WHITWICK

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

4 / 4

Summary

BFI synopsis: Community of Whitwick join together to make their own ambulance contest a big event of the year.
NCB Commentary - Whitwick, on the edge of the Leicestershire Coalfield is a small town with big traditions.
Every summer the colliers’ wives of Whitwick get together in their kitchens for a big baking session. Mrs. Gaydon and Mrs. Horton turn out scores of jam tarts. Mrs. Hall and Mrs. Perry are in charge of the sandwich department - sandwiches by the mountain.
Mrs. Pickering and Mrs. Ward are in the transport department, taking the contributions from the women folk of Whitwick in the general direction of the colliery.
The pit holds the key to all this kitchen activity. For many many years now Whitwick has been a colliery which has produced teams pre-eminent in ambulance competition work. In 1958 Whitwick hold the coveted Grand Priors Trophy of the St. John’s Ambulance Brigade.
For years the men of Whitwick won trophies. They began to get a bit tired of winning.
At a competition in Derby, Albert Barrs, the team captain, said to Bill Horton, "Why shouldn’t we run our own contest at Whitwick, cup and all?"
Before he knew where he was Chris Booth, the Treasurer, was collecting promises of a £1 a piece to start the fund to buy the cup. The whole team fell in with the proposal.
But of course, pit Manager William Hall had to be consulted first of all. Bill Horton and Albert Barrs went to see him. Manager Hall pointed out some of the snags. It would mean a lot of work and would enough other teams want to come to Whitwick to compete?
Bill and Albert said Yes they had enough support. Fair enough said Mr. Hall. And another thing, the men of the colliery wanted to name the trophy after Mr. Hall.
"No, no" said Bill Hall "that’s not for me". But on probably the only occasion ever the men overruled their manager and the trophy was made the William Hall Cup.
And so today at competition time the Whitwick canteen is crowded while in the hall the contest is carried out.
Doctor Hamilton on the left who set the first contest has set every one since. Teams from all over the country pit their skill against each other and against the know-how of Doctor Hamilton and the Whitwick team.
This year beside Manager Hall was J. J. Torrance, now retired, who used to manager Whitwick before he became A. G. M.
And this year’s winners who received the trophy from Manager Hall as usual; the Birmingham City Police ‘A’ team.
Today the date of the Ambulance Contest has become the biggest Red Letter day at Whitwick for the community and for the pit.

Keywords

Health and medicine; Food and cooking; Women; Competitions; Domestic life; Emergency services

Locations

England; Leicestershire

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