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Miners leaving the cage on the last day at Lingdale, 23rd February 1962. We asked if anyone could name the men in the photograph. Bill Danby tells us: ”My brother in law, Frank Holmes, who was an Underground  Deputy  at Lingdale mine for a long time says that man at the rear is  “Tibber” Slater, who used to  live just below him in  Scarth Street, Lingdale. Frank cannot presently recall the surname of the man at the front, but his Christian name was Jim. Frank recalls that Jim’s best mate was a man called Alan Forbes, who was involved in the worst pit accident that Frank ever experienced. That is saying something, as Frank was down Lingdale mine at the time of the gas explosion on the 25th August 1953 which killed 7 men and injured others. On the 28th August 1961, when Alan was aged 45, a piece of stone, “the size of a bus”, Frank says, fell on him  from the pit roof. Miners had to stand on top of it to break it up and get to the dead man. Jim never went down any mine again after that. So from that story and in Frank’s opinion,  it would seem that the photograph was not taken on the last day at the mine.”

Image courtesy of George Pearson and thanks to Bill Daby for those updates.

Claphow Shale Bridge

The bridge from Lingdale Mine to the shale tip, this image was dated February 22nd on the reverse, the year is unknown! The tip grew to dominate the village and could be seen from much of East Cleveland. Closure of the mine came in 1962.

Image courtesy of George Pearson.

Below Ground

Underground at Kilton mine with a view of an Eimco Loader known as a cranner in Cleveland. The miner at the tub is making room for more stone. Derick Pearson tells us: ” This Septimus Bambrough of Carlin How (left) and Stan Tremain of North Skelton (right). They were part of the record-breaking team at Kilton Pit (District 11 in 1951). The other members of the team were John Stonehouse (Senior) of Lingdale (platelayer), Dennis Pearson (Deputy and my father)  of Carlin How and Big George (Ducks) Hollinworth of  Lingdale. My father Dennis and Big George were drilling the face; Sep and Stan using the Eimco Loader (cranner) and John making sure the metals were laid in order to keep things going. This record was never beaten. Some North Skelton Miners claimed to have beaten it within the year with overall tonnage, but they had a 6 man team and so the tonnage per man output was never beaten. Andrew Turnbull was mine manager and said he had five ” injins” or engines as the top workers were called. He said he was proud to be their manager.The event made the headlines in the Evening Gazette and also many of the national newspapers in mining communities.”

Image courtesy of George Pearson and thanks to Derick Pearson for the update.

Oh My Aching Back

Picking belt Lingdale – this must have been back breaking work – an entire shift bent sorting ore!

Image courtesy of George Pearson.

Liverton Mine

Liverton Mine around 1900. The round housing for the Guibal Mine Ventilating Fan is in the centre of the photograph. The tall steam hoist for raising wagons to the kilns is towards the left. One of the pylons for the aerial ropeway to the shale tip is towards the front of the photograph with a bucket on its way to the tip.

Image courtesy of George Pearson.

Linskill’s District

Long range view of exposed roof bolts after roof fall in Linskill’s District of Lingdale Mine, with a miner warily examining the situation.

Image courtesy of George Pearson.

Lingdale Mine

Roof bolting supports at main road junction.

Image courtesy George Pearson.

Lingdale Mine Post Drill

Miners using a pneumatic powered post drill at a junction, in Lingdale Mine 1950s.

Image courtesy of George Pearson.

Lumpsey Mine

Giving a good view of a miner using a hand ratchet drill, drilling holes ready for the charges by the shotfirer. David Richardson tells us: ”An excellent photograph of a miner in the process of drilling a hole using a Blackett Hutton Hand Rotary Drill and while Hardy Pick Ratchet Drills were used they are operated much differently to the Blackett Huttons.”

Image courtesy of George Pearson and thanks to David Richardson for that update.

Ventilation Doors

Self closing ventilation doors held open at Lingdale mine, this was needed to help direct the flow of air around the workings, dated 20th November 1958.

Image courtesy of George Pearson.