THE HAPPY WANDERER

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 16th Year

Issue

Issue No.

5

Date Released

Jan 1963

Length of issue (in feet)

784

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1NEW HOMES FOR OLD
2. 2THE HAPPY WANDERER
3. 3SUPPORTING PROGRAMME
4. 4PITMAN-PAINTER

Story

Story No. within this Issue

2 / 4

Summary

BFI synopsis: the Happy Wanderer pub at Framwellgate, Co Durham, has one of Britain’s finest collections of mining relics.
NCB Commentary - Durham miners who visit Framwellgate Moor’s newest pub, The Happy Wanderer, are at home in their surroundings.
Landlord Herbert Hoggett has spent six years gathering one of the country’s finest private collections of mining relics.
284 pit lamps - from the early 18th century to a modern electric cap lamp. The pub’s lounge is a lamp room with refreshment on tap.
A wooden shovel, made in 1650, came from Hackhall Colliery, Northumberland. Another, dated 1700, was found in old workings in Beamish Second Pit.
A 19th century tallow lapm was the first pit lamp to be made in Durham City.
The earliest lamp in the collection - the centre one - was made of wood in 1780.
This 300-year old leather harness was worn by women miners when hauling coal.
Recorded voice: I have a belt round my waist and a rope between my legs and I go on my hands and knees. We work in water up to our ankles and I have seen it up to my thighs.
This is how coal is hauled today and we are still thinking of better ways of doing it.

Keywords

Buildings and structures; Mining; Safety devices; History and archaeology

Locations

England; County Durham

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for synopsis
The British National Film Catalogue   Vol.1 1963, p.55
Film User   Vol.17 No.199 May 1963, p249.
The National Archives COAL 32   /13 Scripts for Mining Review, 1960-1963

Credits:

Camera

John Reid

Commentator

John Slater

Sponsor

National Coal Board

Production Co.

National Coal Board Film Unit

Cutter

Rhonda Small