Nottinghamshire - Coal Grown

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 21st Year

Issue

Issue No.

8

Date Released

Apr 1968

Stories in this Issue:

1. 1National Preview - Eggheads Only
2. 2Lancashire - Co-ordinate
3. 3Nottinghamshire - Coal Grown
4. 4Ripping

Story

Story No. within this Issue

3 / 4

Summary

NoS synopsis: African violets, popular house plants, are literally reared on coal
NCB Commentary - This house at Lambley is the home of Mr. G. J. Wicks. Mr. Wicks has the distinction of being Britain’s leading expert at growing African Violets. Retired now, he’s still in touch with enthusiasts all over the world; he lectures and pursues his hobby of photography.
He started in a small way 50 years ago.
Today, with his son running the business, employing 30 people, the Wicks family have seven and a half thousand sq. ft. of modern metal greenhouses in which they grow 43 varieties of African Violet, as well as other flowers and plants.
Raising African Violets in Briatin needs care - and above all, heat.
"Sitting on top of a coal mine is mighty convenient" says Mr. Wicks, "our lorry pops round to Gedling, picks up the washed singles, and our automatic builers do the rest".
Keeping the heat flowing is the part-time responsibility of indoor foreman Cyril Sneath. The boilers ned less than 1/2-an-hours attention each day.
Thermostats in the green-houses control the pumps that keep hot water surging through the pipes to keep the houses at a steady 60 degrees.
Specially designed packs make certain that growers all over Britain receive their plants in top condition.
Some of the greehouses are devoted to raising house, or foliage plants, like Ficus elastica - better known as the rubber plant, or the Aphilandra, with its striped leaves.
Outdoors there are acres of carefully-tended ornamental trees and shrubs. And just across the fields in Gedling - one of Britains million tons a year mines. Some of its coal seams extend far below the nursery.
Truly a case of growing plants literally on coal.

Keywords

Horticulture

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases
Films on Coal Catalogue   1969, p.55
The National Archives COAL 32   /13 Scripts for Mining Review, 1960-1963

Credits:

Sponsor

National Coal Board

Production Co.

National Coal Board Film Unit