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Peter Smith interviewed by Colin Hyde, 8 September 2008
No full textPeter Smith (PS) interviewed by Colin Hyde (CH) at the Springboard Centre, 8 September 2008. PS comments on family background, father worked at Lastercrete making slabs and concreate posts, mother came from a farming family. PS left school, went to work at Batram farm for two years, then to Ibstock brick yard for six years. Later took a job a Bagworth colliery in 1978 despite parents' disapproval, feared he would sustain an injury. PS recalls that many of his friends worked in mines at the time. First worked in supplies, completed CPS training at Birch Coppice. Talks about unions, father was supporter of unions, PS joined T&G union. Mentions it was compulsory to join union when working in mines. Recalls joining lodge at Bagworth colliery, had monthly meetings at union office at the colliery as representative, talks about issues dealt with and time off given for conferences. Talks in detail about miners' strike of 1984, overtime ban, miners didn't particularly want to strike at Bagworth colliery. Talks about impacts of strike and groups that broke away from union. Recalls returning to National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) as Branch Secretary at Bagworth, later became Area Secretary. Talks about mine closures, large scale redundancies, industry created job help shops. PS suggests there were no compulsory redundancies in Leicestershire, all staff were offered a job or training opportunity for another fields. Mentions remains at NUS, deals with issues of compensation, pension, housing
Malcolm Sleigh interviewed by Colin Hyde, 6 June 2008
No full textMalcolm Sleigh (MS) interviewed by Colin Hyde (CH), 6 June 2008. MS discusses family background, paternal grandfather was Under Manager at Ellistown colliery, father was Turner at South Leicester colliery, maternal grandfather was Deputy at Coleorton colliery. Briefly mentions education, attended Ashby Boys' Grammar School, felt mining was only career option, carried on family tradition. Started off in South Leicester colliery, fitting shots, stayed there for four months, moved to Coleorton Hall as Apprentice Surveyor. Comments on training and examinations taken to become Surveyor. MS qualified, went back to South Leicestershire colliery, later went to Snibston as First Assistant Surveyor. Returned to South Leicester Colliery in 1971 as Deputy Surveyor. In 1972 went to Snibston colliery as Surveyor, stayed until 1983, became Senior Surveyor at Coleorton colliery. Later became Project Surveyor in 1986 for the Asfordby project, worked on the Warwickshire project, made redundant in 1991. Talks in detail about role of Surveyor. Comments on first impressions of Snibston colliery, good sense of humour amongst miners, felt like a team. Comments on conditions in mine, extremes of hot and cold. Recalls survey work completed to install drift, describes benefits of drift. Comments on good relationships with miners. Mentions problems caused by nationalisation of mines. Recalls women were not allowed to be employed in the mines by law. Talks about social life, occasional shows held at Miners' Welfare, staff parties, Christmas parties, MS went to Miner's Welfare on Boxing Day with family. Talks about unions and strikes, was a member of British Association of Colliery Management (BACM). MS was on duty on Christmas Day 1974, end of strikes, incident of spontaneous combustion in the partial extraction area. Mentions attended De Montfort University in 1991, gained honours law degree in 1995. Talks about dangers of mines, Snibston gained reputation as 'death pit' due to number of fatal accidents
Bill Platts interviewed by Colin Hyde, 15 May 2008
No full textBill Platts (BP) interviewed by Colin Hyde (CH), 15 May 2008. BP talks about family background, BP is ninth generation Collier. Mentions father was Collier, suffered severe injury in the mine, became trapped in a conveyor belt. Talks about work, initially avoided the mine due to dangerous conditions, started work at Hawker Siddeley at Loughborough as an apprentice. Wanted to work closer to home, started work at Snibston colliery in 1951, had basic training at Whitwick training centre. Recalls when initially started at Snibston, many men had pronounced limp due to recent cage accident. Talks about his early role hand filling between 15 to 20 tons of coal in a shift. Talks about cutting machines used to undercut coal, mentions new methods of firing the coal down, Cardoc shells. Mentions in 1956 mechanisations came to Snibston, mentions panzer machine, Hydraulic chocks. Talks about Anderton Shearer machine and negotiating pay for miners using the machine. Comments on using trepanner. Mentions didn't like hybrid machine trepan shearers, thought it was unnecessary, suggests basic shearer was a better machine. BP became Machine Driver. Talks about ill health due to mining, had chronic bronchitis, ordered to have five months away from coal face, went on staff training, worked in office. Mentions many machine drivers had similar health problems. Talks about the role of a driver, cutting straight and level. Compares Whitwick colliery and Snibston colliery, preferred Whitwick as arches were filled in with lagging, taller mine. Recalls six deaths occurred whilst working at Snibston colliery, story about two simultaneous deaths on 14th face. Talks about social life related to mind, great sense of camaraderie. Comments on being captain of first aid team. Mentions Whitwick offered more thorough training outside of pit. Briefly mentions galas at Coleorton Hall. Talks about unions, had been a member of National Union of Mineworkers (NUM). Talks about miners' strikes in 1970s, many miners were labour supporters. Talks about gendered career paths at collieries, suggests women were predominantly office workers or worked in canteen. Suggests family believed greater money could be earned in the mines. Comments on new level of management from Coleorton Hall, suggests they had little 'pit sense'. Retired in 1986, regrets loss of mining industry in Leicestershire. Describes further detail of family history within mining, grandfather was an official at Califat colliery, great-great-grandfather lost his life at Sinope Colliery. Anecdote about father using gun powder on firework night
Ghost sign for Jack Daniel's Whiskey on Queen Street, 2008.
No full textGhost sign for Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey. The sign depicts the whiskey's iconic black label and reads 'Jack Daniel's / Old No. 7 Brand / Tennessee Whiskey'. Along the sides, the sign reads 'Made in Tennessee' and 'Bottled at the Distillery' and along the bottom of the sign, 'Your friends at Jack Daniel's remind you to drink responsibly'. In 2019, this sign was covered by a poster sign.
Jack Daniel's is an American whiskey brand. Their distillery was founded in 1866 (or 1875 depending on historical record), but Jasper Newton Daniel, the founder, began distilling whiskey in 1864. Jack Daniel's is now one of the largest whiskey producers in the world
Derek Ward interviewed by Colin Hyde, 17 September 2008
No full textDerek Ward (DW) interviewed by Colin Hyde (CH), 17 September 2008. [File 1 begins 00:00] Talks about family background in relation to mining, both grandfathers had worked in the mines. DW left Bridge Road School and began working in mines at age 15 in 1958, wasn't allowed to work underground initially. Mentions at age 18 completed coal face training, worked on coal face, hand filling 20 tons of coal with a shovel. Talks about Whitwick colliery, good facilities over ground; canteen, car park, electrical shop, mechanics shop, steam shop, stores, carpenter's shop. Mentions coal face was 150 metres long and divided up into ratches. Each man had his own ratch of eight yards, depending on height of the coal seam. It was undercut to a distance of four feet with a cutting machine. Talks about conditions of Lount Seams. Talks about machinery used in mine, Samson Stripper with 3300 volt cable, panzer, pneumatic picks. Describes Whitwick as a 'family pit', comments on Manager Bill Hall, took time with the miners to say good morning, gave them tea and sandwiches if they had to stay late. Mentions at age 18, DW became a Christian, ended his mining studies and took three O levels, had wanted to become a Baptist Minister. Talks about trade unions and strikes. Describes himself as a unionist, was on the union lodge committee, was interviewed for BBC television and American television in 1974. Recalls Tom Mangold visited his home to ask about strikes. Record Producer Paul Murphy saw the interview and asked him to go to Manchester to record a protest song about the mines, stayed in a hotel in Manchester's Piccadilly. DW recorded in 10CC's studio in Stockport. Detailed description of build up to 1972 and 1974 strikes. Joe Gormley was the National Union of Mineworkers' President at that time and was very highly thought, democratic ballot was held on decision to strike, compares this to the strikes of 1984. Talks about challenges of working in confined spaces, had battery pack on back and a 'self rescuer' to help miners escape in case of fire. Detailed description of Martindale respirator, hung around neck and worn over face to keep dust out, gradually more men began to wear them. Comments on injuries and deaths amongst miners, friend and skilled miner died at the coal face. [File 2 begins 00:00] Talks about Whitwick Colliery Gardening Club, entered exhibits at Coleorton Hall Horticultural Show. Had small garden at the pit, gardening club grew produce that would be taken to shows. Describes activities of group in detail. DW won the Garden News award for floral display, went on flower arranging classes. Talks about inter-pit competitions, coal queen competition, horticultural competition, first aid competition. Reflects on demise of coal industry in Leicestershire, left to work for Brush Transformers. Talks about various tricks growers used for horticultural competitions, night watchman was charged with looking over fruit and vegetables to keep them safe. Reflects on strikes, compromises made, role as Trade Union Leader. Comments on showering facilities within mines
Rosalind Smith interviewed by Colin Hyde, 10 April 2008
No full textDescribes early life in the West Midlands before moving to Leicestershire as a nanny and meeting husband who was a falconer. Joined the British Falconry Club (BFC) and this stimulated more interest in natural history. Husband's parents owned Shenton Estate and moved to North Farm. Mentions the working of the farm and how it was affected by the downturn in government subsidies, foot and mouth disease and BSE. Describes how the Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) was then applied to te farm. Joined Market Bosworth Natural History Society (MBNHS) and became interested in other aspects of natural history. Mentions that she has conducted studies for MBNHS on wildflowers. Now uses the farm for walks for groups interested in wildlife, the occassional pheasant or partridge shoot, whilst recording data into MapMate, and for Holly Hayes
Glenfield Tunnel showing concrete reinforcements added in 2007/8.
No full textGlenfield Tunnel: concrete strips reinforce the original 1830 brickwork of this tunnel designed by Robert Stephenson for the Leicester & Swannington Railway. The tunnel runs for a dead-straight mile from the New Parks area of Leicester to Glenfield. Trains last ran through it in 1966. The reinforcement was added in 2007-8
Glenfield Tunnel during reinforcement project 2007-8
No full textGlenfield Tunnel: concrete strips reinforce the original 1830 brickwork of this tunnel designed by Robert Stephenson for the Leicester & Swannington Railway. The tunnel runs for a dead-straight mile from the New Parks area of Leicester to Glenfield. Trains last ran through it in 1966. The reinforcement was added in 2007-8. This image shows a multiple-strip reinforcement about 1/3 of the way from the W portal, at a point where no air shaft pierces the brickwork of the tunnel roof
Richard Gornell interviewed by Colin Hyde, 22 February 2008
No full textRecalls early interest from grandfather and mother who were gardeners. Recalls early education was not biology, has A level science. Studied Chemisty/Physics at St. Andrews, Fife and took botany course. Reflects that fewer botany courses now available - no interest. Recalls interest in biodiversity at college. Recalls favourite lecturers. Mentions taking year out in Trinidad before college. Gained PhD at University of British Columbia, Vancouver. Illustrates interest in saxifrage family. Recalls visiting Rocky Mountains, Alaska and California. Specialised in saxifrage, genetics of aquatic plants. Currently works at University of Leicester and comments on running Botanic Gardens especially herbarium. Comments on research work of saxifrage, especially Chinese and aquatic plants. Admires David Attenborough and Prof. David Webb, Dublin. Mentions favourite books - British Flora, Keble Martin's flora and Stebbin's plant evolution. Outlines concern that taxonomy no longer taught. Awarded Linnean Society's bicentenary medal - 1987. President of Botanical Society of British Isles and Genetical Society of Great Britain. Mentions specimens are at herbarium and slides used in lectures