Photos next from September 1986 and to the north of Blantyre is Blantyreferme. This photos represent the reduction of the Colliery bings, a significant effort to restore the ground back closer to the existing field levels. The large remnants of the colliery bings removed and taken away, removing most of the signs of the former […]
A meeting of Blantyre miners was held the Public Park on Saturday 14th May 1921 to discuss the position of some miners who were working a number of outcrop seams in the vicinity and who were selling the coal and reaping good harvest. Some miners had been working illegally at Auchentibber on an outcrop […]
Let’s travel across the other side of the world now to Malaysia and in particular to the former Empire colony of Labuan. During the 1920’s, there lived there a most interesting personality known as “Rajah” Smith, a businessman overseeing an extensive coal mining operation. Formerly a High Blantyre miner, the “Rajah” was then one of […]
In September 1925, a serious situation arose in Blantyre when coal and mineral trains were continually being raided. In the dock in early October that year was James Cotter, miner, 52 Auchenraith Road, Blantyre, who was charged with stealing a quantity of coal from moving waggons at Auchinraith Road on the branch of the […]
Today, 22nd October 2016 is the 139th Anniversary of the Blantyre Pit Disaster at Dixon’s Colliery in High Blantyre . At 8.50am that morning in 1877, over 200 Blantyre men and boys were killed, sending shockwaves of grief through Blantyre. Today, via Blantyre Telegraph, I placed on behalf of us all a beautiful memorial wreath at the […]
One of my favourite poems by the late Blantyre historian, James Cornfield is a rather well written poem called “The Rapper up Man”. Written in 2003, it goes as follows: In days gone by in the Miners Rows, there lived a man who always rose At an early hour from slumber deep, to waken miners […]
The date of this photo is 6th January 1947. The occasion is the day the mines were nationalised by the Coal Board. The venue is Priestfield Colliery 1 (Dixons Pit 1) and this plaque was erected on the same day the NCB flag was hoisted above the pit offices. Andra McAnulty was guest of honour […]