Hovis

The day arrived and we were driven to the mine, I'm not sure now what mine it was but it was within 40 minutes of the Gullick Dobson factory in Ince, near Wigan.

A mine guide was assigned to us and I don't know if this was a standard thing or there was a specific on site issue that our project lead was following up, we entered the mine at the pit head, took a cage elevator down about four hundred feet and then we were invited to jump on a fast, downward, conveyor belt.

I kid you not, the fast (or only) way to the pit face was on a three foot wide, fabric conveyor belt that was probably moving at about 2m/sec, it was a terrifying moment, to do something that was second nature to these guys, lilly white draughtsmen as we were, we followed orders and jumped on.

What an absolute rush it was, careering down at a 20 degree angle, probably for four minutes or so, down to the bowels of the earth.

The air was hot and dry, the ceilings low and the only light was from overhead electric lights every six metres or so. After jumping off the conveyor (it did not stop) We walked another 30 minutes before arriving at the cutting face.

This was real, something accelerated in my head and I was excited to be part of this industry, we stepped onto the first support and the concept was clear, this was an articulated snake that would move each time the coal face was cut, it was about to be demonstrated for us.

The huge cutter made the pass, huge chunks of coal, fifty to a hundred pounds a piece sheared off the face and dropped to the front conveyor and moved off to our right, it was then that we walked through the corridor afforded to us by the Gullick supports and the command was given to advance when we were clear.

The noise of the hydraulics, the vibration, the dust of the collapsing aft face was amazing, we had passed from right to left and the only way back to the elevator shaft was a tiring 90 minute walk, uphill in a hot, dry atmosphere.

This was in 1979 and here I sit, thirty years later and still have to acknowledge that, when we left the mine that day and found the local pub, it was, and still is, the best pint of beer of my life.