty B4st4rd' or am I imagining it?

I find his wife has more an expression of silent desperation...

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Life expectancy in that job wouldn't have been long maybe she was wondering how many meals like that they would be having in the future.

 

[Banbeer]

I bet she was thinking ' great I always have second bath' what a waste of time!!! or she could be just holding a f4rt in

 

[DavieC]

Apologies in advance for long post, but...There was loads of pits around our way, when I was younger my mates who were pitmen used to come to us in the pub after noon shift, they'd had showers but always looked like they were wearing eye liner.My grandad on my Mums side started in the pit in 1926 ,right after the general strike.his first day ,after desending in the rapid lift down the shaft into 'Hanley deep' pit he had to follow a surley colier along the 'roadway' and after a fair walk a third of a mile underground had to go up a 'rabbit hole' which was an opening on the tunnel side wall,this was followed by two or three. Rabbit holes, each one changing direction, eventually ending up on his hands and knees with the top of the burrow pressing on his back finally reaching the 'Pit Face'
His job then was , crouching,to clear the coal where a pneumatic ram smashed coal from the 4 foot seam.After a while the Collier told him he'd be back shortly and left instruction not to let the air pressure drop in the coal ram,with that he was gone leaving grandad adjusting the air valves and shifting coal.A short while later the air pressure dropped and the ram ceased, with the quiet, he began to hear the ground around him crack and bang, he slowly started to feel anxiety and then dreadful fear that the collier might not come back for him, he crawled back down the rabbit burrow and found it led to three other burrows, he hadn't a clue which one he'd come down, he crawled back to the face he'd been working on and waited, a short time after ,his helmet lamp flickered and then went out.Total darkness.He told me he put his hand touching his face and couldnt see it, complete black.The ground banged around him ,he thought 'thats it.Im lost and dead here'.He was 14 years old.After what seemed like hours, crouching in the total blackness, terrified, way under ground ,the collier returned and gave him a powerful crack t'the side o grandads head"I told you dont let the engine stop, were losin money'".He finished his first traumatic shift and returned to the surface.
Grandad went on to do 50 years working underground on the pit face,covered in blue scars where coal dust had entered cuts to his skin he eventually retired when he broke his leg ,down the pit age 64,.The good old days indeed.

 

[Banbeer]

My father in law was buried in the pit he worked in a couple of times and had to retire due to bad knees at 55, he's in his 80's now but suffering with breathing problems.

 

[DavieC]

Ive just read through my post..seems a bit serious . He never talked about his work but the one time he did he told me that story.I was 14 at the time.
On a lighter note he did love his job and earned a decent living and always drove a big new car.He was quite a character, as probably was the chap in @Chippy_Tea picture

 

[foxy]

 

[DavidDetroit]

Anyone notice the kid peeping round the drying washing?

I did not notice. That's a little creepy!

 

[DavidDetroit]

I had many thoughts while looking at the photo:
1. It first looks like a staged photo to be funny.
2. No, not staged. Now I know why the poor fellows died from working in the mines.
3. It wouldn't matter what substance they were mining, taking so in so much dust of anything might kill you.
4. That woman looks profoundly sad. Was she wondering if he's getting coal dust in her masterpiece that she slaved all day to make?
5. She's thinking, "When I was ten, this isn't how I expected my life to turn out," or "He's so dirty, I'm not even sure that's my husband sitting there; I'll wait until he's finished before asking so as to be polite."

 

[Dexter101]

Apologies in advance for long post, but...There was loads of pits around our way, when I was younger my mates who were pitmen used to come to us in the pub after noon shift, they'd had showers but always looked like they were wearing eye liner.My grandad on my Mums side started in the pit in 1926 ,right after the general strike.his first day ,after desending in the rapid lift down the shaft into 'Hanley deep' pit he had to follow a surley colier along the 'roadway' and after a fair walk a third of a mile underground had to go up a 'rabbit hole' which was an opening on the tunnel side wall,this was followed by two or three. Rabbit holes, each one changing direction, eventually ending up on his hands and knees with the top of the burrow pressing on his back finally reaching the 'Pit Face'
His job then was , crouching,to clear the coal where a pneumatic ram smashed coal from the 4 foot seam.After a while the Collier told him he'd be back shortly and left instruction not to let the air pressure drop in the coal ram,with that he was gone leaving grandad adjusting the air valves and shifting coal.A short while later the air pressure dropped and the ram ceased, with the quiet, he began to hear the ground around him crack and bang, he slowly started to feel anxiety and then dreadful fear that the collier might not come back for him, he crawled back down the rabbit burrow and found it led to three other burrows, he hadn't a clue which one he'd come down, he crawled back to the face he'd been working on and waited, a short time after ,his helmet lamp flickered and then went out.Total darkness.He told me he put his hand touching his face and couldnt see it, complete black.The ground banged around him ,he thought 'thats it.Im lost and dead here'.He was 14 years old.After what seemed like hours, crouching in the total blackness, terrified, way under ground ,the collier returned and gave him a powerful crack t'side o grandads head"I told you dont let the engine stop, were losin money'".He finished his first traumatic shift and returned to the surface.
Grandad went on to do 50 years working underground on the pit face,covered in blue scars where coal dust had entered cuts to his skin he eventually retired when he broke his leg ,down the pit age 64,.The good old days indeed.

This is the type of thing that should be taught in schools. I remember looking at the miners strikes in history class and at no point did we ever get spoken to about what it was actually like for the people who were working.

You obviously get told "it's dangerous" but that doesn't really highlight the experience the workers actually had.

Brings a bad day at work in to context for me. will drink a pint to your grandad this evening.

 

[chesters-mild]

Many years ago (70s) I was privileged to spend the better part of a shift in a Notts. mine thanks to the NCB, NUM and a friend who worked in the mine I came away with massive, massive respect for the miners and the job they did. As for Thatcher and the way she treated them I find mere words are not strong enough to express my anger at her. ( apologies for the political rant)

 

[DavieC]

Cheers Dexter101 I've often wondered where he found the courage to turn up for work the next morning.