C O A L F A C E A U G U S T 2 0 1 6

CHAIRMAN’S CORNER

Since my last article in May, the Friends AGM was held on 3rd June, with a good attendance of members, and

your Committee was re-elected. The meeting was preceded by the last Fridays at 11 talk before the Summer

recess by Jim Waugh on “Stushies and Witchcraft in Penicuik” and by a reading from Dorothy Alexander from

her recently published book “The Mauricewood Devils” about the 1889 Disaster. Very moving it was, and red-

olent of the atmosphere of the time. Our talks resume on Friday 2nd September with Peter Stubbs, “People at

Work in Edinburgh”.

Your Friends Committee is considering the purchase of portable chairs to be stationed at appropriate points

around the museum tour for the benefit of less able visitors.

A group of Friends visited Low Parks Museum in

Hamilton to visit the Pits, Ponies, People and Stories

Exhibition which I wrote about last time. Thanks are due

to the project team at South Lanarkshire Council for

Sponsoring the visit and laying on a good lunch. The

photograph below shows the visiting group.

The exhibitions runs until December and the Museum is

well worth a visit with exhibits on Lanarkshire industry

and farming. It also houses the Cameronians (Scottish

Rifles) Collection. The museum complex is housed in

two historic buildings of national importance, both

originally associated with the Dukes of Hamilton. The first of these buildings is Portland, built in 1696 as the

private home of David Crawford, secretary and lawyer to the 3rd Duke and Duchess of Hamilton. The other

historic building is the former Palace Riding School, built in 1837 by Alexander, 10th Duke of Hamilton.

As I write this on 7th August, a gale blowing outside, and the few apples on the tree in my garden are falling to

the ground, so there is little prospect of a decent crop. I am doing a bit better with my greenhouse tomatoes

and cucumbers. However, I sincerely hope for some sunshine to turn the tomatoes red sometime soon other-

wise it looks like chutney-making in in prospect for September.

Our travels took us to

County Cork in South-

West Ireland, for a

week in July based in

Kinsale, but try as I

might, I could not fin a

mining connection in

the area. Instead, I give

you a picture of Linda

in the beautiful Lisellan Gardens near Clonakilty which are well worth a visit. In early September we are off to

Krakow, where we hope to go down the Wielkiczka Salt Mine. More next time.

IAN'S MEMORIES

FINAL DAYS AT NORANDA

On our second visit to the Student Club Margaret Cant introduced herself and invited Fred and me to her home for dinner to meet her parents Albert (Scottie) and Alice who had emigrated from Greenock to Canada in 1929, this started a lifelong friendship with the Cant family and me. Albert was the Junior Mine Captain (Under Manager) and the day after my first visit to their home asked me if I would like an underground visit with him the next day as it was my day off. I was amazed at the system of extraction Open Stope which was the total extraction of a part of the ore body back filling the void behind with granulated slag from the smelter, This meant two conveyor systems one to carry the ore out the other to carry the slag in via a complicated system of ore passes and conveyors to the two skip shafts. The third shaft was man riding and supplies, I was hooked and decided to change over to mining. My final days at Noranda I spent in the Concentrator where due to different densities as much of the iron pyrites was removed from the copper pyrites as possible and Converters where the matte from the Smelter was conyerted to copper by blowinghot air through it like a small blast furnace (see photograph). Mid September I set out on my homeward journey spending a week in Peterborough, Ontario with my cousin Dorothy whom I had not since she emigrated to Canada in 1937. Next to Toronto for a day then a day in Niagra to see the Falls and after seeing them floodlight in the evening caught the night train to New York. Three days were spent seeing the sights including Radio City then flew home by KLM direct to Prestwick where I was given a lift to Glasgow by them. Arriving home at the end of September i had to decide on mV career as my student days were over. Next day I went to the Labour Exchange and signed on with the NCB. Next time starting with the NCB and the Lady Victoria.

This exhibition looks at all aspects of life in mining communities and includes a reconstruction

coal mine. Venue: Low Parks Museum until December 2016.

The exhibition looks at all aspects of life in mining communities from the harsh working conditions and major tragedies like the Blantyre Pit Disaster, to the social side of being part of a mining village, gala days and brass bands. The exhibition also features films and stories from the volunteers who took part in the Pits, Ponies, People and Stories project giving

their memories of working in the mines or being part of mining family.

Spot the Friend!

“Yes! And we loved it. Fantastic exhibition on the mining heritage of South Lanarkshire and wonderfully put together with community in-volvement from groups, schools and individu-als!” Clyde and Avon Valley Landscape Partnership

Jim Waugh, Volunteer and Friend of NMMS

DONATIONS TO THE FRIENDS OF NATIONAL MINING MUSEUM

Donation were received by the Friends from the Church of Scotland in Carlops and by Dianna Manson. Part of the donation from the Carlops Church have been used to buy four cotoneaster plants which are now in a small plot in front of the “water” wheel in the garden. (see photo)

Dianna’s donation will be spent on alpine plants to be placed in a Belfast sink which will be locat-ed in the area outside the cafe. Dianna is a long time Friend. Thanks from the Friends of the National Mining Museum Scotland.

JOE CORRIE

Joe Corrie (1894 –1968) was a Scottish miner, poet and play-wright best known for his radical, working class plays. He was born in Slaman-nan, Stirlingshire in 1894. His family moved to Cardenden in the

Fife coalfield when Corrie was still an infant and he started work at the pits in 1908. He died in Edinburgh in 1968.

Shortly after the First World War, Corrie started writing. His articles, sketches, short stories and poems were published in prominent socialist newspapers and journals, including Forward and The Miner. He turned to writing plays during the General Strike in 1926. His one-act plays and sketches were performed by the Bowhill Players, an ama-teur company of miners who performed to raise money for local soup kitchens. The company oper-ated professionally as the Fife Miner Players in 1928-31 under the management of comedian and theatrical agent, Hugh Ogilvie. Corrie's first play, Hogmanay was published by the Fife Miners' Re-form Union. His full-length play, In Time O'Strife, depicting the General Strike's effect on the Fife mining community, toured Fife mining villages and musical halls all over Scotland. The Corrie Centre community provision in Cardenden was named after Corrie in 1985.

BRICK CORNER

Two new bricks from the West of Scotland. Bob McDonald handed in these two bricks. The first is a Wellshot brick from Cambuslang. The second brick, stamped Flemington, came from the Gateside Brickworks, Cambuslang. Both brick-works were attached to coal pits.

FORTHCOMING EVENTS/EXHIBITIONS

FOR FULL DETAILS OF THE MUSEUM’S EVENTS PROGRAMME PLEASE SEE OUR

21st August 11am-4pm

Family Fun Day

Friday 2nd September 11am

Fridays at 11am—”People at Work in Edinburgh”, Peter Stubbs

10th September 10am-5pm

Door Open Day

23rd September

Art in the Mine

7th October

Fridays at 11am—”A New Mining World Heritage Landscape in the Heart of Europe” - Miles Ogle-

thorpe

WEBSITE www.nationalminingmuseum.com

I wish to join the Friends of National Mining Museum Scotland and enclose a cheque for the

appropriate subscription. Please make cheques payable to “The Friends of National Mining Museum

Scotland” and return to AGH Moore, Membership Secretary, Friends of National Mining Museum

Scotland, 16 Shafto Place, Bo’ness EH51 9JE.

Adult (Annual) £20 Family (Annual) £30

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