Learning on ScreenANY OLD IRON
Series
- Series Name
- Mining Review 10th Year
Issue
Story
- Story No. within this Issue
- 3 / 4
- Summary
- NoS synopsis: a small iron foundry operating on colliery premises.
NCB Commentary - In 1856 the sinking of Shireoaks Colliery began. Already at that time a foundry had been established on the colliery ground. The foundry, like the pit, is still in operation today.
Eric Hargreaves, the pattern-maker, started work there with his father. His grandfather was there in the 1850’s and was responsible for making this wooden pattern on the wall. It was used for casting the shaft liners when the colliery was sunk.
At Shireoaks foundry today there’s still plenty to keep them busy. Derek Stafford, the moulder, and his team of craftsmen turn out axle bearings, wheel parts, grates for boiler installations, brakeshoes for colliery wagons; in fact, the whole range of castings that may be needed at the pit.
Outside the shop, in the shadow of the headstock, scrap metal is loaded into the old furnace. It’s a primitive looking job but it produces iron of the quality that’s needed. The clay plug comes out and the furnace is tapped.
The crane used for pouring the metal is another antique but it still measures up to the job.
Several times at Shireoaks foundry they’ve made special castings for a pit in a hurry when no outside foundry could do it quickly enough.
Shireoaks foundry, having started life before the colliery it serves, shown every sign of carrying on as long as the pit has a use for the crafts and skills of its workmen. - Researcher Comments
- Commentary recorded 8th April 1957.
- Keywords
- Industry and manufacture; Mining
- Written sources
- British Film Institute Databases Used for synopsis
Film User Vol.12 No.137 March 1958, p118.
The National Archives COAL 32 /12 Scripts for Mining Review, 1956-1960
- Credits:
-
- Production Co.
- Documentary Technicians Alliance
- Sponsor
- National Coal Board
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