SAFE DRAW

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 12th Year

Issue

Issue No.

3

Date Released

Nov 1958

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1LUCKY STRIKE
2. 2SAFE DRAW
3. 3SKY SHIFT
4. 4WHITWICK

Story

Story No. within this Issue

2 / 4

Summary

BFI synopsis: Colliery blacksmith and a woman tracer share first prize in the East Midlands Divisions Safety Poster Competition.
NCB Commentary - Church Gresley Colliery, South Derbyshire. 41 year old Jack Redfern, at the anvil, has worked here 27 years. Jack is the colliery blacksmith but he has outside interests.
Jack Redfern is also the colliery cartoonist. He has always been interested in drawing.
One day recently a broad sheet went up on the canteen notice board asking for contributions for posters on a safety theme.
"Jack, get in" said Brian Bale, Redfern’s striker. Jack said he would think about it.
And think he did. Later at home Jack was taking it easy with a cup of tea while Mrs. Redfern got on with the evening meal. Cabbage going into a saucepan - there is nothing very inspiring about that but in Jack’s mind the germ of an idea was planted.
Watching the pot on the fire was an inspiration for a poster which was to tie joint first in the East Midlands Division Safety Poster Competition. The way Jack saw it was that safety all boils down to common sense.
The other first prize winner was Mary Longland. A tracer by trade, she has worked in the mine surveying department at Edwinstowe since she left Manfield School of Art.
Prominent on the Area Headquarters tennis courts Mary heard of the contest in the same way as Jack Redfern. So after an evening game it was back to the drawing board.
Her prize winning entry was rather more complicated. Safety to Mary Longland is a matter of systematic routine care. Using the design of a football pool coupon as her background she produced a telling poster which together with Jack Redfern’s entry is now on view at collieries all over the East Midlands.

Keywords

Competitions; Arts and crafts; Mining

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
Film User   Vol.13 No.150 April 1959, p193.
The National Archives COAL 32   /12 Scripts for Mining Review, 1956-1960

Credits:

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Sponsor

National Coal Board