A “NEW USE FOR THE CANARY”

This text and the photographs are taken from the online source The historic roots and modern connotations of “Canary in the Coal Mine” (gale.com) │By Amelie Bonney, Gale Ambassador at the University of Oxford│ Most of us see bright-feathered, warbling canaries as pets, yet these tiny birds were not always
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CAGES COLLIDED IN THE SHAFT, BENTINCK COLLIERY 3TH JUNE 1915

We are continuing our Bentinck Colliery posts this week with further reference to the Bentinck Colliery cage collision in 1915. We wish to thank the Northern Mines Rescue Society for this text and their rigorous research.  This is the link to the article:  Bentinck Colliery Shaft Accident – Kirkby-in-Ashfield –
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WHAT WAS COAL WORTH TO NOTTINGHAMSHIRE’S ECONOMY?

Coal’s contribution to Nottinghamshire’s economy was immense Today we have a very interesting post from Mick Coakley, one of our volunteers.  Mick is reminding us how much coal contributed to Nottinghamshire’s economy. We are also remembering how much we have lost since its demise and how great was the sacrifice
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CLIPSTONE COLLIERY’S CENTENARY YEAR CONTINUED

We are continuing our research into Clipstone Colliery’s history to celebrate its Centenary. This text is from an article by Sid Chaplin in the March 1956 edition of ‘Coal News.  Photograph by Hayward Smead: “High productivity has depleted the Top Hard reserves.  Within the next decade they will be worked
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CLIPSTONE COLLIERY’S CENTENARY YEAR

The Mining Blog is joining Clipstone Headstocks and Clipstone Village, Clipstone ex miners, surface, office and management workers, their families and friends  in remembering that 2022 is Clipstone Colliery’s Centenary Year. This photograph shows the headstocks being constructed.  We have no date or other details for this photograph:    
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WOMEN IN THE COAL INDUSTRY

March is Women’s History Month and we are ending March by highlighting the role of women in coalmining. Professor Chris Wrigley in his essay, ‘Women in British Coalmining’, says that whilst the 1842 Parliament Act banned women and children from working underground, “There was a long history of female labour
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WE ARE WOMEN, WE ARE STRONG

In this post for International Women’s Day 2022 we are celebrating the strength of the women in our coalfield communities. We celebrate their strength, whether they were fighting pit closures, acting as trade union reps for their fellow workers, campaigning against the closure of welfares, holiday camps and rehabilitation centres.
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Brass bands – a cultural legacy for us all

This week’s Mining Blog continues our celebration of Nottinghamshire’s Mining Brass Bands and features Shirebrook and Clipstone Miners Welfare Bands. “Brass Bands make music and in doing so create environments where people from all walks of life can flourish and develop, socially, educationally and artistically.” Mike Kilroy, Chairman, Brass Bands
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