PERSONAL CALL: 2.WE VISIT BLAYDON BURN

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 5th Year

Issue

Issue No.

4

Date Released

Dec 1951

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1MINERS’ PENSIONS
2. 2PERSONAL CALL: 2.WE VISIT BLAYDON BURN
3. 3REAPING THE WIND

Story

Story No. within this Issue

2 / 3

Section Title

PERSONAL CALL

Summary

BFI synopsis: scraper-box working in a 13-inch seam, with John Slater, and, the Co-operative brewery supplies miners’ club at Blaydon.
NCB Commentary - Blaydon Burn is one of the many Durham pits where narrow coal seams have to be worked. The Victoria Seam here is only 14 inches high.
I called in to see manager J. B. Thompson, who showed me an igenious device to make it possible to extract coal from these very narrow seams. They call it the Blaydon scraper. Mr. Thompson went over the model with me. Parallel roadways are driven to isolate the block of coal sandwiched between rock. Along the line of coal travels a scraper, which shears off a layer of coal and delivers it straight on to a conveyor. The drums are the driving end - pulling the scraper round over pulleys at the four corners.
First stop underground was the engine house. But for me, the interesting thing was going to be the scraper itself. So I worked my way up to get a closer look, to see it cutting and collecting the coal at the same time. Back and forth it goes in its narrow channel, shoving out the coal onto the conveyors at either end of the run. There’s not a man in sight at the coal face; the only workers are at engine house and loading points. It’s a squeeze to get your head in here. Watch out - here it comes now.
And straight on to the conveyor goes the cut coal. From here it goes to a transfer point and into tubs for delivery to the surface. 100 tons a day of fine coking coal now go up from this seam, once unworkable, to boost the nation’s supplies. As for me, there was two miles to walk before I got out ...
And after a day’s work underground at Blaydon wouldn’t you feel like a beer? Evening, Mr. Thompson.
Blaydon working men’s club is just on of the 371 clubs who own and control a Newcastle cooperative brewery. The beer’s good, and so’ the company.
There’s a dividend on the beer, too - last year it was 44/- a barrel, and profits go back into the clubs themselves to imrpove the amenities.
There are miners on the brewery’s management board, and being members on of the other gives both brewery and clubs a common interest in each other’s welfare.
Founded in 1926, the brewery is now turning out over 3,000 barrels a week, and there’s a waiting list of club’s who’d like to join.

Researcher Comments

BFI sources suggest that this story was researched by Pickering and Somner in July and September. It was filmed in October and November 1951. The budget was £433 14s 4d. Commentary recorded 9 November 1951.

Keywords

Organisations; Entertainment and leisure; Food and cooking; Business and commerce; Mining

Locations

England; County Durham

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for Synopsis
The National Archives COAL 32   /3 Scripts for Mining Review, 1949-1956

Credits:

Director

Basil Somner

Support services

Basil Somner

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Sponsor

National Coal Board

Support services

Peter Pickering

Camera

Victor Procter