Bersham Colliery
History
The
site was originally known as Glanrafon Colliery and
sinking was started in 1864 by Messrs Barnes & Co of Liverpool who traded
as the Bersham Coal Company. The site was originally
a brickworks and some of the hand-made bricks were used to line the shafts.
Sinking proved to be difficult and was not completed until 1879, with the first
coal not being sold until 1874.
In
1912, Bersham Coal Company became a subsidary of Broughton & Plaspower
Coal Co Ltd but continued to operate independently. In 1936 the parent company
was acquired by Lancashire Steel Corporation Ltd and it then absorbed the subsidary to operate the colliery directly. In 1947, in
company with a huge number of private firms, the National Coal Board took over Bersham and in 1986 they changed their name to British Coal
Corporation. The last coal was brought up in December 1986 when it was closed
by British Coal as being uneconomical. Work continued into early 1987 to
salvage equipment from underground but quite a lot was abandoned.
There
were two shafts which originally had steam winding engines but these were
replaced by electric ones in later years. No.1 Upcast Shaft was 10ft diameter
and 1,260ft deep. It had a 175h.p. electric winding engine and was used for manriding with a three deck cage capable of holding 12 men.
No.2 Downcast Shaft was 12ft in diameter and 1,269ft deep. It had a 300h.p.
electric winding engine and was mostly used for winding coal and materials. Its
maximum load at a time was 2 tonnes and it averaged around 2,000 tonnes per
day.
The
worst disaster was in 1880 when there was an underground explosion that killed
eight men, including the manager Mr Pattison. A ninth man dies of his injuries
nine days later. There is a memorial to these men in Rhostyllen
Church. In 1933 the headgear on the main shaft caught fire and had to be
replaced by the surviving metal one, which came from Gatewen
Colliery. There was another serious fire around the shaft head in 1937 but this
was fortunately without loss of life. One ex-miner can remember the cage being
brought to surface while the headgear burned above!
The
underground workings stretched as far as Erddig Hall
and a large section of solid coal was left underneath it to prevent subsidence.
Despite this, however, serious damage was caused through adjacent subsidence,
the kitchen roof having to be held up with girders. The National Coal Board had
to pay out compensation for this. At one time over 100 pit ponies were in use
underground and they were permanently stabled there but these were replaced
with haulage engines in 1954. In that same year pithead baths were opened which
had facilities for up to 1,100 men.
Coal
was mined by hand up until 1935 when mechanised extraction was introduced.
Miners from another local colliery were brought in to operate this and much
resentment was caused with the existing workers. In 1961, in the Quaker Seam,
mechanisation was brought in on a large scale and in 1963 it was used to drive
two dipping tunnels from the existing pit bottom to the Ruabon
Yard and Queen Seams. The intake tunnel was 1,770ft long and dipped at 1 in 5,
being equipped with a conveyor and manriding
facilities. The return tunnel was 1,350ft long and dipped at 1 in 4, being used
for supplies.
The
following plant was in use :-
Ventilation
- a 1,148h.p. Howden Electrical Axial flow fan was installed in 1975 to provide
ventilation. This had previously been used at Gresford
Colliery and supplied 250,000 cu ft of air per minute.
Steam
Raising - a coal-fired boiler was installed in 1964 and a methane-fired boiler
the following year which together produce 3,650lbs of steam per hour. This is
used in the pithead baths and space heating.
Power
Supply - electricity was obtained from the Merseyside & North Wales
Electricity Board with a maximum demand of 2,620 kilowatts. The incoming supply
of 11KV was transformed to 3.3, 550, 440, 240, and 110 volt supplies.
Compressed
Air - two 550h.p. electrically powered compressors were installed in 1951 with
another 112h.p. unit in 1970.
Methane
Drainage - five vacuum pumps were placed at surface to extract methane from the
workings. Up until 1978, it was released into the atmosphere but then it was
sold to the local brickworks (Dennis of Ruabon) to
fire their tile kilns. There was a 2 mile underground pipeline with a contract
to supply up to 3 million therms of gas per year.
This was equal to around 13,000 tonnes of coal.
Coal
Preparation - Baum box washers were used that could handle 80 tonnes of coal
per hour.
Dirt
Disposal - originally dirt was placed on their own tip but in the later years
it was transported by road to the old Hafod Colliery
tip and Pen-y-Bont Quarry at Newbridge.
Shunting
- The colliery had a fan of sidings off the Shrewsbury - Chester railway line.
Due to the tight curvature (until the 1981 remodelling to permit
'merry-go-round' working) only 4 wheeled locomotives could be used. There was
known to have been a loco called SARAH here in the late 19th century of which
little is known. The first confirmed was SNOWDON, which arrived from Brymbo Steelworks in 1919. It was built by Beyer Peacock of
Manchester in 1886 with works number 811. These first two locomotives had gone
to unknown destinations before 1940.
In
1928 SHAKESPEARE, built by Hawthorn Leslie of Newcastle upon Tyne (number 3072
of 1914), arrived on loan from a contractor in Wrexham and was later purchased.
It worked until the end of steam and was scrapped in November 1980. NEPTUNE,
built by Manning Wardle of Leeds (number 1922 built in 1916) arrived from a
Liverpool Corporation contract around 1935 and remained until 1943 when it went
back to Lancashire, to Irlam steelworks. The next 3
locos were all built by Andrew Barclay of Kilmarnock. JAMES HALL (number 1831
of 1924) came and went within the North Wales coalfield in the 1940s, EASTWOOD
(1304 of 1912) was hired from a contractor in 1948 and 1949 and PIRAEUS (643 of
1889) visited briefly in the early 1950s, coming from Ifton
Colliery in Shropshire and going to the nearby Hafod
Colliery. In 1958 for a few months a British Railways loco 47006 built 1953 was
hired. SPIDER another Hawthorne Leslie (2623 of 1905) paid an 8 month visit
from Ifton in 1964.
The
last steam loco to arrive was HORNET built by Peckett
and Sons of Bristol in 1937 (works number 1935) it came in November 1968 and
remained in use, with SHAKESPEARE until the diesels arrived, as it did not
leave Bersham until January 1984 it may well have
been retained in a standby capacity.
The
first diesel arrived in January 1980. Like all Bersham's
diesels it carried no name just a 8 digit plant number 63.000.328 (SHAKESPEARE
and HORNET also had 63.000 numbers, 403 and 404 respectively). 63.000.328 was a
6 wheeled 325 hp loco built by Hunslet of Leeds (6664
of 1969) and it had previously worked at Granville Colliery in Shropshire. It
was joined later in the year by its sister 63.000.329 (works number 6663) also
from Granville. Ruston and Hornsby of Lincoln supplied the next loco, their
326068 of 1953 and Bersham's 63.000.427, it was 4
wheeled and of 88 hp. The last loco to arrive was another Hunslet,
this time of 400 hp (7018 of 1971) 63.000.314 which came from Hem Heath
Colliery Staffordshire. In addition to the standard gauge sidings, the colliery
had a surface 1' 10½" gauge stock yard. The only loco for this was another
Ruston and Hornsby 497547 of 1963, plant number 63.000.314. It came from Gresford in 1981 and had left for Point of Ayr by 1986. The
only steam loco to survive is HORNET which is preserved at the Ribble Steam Railway, Preston Docks. Of the diesels Hunslet 7018 is at Felixstowe Docks and Hunslet
6663 at Ely Refinery, Milford Haven. The other 2 have been scrapped. The narrow
gauge diesel is preserved at the Red Rose Steam Society's site at Astley Green Manchester.
Until
the 1930s, Bersham drew its workforce from the local
area, ie Rhos, Ponciau and Rhostyllen. This led to a strong family tradition of mining
with sons following fathers into the pit, in which Welsh was the main language.
This changed, however, as nearby pits closed and men were transferred in, with
the workforce then being drawn from an area between Chirk
and Mold. The largest workforce on site was in 1958
when there were 1,011 workers. This gradually dropped to around 500 in the
later years, with coal being won from the Queen Seam and then the Two Yard
Seam. The former was 1.1 metres thick and was worked towards Wrexham some 3
kilometres from shaft bottom at a depth of 1,410ft. The coal was normally
extracted using two longwall faces, each equipped
with five-legged hydraulic roof supports and coal cutting machinery. The faces
were successfully operated in both advancing and retreating longwalls,
despite thin seams and unfavourable geology at times.
Prior
to 1950, Bersham coal went to a variety of markets
including heavy industry, railways and a firm making dye stuffs for soap
making. In the latter years about 90% of the coal went by rail to the John
Summers Steelworks at Shotton for making coke. The
rest was supplied to the Central Electricity Generating Board. At the very end
the coal was finely crushed at shaft bottom and blown up to surface in pipes
using compressed air.
In
1999, members of Shropshire Mines Trust visited the site and were concerned at
the deteriorating condition of the building. They met with Wrexham County
Borough Council to discuss ways that the headgear and engine house could be
preserved and it was agreed that a local Trust should be set up to lease the
site from the Council. The legalities of the lease took quite a while to sort
out and working parties to start cleaning the enginehouse
did not start until April 2001. In the meantime, the Bersham
Colliery Trust had been set up and incorporated. The site was made safe and the engine and
building cleaned but hardly any local people came to help. In the end, the Trust was wound up in 1992
through lack of local interest. The site
is within an industrial estate and the security staff have keys to the engine
house.
Surface Remains
The
obvious feature is the headgear with wheel still in place. The red brick engine house next to this is
complete and houses the original electric winding engine. Other buildings have now been taken over as
part of a small industrial estate. The
headgear and engine house have been surrounded by a security fence and placed
on the ground within the compound are large mining artifacts
such as the Point of Ayr winding engine, chocks and a panzer. The tip is still there but there are threats
to remove it.
Description – Nigel
Chapman
Situated
to the east of the Wrexham-Ruabon road and less than 2 miles from Wrexham
church, the colliery belonged to the Broughton and Plas Power Colliery Company.
It was sunk about 1870 to work one of the upper seams of coal for the benefit
of a brickworks. The shafts were soon deepened to the Main Coal of the area,
and were sunk in the centre of the royalty.
Originally
owned by the Barnes family of
The
coal seams worked at Bersham were of exceptional quality and provided one of
the best coking coals in the country. In
1901, when the Bersham Colliery Company were owners, Mr A Shaw was the manager
with 675 men employed underground and 94 on the surface. In 1914, with Mr K
Brown as manager, gas, household and steam coal was mined with 862 men
underground, and 117 on the surface. During 1938 Mr J Tully was the manager,
with 550 men underground and 140 on the surface. The annual output was 500,000
tons. By 1941, 800 workers with 600 underground produced 300,000 tons annually.
An
explosion in 1880 killed 8 men including Mr Pattison the manager. The No.2 pit
head was destroyed by fire in 1910 and a new steel girder headgear erected.
The
proprietors are the Bersham Colliery Company Limited, of which Mr F Barnes is
managing director. Mr J Walker is consulting engineer and Mr Alfred Shaw
certificated manager. The mineral field, leased from various owners, has an
aggregate area of about 800 statute acres.
The
colliery was established in 1879, in which year shafts No.1 and No.2 were commenced.
The Main Coal, the principal seam of the district, was reached at a depth of
420 yards from the surface. The Quaker Seam was intersected at a depth of 378
yards. The two seams furnish at the present time the whole of the mineral
output of the colliery, and these yield various qualities of coal. No.1 shaft
is the downcast and 10ft. in diameter. No.2 shaft is the upcast and of 12ft
6in. diameter, being placed 90 yards south of No.1. Both shafts are utilised
for winding coal. A section of No.2 shaft is set apart for pumping purposes.
The
section of the Quaker Seam is as follows:-
Inferior
roof of black metal.
Coal
5ft. in thickness, being good steam coal.
Underclay
9in, in which the holing is made.
The
section of the Main Coal is as follows :-
Top
or bind coal 1' 6" This is excellent house coal.
Shale
parting 1"
Middle
Coal 3' 6"
Steam quality, good.
Hard
parting 3"
Bottom
or bench
Coal,
holing made 3' 0" Steam
quality, good.
at
the bottom.
Total
coal 8'
0".
The
roof of this seam is very weak and friable in the south and east part of the
properties. It is much stronger in the north and west, where the metal is
intercalated with thin bands of ironstone. At present the three qualities of
Main Coal are sent out of the mine without separation. The Main Coal is raised
at No.1 pit. The Quaker and Main Coal are raised at No.2 pit.
Method of Working
Both
seams are got on the long-wall principle. The general dip of the strata in the
Denbighshire coalfield is to the east but locally the dip varies greatly, as
will be seen from the following diagrams. The following is a plan of the method
of working the main coal at Bersham Colliery
There
is no definite cleavage in the coal. The stalls are usually 17 yards in
breadth, with a gate road 3 yards wide in the middle of each. The gateways are
supported by packwalls of 4 yards width and chocks on each side, as shown on
Fig. 1. Each packwall is composed of two facing walls 18 in. thick; one, A A,
adjoins the gate road, and the other, B B, is next to the waste. The former is
built with large stone from ripping down top in the gateroad canch; the latter
is built with fallen stone got from the waste. Cross walls of the same
thickness are built between the face walls at 2 yards apart. The spaces thus
enclosed, each 3 yards by 2 yards, are filled up with smaller material got from
the waste. Chocks are built 2 ft. square on each side of the gate road at every
2 yards, shown at C C, which are left in these positions. At the face two rows
of props are always upstanding, placed 5 ft. apart. As soon as the coal face
has been advanced about 4 ft. another row of props is set up; the back row is
then drawn out, and the packwalls are advanced another stage. Rails are laid
between the two rows of props, gauge 1 ft 10 in. No explosive is used in
breaking down coal or in ripping the roof in gate roads. Safety lamps of the
Protector Mueseler class, locked with lead rivets, are used; spirit is burnt.
Ventilation
The
mines are ventilated by a fan of the Guibal type, which, with the driving
engines, were made by Messrs Walker, of
Underground Haulage
There
are three hauling engines, all placed at the surface. No.1 engine has a pair of
horizontal cylinders, 10 in. diameter by 18 in. geared 1 to 5 for endless rope
haulage on double roads for the Main Coal east haulage. The haulage roads are
shown on the following sketch.
The
0 driving pulley on the third-motion shaft is 4 ft. diameter. An endless rope
is taken two and a half turns around this pulley, then passes down No.1 pit to
A, B and C; it then returns to A, from thence back to the engine at the
surface. The tubs are run in couples, attached to the rope above by lashing
chains, front and back. Double roads are laid throughout. Tension gear is
placed at T1, another at C.
No.2
engine (for the west haulage) has two horizontal cylinders, l0in, diameter by
18 in. geared 1 to 5. The C driving pulley is 4 ft. diameter, being keyed on
the third motion shaft. An endless rope is taken two and a half turns around
the pulley, thence down No. 1 pit to a tension pulley; then to the point, A,
and westward to D; then back to A and up the pit to the engine. The tension
pulley is placed at T2. The tubs are run in sets of twelve together,
over a single road, first inwards then outwards, the average speed being about
five miles per hour. In this method a shorter length of rope is required as
compared with the main and-tail rope system, and two drums are dispensed with.
The
Quaker Coal haulage roads are shown on the following sketch. The engine has two
horizontal cylinders, 9 in. diameter by 12 in., geared 1 to 8. An endless rope
is taken two and a half turns over a 4 ft. pulley. The rope is worked with
double road on the same principle as No.1 haulage. The endless rope passes down
No.2 pit to F and G, then inwards with empty tubs to H; outwards with full tubs
to G and, and to the drop staple at K, where they are lowered from the Quaker
Seam to the Main Coal, a depth of 40 yards, so as to be raised together with a
portion of the Main Coal output at No.2 pit.
Pumping
The
principal pumping engine has a 24 inch cylinder, 4 ft. 6in. stroke, geared 1 to
6. A flywheel is placed on the first-motion shaft. From two cranks on the
second-motion shaft two horizontal connecting rods actuate two quadrants placed
over the pit. One of these raises water from the depth of 202 yards, with 10
in. bucket, length of lift 90 yards. The other quadrant raises water with a 12
in. bucket, length 112 yards, up to the surface. The engine operates day and
night at the rate of 6 up-strokes per minute. A smaller engine raises water
that is intercepted at depth of 80 yards. Water is raised in tanks from the
Main Coal at night-time through No.1 shaft; the tanks each carry about 500
gallon of water, and are run into the cages.
Winding
No.1
winding engine has two horizontal cylinders, 24 in, diameter, 4 ft. 6 in.
stroke, slide valves, flat rope drums 8 ft. diameter. It raises three tubs in
each cage, one above the other, the tubs carry an average 8½ cwt. No.2 winding engine has two horizontal
cylinders, 30 in. diameter, 6 ft. stroke, slide valves. This engine was made at
the Worsley Mesnes ironworks. The drum is cylindrical, 16 ft. diameter. Lock
coil ropes are used for winding, made of best plough steel, 1 in. diameter Four
tubs are raised in each cage, one above the other. Three guide ropes are
adopted for each cage.
Boilers
There
are ten boilers, three being Lancashire form and two of the
Screens
A
screening and cleaning plant, made and erected by Messrs Mowle and Meacock of
Chester, is now nearing completion. It consists of three angled screens, two
for Main Coal and one for Quaker Coal, with a lower screen (inclined in a
contrary direction) under each for nuts and slack. The upper screen is made of
perforated steel plates, having shoots over the plates reaching to the picking
belts, which are made of steel wire. The Main Coal belts are 42ft. long and 4
ft. wide, the Quaker belt is 32 ft. long, 4 ft. wide. Screens consisting of
both
Electric Light
This
installation, consisting of a Crompton dynamo and accessories, was erected by
the Corlett Electrical Engineering Company, of
Distribution
The
coal for export is shipped from
Said
to have been sunk in 1867 by Mr. Barnes of
The
steel headframe existing on the Downcast Shaft was taken from the No.1 shaft of
the Gatewen Colliey following its closure in the early 1930s. The wooden
headframe over the Downcast Shaft at Bersham was destroyed in a fire in 1933.
The Downcast shaft was fitted with a pneumatic system which blew coal up a pipe
from the shaft bottom. It was said to deliver about 50 tons per hour. The colliery was closed during December 1986
because of the loss of markets and the general economic circumstances.
Locos – Michael Shaw
'Shunting
- The colliery had a fan of sidings off the Shrewsbury Chester railway line. Due
to the tight curvature (until the 1981 remodelling to permit 'merry-go-round'
working) only 4 wheeled locomotives could be used. There was known to have been
a loco called SARAH here in the late 19th century of which little is
known. The first confirmed was
In
1928 SHAKESPEARE built by Hawthorn Leslie of Newcastle upon Tyne (number 3072
of 1914) arrived on loan from a contractor in Wrexham and was later purchased,
it worked until the end of steam and was scrapped in November 1980. NEPTUNE,
Manning Wardle of Leeds (number 1922 built in 1916) arrived from a Liverpool
Corporation contract around 1935 and remained until 1943 when it went back to
The
last steam loco to arrive was HORNET built by Peckett
and Sons of Bristol in 1937 (works number 1935) it came in November 1968 and
remained in use, with SHAKESPEARE until the diesels arrived, as it did not
leave Bersham until January 1984 it may well have
been retained in a standby capacity.
The
first diesel arrived in January 1980. Like all Bersham's
diesels it carried no name just a 8 digit plant number 63.000.328* (SHAKESPEARE
and HORNET also had 63.000 numbers, 403 and 404 respectively). 63.000.328 was a
6 wheeled 325 hp loco built by Hunslet of Leeds (6664
of 1969) it had previously worked at Granville Colliery Shropshire. It was
joined later in the year by its sister 63.000.329 (works number 6663) also form
Granville.
and
Bersham's 63.000.427, it was 4 wheeled and of 88 hp.
The last loco to arrive was another Hunslet, this
time of 400 hp (7018 of 1971) 63.000.314 which came from Hem Heath Colliery
Staffordshire.
In
addition to the standard gauge sidings the colliery had a surface 1' 10½"
gauge stock yard. The only loco for this was another
The
only steam loco to survive is HORNET which is preserved at the Ribble Steam Railway, Preston Docks. Of the diesels Hunslet 7018 is at Felixstowe Docks and Hunslet
6663 at Ely Refinery, Milford Haven. The other 2 have been scrapped. The narrow
gauge diesel is preserved at the Red Rose Steam Society's site at Astley Green Manchester.
This
information is taken from the Industrial Railway Society's book 'Industrial
Locomotives of North Wales'
Poems by Keith Hett
Bersham Pit Bottom
It was cold, it was wet, it was noisy
and rotten,
But I cherish the memory of Bersham Pit Bottom.
It's all over now, but was good while
it lasted,
I remember Mark Davis, his dad, Fred
the Bastard.
I sit quietly, and I think now and
then,
Haydn Overcoat, Harold Jones, Tommy
Three Ten.
There was Emyr,
Eric, John the Whip and Gordon,
Mike Hett, McGoo and Big Dennis Morgan.
Gary Challinor,
Elly, Big Joe and Herr Flick,
Derrick Ruabon,
alias Derrick the Brick.
He would have a few pints and show off
his trick,
And all he would need was a window and
brick.
The line that he told the judge was the
best:
"I'm losing my job, and I got so
depressed"
They were all rough and ready, small,
some burly,
Ten pints, Tommy Reid, Mike Devany and Shirly.
Ruben Whally,
Pete Jones, and Bob the Brick,
Good men to work with, through thin and
thick.
They were all good comrades, honest and
true,
Except Jacky Pem,
a Conservative Blue.
John Edwards shouts: "One more
each side,"
And there's a mad rush to be on the
first ride.
Where else could you find men like
Lilly and Lucas?
They're as wise as the man from
Then there was Alf, if you asked for a
lift,
You wouldn't get one if you waited all
shift.
Down the level would stroll old Ken
Pockets,
At his leisurely pace, carrying
spanners and sockets.
The pits standing, and the blowers gone
wonkey,
There's a jinx down there and it's that
Kevin Donkey.
The area men, they were there for a
while,
Big Roy and Tony, I admired their
style.
They said: "4 hours travelling and
3, that's 7."
So they came down at 8 and went up at
11.
Joe Ninety, Paul Hignett,
and Eric Baker,
Front Dogs, Rams, Main Coal and Quaker.
I can hear Dai Barker, see Jonker from Llay,
Tenderfoot and Nigel, or is it Popeye?
The Night Shift Onsetters,
Emrys and Fred,
Stirred so little we thought they were
dead.
And what about Simon Van Winkle?
Every ten minutes we give him a tinkle.
"Hello, Simon, are you still
awake?
Keep on your toes, we have records to
break.
Simon would say: "On me, don't
throw onus,
"I stayed awake once and got no
extra bonus."
Mark stammers: "Simon, are you
quite sure?
"You stayed awake once, well my
memory's poor."
The electrical department, Dave Felton
and Chris,
But the fitting department, best give
it a miss.
Find worse fitters than these if you
can,
There are no better bluffers than Hywel and Stan.
The Story of Bersham
surely would never
Be complete without mention of Trevor.
Many years ago, when they sank the
shaft,
They found Trevor down there, having a
laugh.
He said: "Carry on while I bluff
with this oil."
He was clearly scared by the sweat and
the toil.
And what of the bosses, Symons, Kersly and Jack?
The three thought we had phones on our
back.
Sometimes at night, when I cannot
sleep,
I see ghosts from the past, Jim the
Liar, Phill Creep.
Old Elwyn
Becker, and Delwyn his lad,
He'll be a good'un,
if he's like his dad.
And here's two that I nearly forgot,
The two Ronny's, Ron the Brick and Ron
Snot.
That's most of the men, but what of the
place?
To be truthful, it was a bloody
disgrace.
The mechanical lot were running a
bluff,
And for the rest of us made it quite
tough.
Pushing and shoving cos
they were too tired,
It's a wonder the lot of them hadn't
been fired.
The dogs wouldn't drop, the gates were
broke,
The maintenance there was only a joke.
When the carrier landed the place would
rock,
We'd lift on a tub with a plank and a
choc.
It was hard work and our backs were
busting,
When the pit stopped they'd have us stonedusting.
The writing was already on the wall,
We were only waiting for the axe to
fall.
A decision was taken to put the lid on.
Now it's quite sad that the colliery's
gone.
It was cold, it was wet, it was noisy
and rotten,
But I cherish the memory of Bersham Pit Bottom.
Big Joe Rogers
Big Joe Kogers
is a cowboy fan,
He reads all he can about Desperate
Dan.
Wild Bill Hickock
and Custer and them,
In Western knowledge his brain is a
gem.
He'll talk of Kit Carson and Billy the
Kid,
He tells all who will listen, even tell
Sid.
He tells of the battles and famous gun
fights,
And of how the Indians fought for their
rights.
As a Western expert, he's one of the
best,
He talks for hours of his special
interest.
The Cat who Stopped the Pit
This isn't the cat who sat on the mat,
it's the cat who sat on the winder.
Derrick the Winder wouldn't move,
"I'll see if I can find her."
Mansel shouted: "Sod the cat,
"we've got to test for gas."
Derrick said: "I will not wind,
you can kiss my bloody ass."
Elwyn nodded his support:
"No hurry to go down the
pit."
Mansel said: "of course there is,
"we'll have Jack in a fit."
Then a smile appeared
on our Fireman's face,
For to kill the poor cat
would have been a disgrace.
Jack was attracted
by the shouting and noise.
"Will you stop behaving
like stupid young boys.
"You can't see further
than the end of your nose.
"Do you want this
bloody pit to close?
"Now come on, get winding
and don't be so soft."
But Derrick looked angry,
standing up aloft.
"Though I've often felt
like killing the wife,
"I've never killed anyone
in the whole of my life."
"Well you can start now
by killing the cat."
Now this little black puss
has got Jock on the mat.
What would have happened
we never shall know.
Just then the cat jumped
down on to the snow.
He smiled up at Derrick
and he grinned at Jack,
Made a lunge up the wall
but fell flat on his back.
Just at that moment,
the fork lift went past.
The cat has nine lives
but he's just lost his last.
Redundant Mates
Dai Pearce and Big Joe, they finish
today,
Friday the thirteenth, unlucky they
say.
It is for the Board, they're loosing a
team,
In evaluation it's like loosing a seam.
They work bloody hard, these men from Chirk,
and they're always willing to do any
work.
If someone's in trouble, yhey will not pass,
They'll lend a hand, they're really
first class.
I've known these two men for seven long
years,
At a quarter to one we'll be close to
tears.
Bersham Salvaging Team
The Salvaging Team is the best in the
land,
They get the chocs
up the old shaft grand.
Bring them to pit bottom, then up in no
time,
There's 3 gone up while we're reading
this rhyme.
The belts are silent, the bunkers don't
move,
But the Salvaging lads are well in to
the groove.
Through the doors, down the level, none
stop all day,
I think these lads deserve double pay.
Six chocs at
pit bottom, then next thing all gone,
These Salvaging Men, they just keep
going on.
They're here, they're there, and
everywhere,
It looks as if they have men to spare.
But it's only because they are
versatile,
And they set about their task in style.
All over the pit, activity bounds,
Plenty of action, familiar sounds.
Gordon saying: "Giz a lift here, old cock."
Big Joe shouting abuse at Phil Bock.
Carl Thomas is busy, pushing a trolley,
and standing watching is our old mate,
Dai Dolly.
Dai Pearce, Charly
Harding, and Peter Jones,
They're sweating and working theirselves to the bones.
Trigger's hidden his hammer, it's never
been found,
Not even by Trigger, he's still looking
around.
The Roberts Brothers, Ian and Mark
Can't start the engine, so they call
for a Spark.
Nick comes from the cabin, and fixes
the thing.
"If it breaks down again, just
give me a ring."
The Pearce lads, Simon, Michael and
Lance
Would work round the clock if given the
chance.
Down at the pit bottom, everything's
neat,
It's because of the fireman, Safety
Officer Pete.
There's Ronny Roberts, Alan Johnson and
Charly,
Michael George, and his shadow, Lee Darly.
When the work's done, they go if Cliff
lets 'em,
Hetty's already up, he's gone to watch Wrexham.
Porky's working way, he shakes like a
jelly.
Amused by all this are Tony Morris and Elly.
Here's just a few of the rest of the
men,
Budd Abbott, Dave Hudson, Joe Angel and
Ten.
Eric Jones, Ron Johnson and Peter
Bounce,
The Salvaging Team that gave their last
ounce.
The Electricians, Warren, Andy and Pat,
They're going home now, "Thank God
for that."
The men head for pit bottom, put a
three on,
And now, like the Salvage, the men are
all gone.
Bersham Capers
The day shift is over, it's a quarter
to one,
The boards are down, and there's a
three on.
The men run down, they all want first
ride,
Then the phone rings, it's Jack, from
inside.
"How are ya,
Kid? will you hang on for me?
I'm phoning around, I'll be out about
three."
John Edwards is fuming, "you knock
yourself up,
By three I'll be out in the field with
me pup."
So John went up the pit, straight into
the showers,
Still muttering away, "Jack won't
be up yet for hours."
He turned out to be right, Jack's got
no bloody home,
At twenty past four he was still on the
phone.
He phoned Alan Smith, at Pit Number
One,
But Smithy wouldn't answer, he
pretended he'd gone.
He tried to get land, "Hello,
Derrick or Mike."
But by this time of day, they were both
on their bike.
The alarm clock rings, John Edwards
wakes up,
He makes some breakfast, for himself
and his pup.
He bikes down to the pit, and goes down
in the cage,
Walks up past the loader, and sees Jack
in a rage.
"So you did wait for me, but why didn t you say?"
John said, "I never waited, this
is the next day."
The Ballad of Dai Jones
Dai Jones was a young Welsh Miner,
His dad had died from the dust,
His mum said "Dai, if you want a
long life,
To get out of the pits is a must.
"Go and be a sailor, to sail round
The world would be nice."
So Dai joined the Merchant Navy,
He was acting on sound advice.
He joined the good ship Lollypop,
And round the world he sails,
As soon as he comes into port,
He writes home to his mother in
He wrote, "I'm suntanned, mother,
And I'm feeling strong and fit,
The best advice you gave me,
Was to get out of the pit.
"I've been on the Lollypop for a
month,
Well, may be a little bit more,
I've sailed from
And back to
"Our cargo is stone dust,
It's used in the coal industry,
We have lots of it in
But we still ship in more by sea.
"I'm quite happy aboard ship,
There s no need to worry or cry,
I'll soon be back home to see you,
From your loving son, Young Dai."
In the East it was monsoon season,
The hurricane winds come up fast,
The wind blew the crane's rope,
And wrapped it round the mast.
The ship's Mate, when he saw it,
He said "Here's what we'll do,
We need some volunteers,
That'll be you, you, and you.
"I want one of you nimble men
To climb and untangle the rope."
The volunteers answered as one,
"You've got no bloody hope."
"I'll climb the mast," said
Dai,
Because he was young and bold,
He was half way up when the wind rose,
And blew him down into the hold.
Dai landed on top of the stone dust,
The thud could be heard quite loud,
And to add to all the confusion,
It threw up a large white cloud.
"Now look lively me arty's,"
Through the dust could be heard the
Mate,
"Get a rescue team into the hold,
And hurry, before it's too late."
The doctor said "It's a miracle,
Not one single bone did he bust,
But he died from suffocation,
His lungs were full of dust."
The Remaining Bersham Characters
A colliery stood outside
But it's gone now, Thatcher closed it
down.
Where the colliery was, there's now
nothing left,
How did the Government get away with
this theft?
No cars, no lorries, no colliery bus,
Only life there now is a wild black
puss.
The canteen there was an awesome place,
They sacked a girl cos
she had a nice face.
In the lamp room was Cream Eggs and Dez,
On the winder was Nigel, Tommy and Lez.
David Mulvaney,
and Derrick, he's Scotch,
On the bank Joe Smith, and young Pocket
Watch.
Elwyn Annaby, Raymond, and Martin Skid,
Martin made a mess of whatever he did.
John Skid on the forklift, in a mad
rush,
Breaking speed records, he's soft as a
brush.
Young Andrew Skid, and his dad Lenny,
Lots of skids, but never too many.
There was the pit men, George Evans and
Mike,
The lad on the screens who rode round
on his bike.
To work on the screens needed plenty of
guts,
You had to be brave, or just raving
nuts.
In the time office was Rose and Big Al.
It was best to keep on Chippy's good side,
Because if you didn't, you'd have a
rough ride.
One who s done well is crafty George
Carr,
Who, since leaving Bersham,
has gone very far.
There was John Lodwick,
and his brother Boris,
John Watkin
too, and the time keeper Maurace.
Steve Andrews, Basham, and Gerald
George too,
Peter Snipe, the Nino's and poor old
Blue.
There was the bank foreman, Freddy
Tailor,
And the best electrician was Bobby
Sailor.
Mark Griffiths, and Mansel
his dad,
Martin Green was another good lad.
Peter Kill, Dave Edwards, and noisy
Nanny,
The belt patrol men, Brian and Danny.
There was Robby and big brother Jack,
and Dead Legs, always flat on his back.
Martin Allmond,
who mended the phones,
From Coedpoeth
there was Raymond Jones.
J R Murphy, he was carved from rock,
Gareth Flew, Dai Prince and Emlyn Jock.
Bill Farmer, Cleggy,
two fitters of skill,
Gareth Dodd, Oz Toffy,
and Collin Kill.
One who always had plenty of news,
and made sure you heard it, was Keith
Tattoos.
There was Johnny Morris, the face
charge hand,
And there was also Dido, as loud as a
band.
The fitters there had a golden rule,
If you can't fix it, fetch Idwal Poole.
The brothers, Collin and Raymond Delf,
And David Hussey, who was full of
himself.
Quincey, the best of the medical staff,
You'd report sick if you needed a
laugh.
Cliff Rowley, Stew Sangster, and Keith Yummer,
Glynn Ulcers, too, they don't come any rummer.
The Union men, Norman, Raymond and
Dick,
There was a trio who knew every trick.
Elwyn and Winston, they worked on the rails,
The tracks they layed
were the worst in
In my time thee I saw three nursing
sisters,
There was three managers and three Britners.
Also three Powisses,
Erni, Mark and Stan,
There was Norman Jacks, Arwel and Cooperman.
The cousins Kelvin and Billy Blower,
They'd be stopped if they went any
slower.
Wally Hamner
and Gerald his brother,
Half of the time didn't speak to each
other.
The NACODS members were all quite
nutty,
Raymond Bach, John Boy, Wilf and Butty.
Keith Hallam, Dai Robb, and Korky the Cat,
Collin Odge,
Trevor Ellis, and Fireman Pat.
Carl Witchley,
Mike Fish, and Jim the Book,
Jimmy Llan
and his mate, Collin Claybrook.
Joe Copple, Nevil Chops, and Derrick Hull,
and with Dennis Keith life was never
dull.
The office block was full of dodgers,
Terry Barlow, John Mathews and Sam
Rogers.
Beard from the area came now and then,
Shouting and bauling
and chasing the men.
There was Neil Harris, who was never in
work,
Errol, Tony Donkey and Berni from Chirk.
Alan the joiner, and Dave Copple his mate,
Terry Caveny
was never up the pit late.
The engineer Mike, he came from Staffs;
He was proud to be amongst us Taffs.
There was nothing about Bersham Jack didn't know,
He was truly sorry to see the pit go.
Tony Kinnerton,
Pat Pearce, Steve Mule, Joe Smout,
Oh, Dave Evans and Terry Cabbage, I
nearly left out.
The Price of Coal
Thousands of ex-miners are drawing the
dole,
People are dying, because they can't
afford coal.
The National Health Service Is closing
down wards,
But for private medicine there's rich
rewards.
From
But the private sector has never looked
back.
It's great for the few, probably five
per cent,
But there's many millions who can't pay
the rent.
And there's a lot more without any
home.
This Government's created the incentive
to roam.
I look at my wage slip and wonder why
They say coal's expensive, it must be a
lie.
We are a quarter mile down, and two
miles inside.
We are cold, wet and hungry, but still
full of pride.
We are all N.U.M. and we all pull
together,
Cos once you're a miner, you're a miner
for ever.
I wonder how long that our Tory M.P.'s
Would last down a pit on their hands
and knees.
If a miner's expensive, what then are
they?
They don't do work and get three times
our pay.
"You are all under worked, and are
all over paid."
This Prime Minister is gonna get herself layed.
Terry French
They arrested Terry, threw him in jail,
For striking Miners there is no bail.
He's an influence when he's outside,
So they locked him up, gave him a rough
ride.
But it wouldn't be him if he never
stood ground,
Kent Miners are strong with Terry
around.
The Coal Board rule, they won the war,
They're in charge now, and lay down the
law.
But with men like Terry, we'll come
back again,
And stop the Coal Board inflicting more
pain.
The mining communities are strong like
the oak,
Our wills and our spirits will never be
broke.
Political Awakening
The Miners' Strike of eighty-four and
five,
In political terms it brought me alive.
Don't cross the pickets, it's just not
done,
Well I didn't know, I'd been reading
the "Sun".
I met new comrades, read the
"Morning Star",
I learned of events both near and far.
I started to question the Mail and
Express,
My search for knowledge could not be
suppressed.
I listened more closely to television
news,
I learned I am the enemy because of my
views.
I've been blind for years, but can see
at last,
Now looking for truth, I delved into
the past.
Why were the Americans in Indo
I didn't understand, I'm only a miner.
"Liberate the people, that's what
we're gonna do."
They dropped more bombs than in World
War Two.
They were liberated, they defeated the
Yanks,
They fought for freedom against planes
and tanks.
The Yanks had the weapons, but couldn't
beat 'em,
Cos the
Then I looked at new laws brought in by
the Right,
To stop immigration, and make
The state
Don't let them tell you that
immigration's to blame.
There's no money for this and no money
for that,
But there's plenty to make the arms
dealers fat.
The
The dead of both nations was a terrible
disaster.
The chance of a war made the Tories
elated,
The media responded by whipping up
hatred.
Talks in
So they sank the Belgrano,
they wanted a rout.
Their performance at home would earn
them rejection,
So they needed a war to win the
election.
Propaganda
In a pit explosion, it's the Miner that
dies,
But the nuclear plant poisons sea,
earth and skies.
But the water, the air and the cows are
alright.
It's obvious really how this came to
pass,
The stupid sheep must have ate
different grass.
The Government admit that the sheep are
affected,
But on everything else there's nothing
detected.
A Chernobyl-type accident could not
happen here,
Our reactors are safe, we use American
gear.
We're not like the Russians, we are
accident proof,
When I heard this on telly I hit the
damn roof.
We are the British and our system is
stable,
I'm sure that they all drink Carling
Black Label.
We are British, so there's no need to
panic,
They said this before when they
launched the Titanic.
Broken Promises
Ex-Miners of Bersham,
who waste on the dole,
They suffer from cold, they can't
afford coal.
Their record proves that they were the
best,
And now their reward Is the same as the
rest.
Their services now are of no further
use,
Their families are bitter about Coal
Board abuse.
At the DHSS, as they queue for their
token,
They reflect on the past of promises
broken.
Your future is safe, if you produce a
bit more,
They did as they were told, no wonder
they're sore.
The lies and the promises should have
been rejected,
People ruin our lives, without being
elected.
Socialist Dream
Our capitalist masters, they must laugh
at us,
They go past in their Rolls, as we wait
for a bus.
From the Tolpuddle
Martyrs, to GCHQ,
They attack us, but to them we are
true.
They attack us, with anti-union laws,
But we are heroes, when we fight in
their wars.
Churchill shot Miners, in the
Yet we still return Welsh Tory MPs.
If there's strength in numbers, what's
going on?
We outnumber our rulers by a hundred to
one.
The reward for our labour is very
small,
But the ones with the wealth, they
don't work at all.
They pass the laws that rule our life,
They make sure we spend it in struggle
and strife.
They all go to church, now that must be
funny,
I can picture them all, praying for
money.
Our UB4Os are the modern chains,
Why don't we break them, take over the
reins?
If only the world's people worked as
one team,
Dr Martin Luther King had such a dream.
But I can't picture the whole world
uniting,
I think we'll always be feuding and fighting.
Lament of Bersham
There's an eerie silence over the old
pit site,
Where once wheels wound by day and by
night.
When we fought for our pits, we were
labelled as yobs,
Now Wrexham has lost nearly six hundred
jobs.
Arthur told us of the Coal Board's
bungling,
Ted McKay said, "Scargill's scaremongering.
"Scargill
talks nonsense, it's not what it looks."
He went for assurance to Beata Brooks.
"Your jobs are quite safe and so
is mine,
So go back to work, toe the Coal Board
line."
New records were broke, and so were our
backs,
We were led up the path by the Coal
Board hacks.
The question was asked of the NCB,
Put their minds at rest, give a
guarantee.
The Coal Board said, "Yes, there's
twenty years' coal,
We're not going to put these good men on
the dole."
It's history now, and belongs in the
past,
The Coal Board's plan became clear at
last.
They wore us down, destroyed our fight,
Then took advantage of our sorry
plight.
They bribed us with money, "You'd
better say yes,
There's a time limit on it." We
were under duress.
We had little choice, to close we then
voted,
I've no doubt that McGregor and
Thatcher both gloated.
The money they bribed with is only a
loan,
The DHSS will claw back to the bone.
When the money's all gone, there'll be crying
and sobs,
We'll rue the day that we all sold our
jobs.
What I'll wonder about for as long as I
live,
Is who is it now that God won't
forgive.
Red Red Robin
A good man down in the forest one day
Saw a sight which caused him dismay.
Norman soldiers enforcing the law,
Collecting taxes, robbing the poor.
Burning down houses and swilling beer,
The Norman soldiers ruled by fear.
Robin Hood was the good man's name,
And being a
Robin said to the folk, "Fight
back you must,
I'll teach you how, but you must have
trust."
They had nothing now, not even a home,
So they followed Robin deep into the gloam.
They had no swords, they trained with
sticks,
But they were eager to learn all the
tricks.
They learned to climb and swing from
the trees,
It became second nature, they did it
with ease.
When they weren't training, they'd sing
and joke,
And they held regular meetings under
the oak.
There was Big John, as big as a bear,
And Father Tuck, the priest was there.
And Will the Red who would try
anything,
He tried to write songs and he tried to
sing.
Robin called a meeting, held under the
oak,
"We need weapons, but we're stony
broke.
"So what can we do to put things
straight?"
Will the Red shouted, "Form a
A
They were all in favour, Will's motion
had won.
They sang the "Red Flag", a
song by Will,
And all over the world people sing it
still.
A daring plan formed in Robin s mind,
"We'll have surprise, it the first
of it's kind."
To ambush the troops was brave Robin's
plan,
They were all agreed, to the very last
man.
High up in the trees, they lashed big
boulders,
The plan was to bomb the Norman
soldiers.
Then came the news they'd been waiting
for,
The Norman soldiers were enforcing the
law.
In the village nearby, collecting
taxes,
They have spears and swords, horses and
axes.
The soldiers were rampant, flushed with
beer,
Then Robin approached them and began to
jeer.
"Come on, you slobs, let's test you
pace."
They picked up their swords and started
to chase.
Robin crossed a stream down into the
glen,
Just keeping ahead of the Sheriff's
men.
Shortly the troops lay down and rested,
"Your too full of bear," good
Robin jested.
Then he shouted his men, "Release
your boulders.'
'Twas a
terrible shock for the
The troops were bombed from the old oak
tree,
The first aerial raid in historv.
Robin's men picked the weapons from off
the floor,
And the taxes were given back to the
poor.
Out of forty, there was only just five
Of the Sheriff's men still left alive.
When the Sheriff heard this news,
All within earshot caught his abuse.
For the five survivors, he then called,
"Answer me this;' he ranted and
balled.
"Who has committed this daring
theft?"
"It was Robin Hood, sire, and the
Loony Left."
"To get ambushed in
The forty of you must have been pissed!
"No wonder Robin's gone
underground,
He's turned the system upside down.
"To give the rich, we rob the
poor,
Well, it always was that way before.
"You'll have to find him, he's got
to die,
And remember, your's is not to reason
why."
They stuck posters all over the place,
With identikit pictures of Robin's
face.
Propaganda was aimed at the poor tax
payers,
In charge of this were too soothsayers.
Rupert Allcock
and Sir Maxwell Bull,
Of devious methods they were both full.
Lying and cheating was their evil game,
They set out to blacken Robin's good
name.
They printed such nonsense it was appallin',
But the poor peasants, they took it all
in.
Robin's men are the enemy, lock your
doors at night,
It has to be true, it was in black and
white.
Propaganda was winning support for the
State,
Robin said, "Let's counter before
it's too late.
"We'll have to match Bull, and
this Allcock bloke,
Meet at midday tomorrow, under the
oak."
In a stormy meeting, they decided that
day,
That Allcock
and Bull's game they had to play.
So they said to the people, "Don't
be so dull,
It's just propaganda by Allcock and Bull.
Robin's call to the people was sadly
rejected,
They were brainwashed, so it was only
expected.
Back in the
They held a last meeting, yes, under
the oak.
Robin addressed them with Big john, his
mate,
"We kindled a dream of a
fair-minded State.
"Lift up your heads and be on your
way,
Spread the socialist message for
another day.
"There's no time for feeling
sadness and sorrow,
We must educate, agitate and prepare
for the morrow."
Deeside Miners Support Group
Glynn Davis, Glenn McGiver, Vic Button,
Mike McCarthy, Paul Bellis, Phill
Mathews, Peter Leverton, Janice Marks, John Hall,
Barbara Pritchard, Dave Lewis, Skinner, Jacki Button,
Andy Barber, Martin Spracklin, Jenny Tilston, Hillary Mathews, Dave Clark, Barry Scragg, Freda Bull, Steve Aldredge,
Ruby Fox, Trevor Jones, Denice Barber ·
In the
On the banks of the
Stand Queensferry,
Shotton and Connah's Quay.
Together the three
Are known as Deeside,
Though poverty's rife
There's still plenty of pride.
The Deeside people
Are both caring and kind,
This fact the Miners
Were about to find.
The Miners' Families
Were finding it tough,
When the Deesiders
rallied,
And they did their stuff.
Hunger was eased,
Indeed wiped out,
When the Deesiders
Put themselves about.
Every day you'd see them,
They'd be out on the street,
It was no fault of theirs
That the Miners were beat.