A documentary in which eleven miners from the former northeast coalfields talk about the lives and experiences as miners. They speak about their early days in the industry to the closure of their respective collieries. Each of the men talk about the hard work and conditions, but also the camaraderie and importance of the local working men’s clubs. The film uses both archive footage and music, some written and performed by Wallsends born English folk singer and former miner Johnny Handle, to...

A documentary in which eleven miners from the former northeast coalfields talk about the lives and experiences as miners. They speak about their early days in the industry to the closure of their respective collieries. Each of the men talk about the hard work and conditions, but also the camaraderie and importance of the local working men’s clubs. The film uses both archive footage and music, some written and performed by Wallsends born English folk singer and former miner Johnny Handle, to tell their stories. Credit: Faze3films The winding wheel or headstock at the former Woodhorn Colliery near Ashington in Northumberland. Title: Jowl, Jowl and Listen Title: North East Miners Talk Over ‘Going Down the Mine’ sung by Johnny Handle, a montage of both black and white archive footage of a coal train and miners heading towards the winding house and going down into a mine mixed with contemporary views of the rear of a row of terraced houses. The faces of the eleven former miners featured in the film appears amongst this footage. Nine of the men talk about their family’s heritage in the mining industry, many having several generations who working down a mine. Johnny Handle continues to sing ‘Going Down the Mine’ while playing an electric piano. Bert Draycott, David Hopper, former General Secretary of the National Union of Mineworkers (Durham area), Don Unwin, and Johnny Handle talk about their early experiences of working in a coal mine, they remember the sounds and smells of their earliest shifts. Archive footage showing boys working a mining screen is used to show the poor condition these men use to work in. In mine entranceway Ray Cowell sings the miners song ‘Rapper dae Bank’. Over a description of how the cage works archive of men getting inside and the Onsetter at the pit bottom ringing the bell to let the winding man on the surface know the cage is ready to be raised. Colin Parker, John Lowdon, Bert Draycott and Johnny Handle talk about their early uncomfortable experiences of travelling in these cages at speed and in the dark, again archive showing men being lowered and arriving at the bottom where a crowd of other men wait to take the cage back to the surface. Charlie Bell explains the need to be careful when walking to the pit face due to hight changes, again archive of miners walking along a main routeway to the coalface. Tom Watson explains how supplies came in via the supply road and Bert Draycott describes the Kist, an office or bench where the Deputy worked. Colin Parker explains the hierarchy in mine from Deputy to Colliery Manager. Former Shot Man and Deputy Billy Elrick tells a funny story about what was written in the shot report book one shift. Archive of men working the coal face with pickaxes. Billy Elrick and some of the other men describe the Cavil system, a quarterly lottery in which miners would be assigned to work in different part of the mine. Several of those being interviewed explain how and why the system worked. At the Mickley & District Social Club the Ukes of Northumberland perform ‘The Collier Lad’ by Johnny Handle with Ray Cowell on lead vocals. Johnny explains the meaning of the song and its connections to working a coal face. Archive of a Cutter being used to cut into a coal seal followed by the Shot Firer loading explosives in the seam which is then blasted. The men including new face Roger Scott give descriptions of some of the terms used for working the coal face; the ‘Canch’, the ‘Goaf’ and ‘bowking on’ are mentioned. In the recreation of a coal mine at Woodhorn Museum Ray Cowell sings ‘Jowl, Jowl and Listen’, he talks about what a ‘Jowl’ was and what it was used for. Archive of a man using a jowl and Johnny Handle also describes the use of a jowl for testing the coal face. Sitting beside an old tank Ray Cowell and John Lowden sit chatting. Ray tells a story of a disaster when a man was killed, he is using many of the terms mentioned earlier in the film. Charlie Bell describes working in the dark and using his light to communicate. Derek Cruddas describes a bad accident he had with a cutting machine in 1961. Other men talk about accidents they have been involved in or witnesses and how it affected them. Archive footage is used to help illustrate some of these stories. Over archive of tubs being filled with coal and pushed along a track the men talk about how they were paid via tokens and over archive of tubs being moved using a rope haulage line they describe how the tubs stopped and how they were transported to the surface. Some of the men whose mines did not have a rope haulage system describes the use of ponies to transport tubs from the face to the surface and back again while others said it was all done by hand. Again, archive of ponies being used to move tubs underground. Charlie Bell talks about the trust each man had with fellow miners, they helped each other out. Don Unwin, Roger Scott and Charlie Bell talks about the hard conditions working in the Durham coalfield. The men begin to name some of the seams they worked in their respective collieries and the conditions of working it. Archive of men carrying brass instruments into a social club and men walking into the Mickley & District Social Club near Prudhoe. Inside The Ukes of Northumberland perform ‘The Bonny Lass from Byker Hill’. The men talk about the importance of the social club for the miner. The men talk about the medical issues they now, especially with their knees, their lungs from the dust and hearing from all the noise of heavy machinery. They begin to talk about the closure of the mines and the importing of coal in from countries like Columbia where labour is cheap. David Hopper and Charlie Bell speak about how a miner can deal with every environment and can overcover almost anything. Over a montage of archive, a poem is read lamenting the end of coal industry in the region intercut with views of the men who have been speaking in this film. General views of the site of the former Ashington and Easington collieries now empty and grassy. Charlie Bell looks over the same scene at Eppleton Colliery. Behind the Ellington memorial featuring a coalminer a wind turbine turning in the distance. Title: We wish to thank all the miners who contributed to the making of this film. Credit: Charlie Bell, Colin Parker, David Hopper, Ray Cowell, Don Urwin, Johnny Handle, Derek Cruddas, John Lowden, Joseph Strong, Tom Watson 1934-2014, Roger Scott, Billy Elrick, Bert Draycott Title: Jowl Jowl and Listen Credits: Going to the Mine written and performed by Johnny Handle Rapper dae Bank and Jowl, Jowl and Listen sung by Ray Cowell Collier Lad, Byker Hill and Walker Shore performed by Ukes of Northumberland The Volunteer Putter sung by Bert Draycott A Minor Descending and other original instrumental composition composed and performed by George Milburn Old Man of the Village written and performed by Johnny Handle Camera and Sound Howard Dickenson and Tom Johnson Editing by Howard Dickenson Produced and Directed by Tom Johnson Wirth many thanks to The Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation, Durham Miners Association, The North East Area Miners Social Welfare Trust Fund, Roger Appleton Brightmoon Media, Dr Matthew Johnson Lancaster University, Deborah Tate and Woodhorn Colliery Mining Museum Ashington, Vicky Gallagher Community Development Worker Ashington, Christine Lowes Researcher, British Council Film Archive, Tyneside Cinema Collier Lad written by Johnny Handle Rapper dae Bank & Jowl Jowl and Listen collected by W Toyne from Henry Nattrass of Low Fell Gateshead Byker Hill and Walker Shore by John Bell in Rhyme of Northern Bards 1812 The Volunteer Putter from the singing by Rees Elliott, Birtley, Co. Durham. A parody of the Victorian ballad, the volunteer organist by W.B. Gray End credit: Jowl, Jowl and Listen © 2015 Faze3films. All rights reserved