Silverdale Colliery.

[somersetstokie]

Inspired by the running 5 towns thread, I started to look at some other Stoke related themes. My Grandfather was a Miner at Silverdale Colliery, and my Grandmother worked for Wedgwood. In those days in the mid twentieth century "pots or pits" were the basic career choices for the working classes.

The Silverdale Colliery was the main employer in Silverdale for well over 100 years and was also known locally as Kent's Lane. The colliery was completely rebuilt during the 1970s when three new drifts were sunk to exploit new reserves in the Keele area. Production increased and the pit mined over one million tonnes annually but was closed in 1998, the last deep mine in North Staffordshire to close.

What really surprised me when I started looking at this site is that the area is effectively on fire and has been for many years! One of the coal spoil heaps from the Mine, on Hollywood road between Silverdale and Keele caught fire in 1996, 2 years before the site's closure, and continues to burn nearly 25 years later. While the fire is primarily underground there have been times when the heat and smoke have made it to the surface setting fire to parts of Holly Wood for which the road is named. Speculation has been raised that attempts to fight the fire or open it up for housing work could result in what's left of the Silverdale coal seam catching fire as well.

Aspects of my family history, such as this coalpit, always continue to intrigue me.

Our 19th century Industrial heritage or legacy still clearly carries impact for us way into the 21st century and still has huge significance for our contemporary lives. Effectively a "living history."

[mrcoke]

Silverdale coal was used extensively in the coking industry as was Wolstanton.

This reference to Silverdale needs a geographical correction:
www.dmm.org.uk/colliery/s259.htm

The coal in the area is particularly volatile which makes it potentially good for coke and gas (town's gas*) production. Unfortunately it also makes it hazardous leading to underground explosions that occurred at Silverdale and the nearby Holditch colliery on Brimbo Lane, and to spontaneous combustion.

* Town's gas, which preceded natural gas, is largely comprised of hydrogen which expands massively on combustion and hence potentially extremely explosive. Natural gas is largely methane.

As a boy I used to watch, from my bedroom, the steam locos at Holditch moving backwards and forwards between the coke ovens and the quench tower sending up large plumes of steam. The sky at night could sometimes glow red when they were tapping a blast furnace at Shelton. Little did I realise I would be spending my working life in the industry.

[somersetstokie]

mrcoke, thanks for comments.

You have now reminded me of Urban "Gas Holders". Meccano like tower structures, containing inflatable balloons, used for holding the local gas supply. I remember that there was a prominent one in Stone near the Joules Brewery, and I often used to pass it as a boy. We always made a point of looking to see how full it was as we went by. I assume they are all gone now, so another bit of fading history.

[elystokie]

I was a Coal Board apprentice in the late 70s alongside some lads from Silverdale Colliery, not long after I started they introduced the bonus scheme, which for certain pits was just ludicrous, blokes down Wolstanton pit that were battling for every ton were getting far less pay than places like Silverdale where it was a relative doddle.

As apprentices, even tho you weren't actually at your parent pit the majority of the time, usually in training at college or Kemball, you got the bonus your pit got, lads from Silverdale pit were driving around in Lotus1600E's

[Dutchpeter]

With reference to the Hollywood Lane spoil heap, I believe it is now having houses built on it! I used to take my mountain bike past there, and the spoil would crackle and pop (just like cereal), and occasionally send up thin plumes of smoke. From a distance the dead trees resembled a WW1 battlefield and there would be a visible heat haze, even in winter. Silverdale currently has a bit of a odour problem known as the ‘Silverdale Pong’ (unsurprising), it becomes very apparent as you approach the cemetery Road traffic light. I think this is to do with the coal field, as its odour reminds me of coal, or a vehicle burning too much oil.

[pipegatepotter]

I spent the first 10 years of my working life at Silverdale.
Worked in the No3 drift on the Titan machine, what a beast that was!
They had us all in the boardroom when I started saying there’s enough coal to see your working life out. Shame it’s been shut for years, like so many others

[somersetstokie]

I've now looked this up.

A Gasworks existed on Crown Street, in Stone. with the new gasometer built in 1937. From above it displayed a prominent Joule's Stone Ales sign on the top. When War broke out in 1939 the advertisement was painted out to try and avoid marking Stone out as a target for German air raids. Coal gasification took place in the building.

By the late 19th century virtually every town, small or large, had a gas works where coal gasification produced ‘coal gas’ or ‘town gas’ to supply homes. Gasometers or gas holders were used to store the gas as it was produced and were once a typical feature of urban areas across the country.

cdn.staffordshire.gov.uk/pasttrack/37/213/Thumbnail/30357-0.jpg

[somersetstokie]

Aug 28, 2020 10:53:44 GMT elystokie said:

I was a Coal Board apprentice in the late 70s alongside some lads from Silverdale Colliery, not long after I started they introduced the bonus scheme, which for certain pits was just ludicrous, blokes down Wolstanton pit that were battling for every ton were getting far less pay than places like Silverdale where it was a relative doddle.

As apprentices, even tho you weren't actually at your parent pit the majority of the time, usually in training at college or Kemball, you got the bonus your pit got, lads from Silverdale pit were driving around in Lotus1600E's

I remember that in the 60's or 70's there was actually at one time a TV advert running for NCB apprenticeships. Apparently it was a good "career" to get into at that time. The advert featured a guy talking about how great his job was, and how well he was paid. He made a point of mentioning his smart new clothing outfit that he had bought to impress a new girlfriend.

[pipegatepotter]

Aug 28, 2020 11:05:17 GMT somersetstokie said:

Aug 28, 2020 10:53:44 GMT elystokie said:

I was a Coal Board apprentice in the late 70s alongside some lads from Silverdale Colliery, not long after I started they introduced the bonus scheme, which for certain pits was just ludicrous, blokes down Wolstanton pit that were battling for every ton were getting far less pay than places like Silverdale where it was a relative doddle.

As apprentices, even tho you weren't actually at your parent pit the majority of the time, usually in training at college or Kemball, you got the bonus your pit got, lads from Silverdale pit were driving around in Lotus1600E's

I remember that in the 60's or 70's there was actually at one time a TV advert running for NCB apprenticeships. Apparently it was a good "career" to get into at that time. The advert featured a guy talking about how great his job was, and how well he was paid. He made a point of mentioning his smart new clothing outfit that he had bought to impress a new girlfriend.

All electricians and fitters were on a fraction of the bonuses the ‘hairy arses’ were on though. I remember we used to get about £8 a day bonus if you were very lucky, whereas the heading lads were on well over £100 a day.

[elystokie]

Aug 28, 2020 11:05:17 GMT somersetstokie said:

Aug 28, 2020 10:53:44 GMT elystokie said:

I was a Coal Board apprentice in the late 70s alongside some lads from Silverdale Colliery, not long after I started they introduced the bonus scheme, which for certain pits was just ludicrous, blokes down Wolstanton pit that were battling for every ton were getting far less pay thajn places like Silverdale where it was a relative doddle.

As apprentices, even tho you weren't actually at your parent pit the majority of the time, usually in training at college or Kemball, you got the bonus your pit got, lads from Silverdale pit were driving around in Lotus1600E's

I remember that in the 60's or 70's there was actually at one time a TV advert running for NCB apprenticeships. Apparently it was a good "career" to get into at that time. The advert featured a guy talking about how great his job was, and how well he was paid. He made a point of mentioning his smart new clothing outfit that he had bought to impress a new girlfriend.

I never saw the ad, I hadn't a clue what I wanted to do for a living when I left school (apart from play football but I was either too short or not good enough for that lol) so after a few weeks on the £4 unemployment benefit (which I thought was marvelous to be fair) my Dad had a word with a mate and next thing I know I'm an apprentice! Nepotism was pretty rife in the NCB

The money was pretty good to be fair, £30 a week in 1977, but the job wasn't really for me, I didn't even do metalwork at school! Didn't stop me doing a similar apprenticeship in the Navy later tho

[elystokie]

Aug 28, 2020 11:12:50 GMT pipegatepotter said:

Aug 28, 2020 11:05:17 GMT somersetstokie said:

I remember that in the 60's or 70's there was actually at one time a TV advert running for NCB apprenticeships. Apparently it was a good "career" to get into at that time. The advert featured a guy talking about how great his job was, and how well he was paid. He made a point of mentioning his smart new clothing outfit that he had bought to impress a new girlfriend.

All electricians and fitters were on a fraction of the bonuses the ‘hairy arses’ were on though. I remember we used to get about £8 a day bonus if you were very lucky, whereas the heading lads were on well over £100 a day.

I was at Trentham Area Workshops, we got an average of all the pits in the area, seemed a fair chunk at the time to me but over £100 a day is huge, no wonder it was unsustainable.

[yeokel]

Aug 28, 2020 11:05:17 GMT somersetstokie said:

Aug 28, 2020 10:53:44 GMT elystokie said:

I was a Coal Board apprentice in the late 70s alongside some lads from Silverdale Colliery, not long after I started they introduced the bonus scheme, which for certain pits was just ludicrous, blokes down Wolstanton pit that were battling for every ton were getting far less pay than places like Silverdale where it was a relative doddle.

As apprentices, even tho you weren't actually at your parent pit the majority of the time, usually in training at college or Kemball, you got the bonus your pit got, lads from Silverdale pit were driving around in Lotus1600E's

I remember that in the 60's or 70's there was actually at one time a TV advert running for NCB apprenticeships. Apparently it was a good "career" to get into at that time. The advert featured a guy talking about how great his job was, and how well he was paid. He made a point of mentioning his smart new clothing outfit that he had bought to impress a new girlfriend.

He didn't mention the Tb then?

[lordb]

Aug 28, 2020 10:54:29 GMT Dutchpeter said:

With reference to the Hollywood Lane spoil heap, I believe it is now having houses built on it! I used to take my mountain bike past there, and the spoil would crackle and pop (just like cereal), and occasionally send up thin plumes of smoke. From a distance the dead trees resembled a WW1 battlefield and there would be a visible heat haze, even in winter. Silverdale currently has a bit of a odour problem known as the ‘Silverdale Pong’ (unsurprising), it becomes very apparent as you approach the cemetery Road traffic light. I think this is to do with the coal field, as its odour reminds me of coal, or a vehicle burning too much oil.

Pong is due Whalleys land fill site

[mrcoke]

Aug 28, 2020 10:34:30 GMT somersetstokie said:

mrcoke, thanks for comments.

You have now reminded me of Urban "Gas Holders". Meccano like tower structures, containing inflatable balloons, used for holding the local gas supply. I remember that there was a prominent one in Stone near the Joules Brewery, and I often used to pass it as a boy. We always made a point of looking to see how full it was as we went by. I assume they are all gone now, so another bit of fading history.

My pleasure.

But there were different types of gas holder but none had inflatable balloons inside.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_holder

I first started working with gas holders in 1975. I had to go inside each week with full breathing apparatus on to check the seal; it was a MAN waterless gasholder.

There are still gas holders in steelworks, but they are fast disapearing. There are 2 at Redcar, one wax the one I used to go to, which are to be demolished shortly. Another has been demolished recently at South Bank Coke Ovens near Middlesbrough. That is where Don Revie was from, and Paul Daniels brother used to work at SBCO.

www.constructionenquirer.com/2020/08/17/bidding-opens-for-150m-redcar-steelworks-demolition/

[somersetstokie]

Strange. I always used to consider them to be balloons with variable capacity, as at some times they appeared to be more full then others.

[nicholasjalcock]

Wasn’t Silverdale colliery sunk primarily for the blackband iron ore? Pre WW1 there was an iron and steel works in Silverdale and a related forge at Knutton. The steel works finished in 1905?

[mrcoke]

Aug 28, 2020 12:42:50 GMT somersetstokie said:

Strange. I always used to consider them to be balloons with variable capacity, as at some times they appeared to be more full then others.

The water sealed telescopic type are capable of rising and falling within a steel framework, see the wiki link in my post.

The production of gas is continuous. During low gas demand, holder rises; during high demand periods the holder drops. A gas holder is as much a pressure regulator as a storage vessel. In the waterless gasholder, a large piston rises and falls inside a steel shell.

[zerps]

Aug 28, 2020 8:40:01 GMT somersetstokie said:

Inspired by the running 5 towns thread, I started to look at some other Stoke related themes. My Grandfather was a Miner at Silverdale Colliery, and my Grandmother worked for Wedgwood. In those days in the mid twentieth century "pots or pits" were the basic career choices for the working classes.

The Silverdale Colliery was the main employer in Silverdale for well over 100 years and was also known locally as Kent's Lane. The colliery was completely rebuilt during the 1970s when three new drifts were sunk to exploit new reserves in the Keele area. Production increased and the pit mined over one million tonnes annually but was closed in 1998, the last deep mine in North Staffordshire to close.

What really surprised me when I started looking at this site is that the area is effectively on fire and has been for many years! One of the coal spoil heaps from the Mine, on Hollywood road between Silverdale and Keele caught fire in 1996, 2 years before the site's closure, and continues to burn nearly 25 years later. While the fire is primarily underground there have been times when the heat and smoke have made it to the surface setting fire to parts of Holly Wood for which the road is named. Speculation has been raised that attempts to fight the fire or open it up for housing work could result in what's left of the Silverdale coal seam catching fire as well.

Aspects of my family history, such as this coalpit, always continue to intrigue me.

Our 19th century Industrial heritage or legacy still clearly carries impact for us way into the 21st century and still has huge significance for our contemporary lives. Effectively a "living history."

Awesome mate. It’s a shame we lost such a huge part of our identity, culture and industry. A travesty in fact.

[somersetstokie]

Aug 28, 2020 13:15:23 GMT mrcoke said:

Aug 28, 2020 12:42:50 GMT somersetstokie said:

Strange. I always used to consider them to be balloons with variable capacity, as at some times they appeared to be more full then others.

The water sealed telescopic type are capable of rising and falling within a steel framework, see the wiki link in my post.

The production of gas is continuous. During low gas demand, holder rises; during high demand periods the holder drops. A gas holder is as much a pressure regulator as a storage vessel. In the waterless gasholder, a large piston rises and falls inside a steel shell.

I see. That explains a lot.

[nicholasjalcock]

Re: Brymbo colliery? Wasn’t Holditch colliery bought to supply the Shotton steelworks with iron ore? As I understand it the pit wasn’t as great a success as hoped for?

[cobhamstokey]

My grandad George worked in Silverdale Colliery from pre war right up the late 70’s. What a great character he was.

[somersetstokie]

My Grandfather died when I was quite young. I'm pretty sure he was unwell, but he smoked a pipe, and I don't know if that killed him, or if he had Silicosis.

[outspaced]

[somersetstokie]

That sounds as if it should be the cue for a Folk Song, but its probably quite difficult to get things to rhyme with Silverdale.


Mind you if you start talking dirt and grime I expect the Fail would come into it somewhere!