Post
by Jarrow Pete » Sun Mar 25, 2007 6:12 pm
Gag, a few names there to remember.
Walker, knew the old man Jack well, went to school with Kevin but he died a few years ago, he had a bad arm from contacting polio when he was a baby.
Clements, knew them all and mainly knocked about with Jimmy, Ronnie who was the nicest of the seven brothers tragicaly went over the cliffs at Marsden and died.Baldy was telling me he saw Alfie last week, he is still working on the rigs off Shetland.
Moore, Carol was a barmaid in the Lake at one time, Derek her brother went to sea.
Tucks, can only remember Malcolm and he was a complite arse hole.
Burges. remember Stan and Alfie. Old man Burges worked at Witburn pit. Can remember one day I was working on North yard 33 coal face tailgate and the call went out for me to go to the mothergate to repair a shearer problem.To walk round was about 4 miles so I started to crawl down the face, it was a yard seam so it meant crawling on your belly for 300 yards,but still better than walking 4 miles at tub height. Any way I only got 20 yards and met Budgie, he would not let me pass him, he said they had just cut through a fault and it was too dangerous, I was 22 at the time and at that age thought I knew everything and tried to squeeze past him, he clung onto me and pleaded with me not to go through the fault as it was liable to fall at any time,he even threatned to call in Fosters shop to tell my mother how stupid I was.I eventually turned back and started to walk round, halfway along the gate I met the safety officer and undermanager rushing in bye. There had been a twenty yard fall and if Budgie had not stopped me I would have been under it.Till the day he died he never let me forget that day,I lost count of how many pints I bought him in the Lake over the years to thank him for saving my life.