A film I did recently for my own site! Can you name em all.... 🙂

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Haven't you changed that music yet!!! Boy I'm depressed now! 😉

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Now now..... thats just techy!

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Great set of photos, although I can't believe you missed out the Newcomen Engine House with the perfect remains of a horse gin (shaft in the centre of course!) of Dines Castle Colliery in the middle of Ripley - have you not seen it yet 😮

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Lee when taking the pee out of me remember 2 things....

1. I know where you live
2. I know where you live!

😉 :lol:

Anyway its a Bolt on and What Injun at Dines Castle Colliery..... ::)

EDIT...... I guess this post would have been more successful with a few pictures taken down my coal celler of me abseiling from the stairs upside down into the coal pile... :lol:

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Yeah, but only if there was someone in the foreground shining a torch on ya while absailing ;D

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Lee, have you ever visited the place???? 😮 ::) :surrender:
🔗Personal-Album-856-Image-71856[linkphoto]Personal-Album-856-Image-71856[/linkphoto][/link]

EDIT.... Comes with Plateway... where do ya think them stones av been going!!!! :devil:

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That's the one, although I saw it from the back last time and I think it's guarded by some huge fierce dogs - so be careful if you go for a visit ::)

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Now that is a piece of class! :thumbup:

🔗Personal-Album-856-Image-71856[linkphoto]Personal-Album-856-Image-71856[/linkphoto][/link]

I've just spent 20 minutes looking for the album, is it in Archive? :lol:

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Nothing in the album yet!!!! :lol: but did you like the film and could you name all the mines....? 😉

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Very interesting
It would be nice to know all their names and if they are all still there
Very good

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Every single one of those sites can be visited, I had enough individual sites to have done 25 mins at same show rate.... I knew someone would ask for a list..... ::) :lol: ..........we are so lucky in UK to have this level of surface archaeology! 🙂

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Lee, have you ever visited the place???? 😮 ::) :surrender:
🔗Personal-Album-856-Image-71856[linkphoto]Personal-Album-856-Image-71856[/linkphoto][/link]

EDIT.... Comes with Plateway... where do ya think them stones av been going!!!! :devil:

There must be some serious heavy metal contamination in the mine water looking at the colours coming out! 😮

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Dear Mr AR,

How nice to hear of your interest in our latest mining venture here in Ripley.

Yes oddly my neighbours son now has a 3rd eye in the middle of his forehead... still at least he'll see our 6 legged 3 eared mine cat!

Of course we are paying top money in the current economy.... we offer for a face worker £4.25/hour.... Mr Slaviniski and his 6 mates said "real pleeeesure vorking fur you and sooch great vages".... judging by the accent I think they are from Yorkshire, a little pit village called Kryghystan they told me.... I think its near Pontefract.

My daughter had a bitch at me last nite, she banged her head and insisted we went to A & E.... they insisted I give her a candle in future... the cheek!

Still things could be worse, we are driving a drainage level into the Ripley Top Hard Coals.... should be great and afterall who goes to church these days..... I mean its not like the towers straight anyway. My undermanager Mr LeeW has advised that any Orangy Red water we create could and should be advised to the council as an artistic landscape feature..... We are currently investigaing whether we should charge for this as we understand many people have an iron deficiency nowday.... Mr Slavinski even drinks the stuff so it cant be all bad!

We start a new job seekers course next week with local approval, its called Coals to Derby! Basically we train young people to carry a large sack of coal to Derby.... I better chase the DofW&P on that as not heard if any takers yet. I mean theyu will get £35 quid a week and I even give em the sack to carry the coal in.

Anyway back to the grind,

Best Regards

ICLOK

MD of the Dines Castle Colliery
Ripley
Derbys

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What are they putting in my Drum baccy nowadays??????

Not the same as in my Pipe Baccy....... :confused:

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My dear Mr ICLOK, I am most gratified to hear that your latest venture is thriving and you are exercising firm control over the workmen and their wages - far too many idlers expecting to be paid for doing nothing these days, a stint at the coalface will do 'em good, I say! I also commend your efforts to increase the pace of evolution in the Ripley area; as Mr. Darwin notes in his works mutation is an essential component of change, so the more mutation you manage to produce the more chance of something useful cropping up.

I am as ever engaged in a number of promising lead mining projects here in the Peak, and had been considering acquiring a horse gin. However, having been introduced to sloe gin I no longer feel this is needed. I was greatly perturbed to discover that after the recent wet weather, Lathkill Dale is leaking again. Damned untidy, having water spurting out of a hole in a cliff face and I intend to speak to my Lord of Devonshire about extending Magpie Sough to resolve this leakage once and for all.

I remain, etc.
AR

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Gentlemen,

I may be interested in investing some of my capital in one of your enterprises. However it will not be such a great sum as I have lost money on a recent investment in Bincliffe mines near Wetton. The prospectus was most enthusiastic about the vein becoming richer with depth and the company had plans to build a waterwheel to keep the workings dry. Unfortunately they failed to mention that the adjacent River Manifold is itself dry for over six months of the year.

Yours etc.

NP

Dear Messr's AR & Peak,

I was most interested in your peakland ventures and may I suggest the use of steam winding and pumping, I have found it most useful. I even allow the men to man ride at shift commencement, as it has extended the working day by some 15 minutes hence we have seen production rise. However the bounders expected to come out the same way at finishing time when there are several tubs of coal still to be raised... the bounders!

We only start the pumping engine when the water reaches 10" deep in the 24" seam as the men cannot see what they are mining, we have told them this is too keep them clean and prevent dust but Mr Slaviniski is unconvinced.... he is on a written warning.

Gentlemen if it suites you I may now extend my 'Coals to Derby' to 'Coals to Peak District' job seekers scheme.... the bracing scenery will improve their life span and moral, I will of course deduct from the £35 as they will be distracted and less inclined to work by the sheer beauty of the route.

With regard to extending drainage soughs I would argue with the estate that larger mutated fish may be a result of an improved intake of Iron into the local rivers... these mutated fish should fetch a premium and I am sure the water bailifs will be satisfied.

Regarding investment I am happy to take on new investors and can almost guarantee a good return as we undermine the middle of Ripley.... as stated before the church people are not to happy but we have subsequently agreed to leave a pillar of coal below the church.... we are proposing about 5 feet square, they never thought to ask how big it was so we assumed they did not care.

Anyway Gentleman I must away and set the dogs on some children who are coal picking, I am sure the mine dog aptly named "Cerberus" will soon sort them out, plus he wont need feeding for at least a week.

As a final point I here there is a strike proposed and that a lock out is proposed, in the spirit of negotiation I am proposing a Lock In, meaning I will lock the work force in the workings and turn off the pumps.... I think this will conclude negotiations in my favour.

Your Faithfully

ICLOK
MD of the Dines Castle Colliery

PS..... My engineer Mr LeeW is prospecting Cornwall for we believe that a wholesale revival of the industry is imminent. Hopefully we will see a response from The Morton Tin, Copper and Lead Company.

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Dear Mr ICLOK,

Please find enclosed my report regarding recent investigations in to a water feature and drainage suff at Dines Castle Colliery.

I have tested the water emerging from the mine and although it is very pretty and colourful I could find no evidence of any bacteria or other similar matter within the water. I have also tested the water for any volatile fumes in the water; this was achieved by trying to set a light the water. The first few attempts were unsuccessful, however I believe this may be due to the fact that the water kept putting out my flame. Thus, I then put my flame above the water and you will be pleased to know there are no volatiles present within the water. Hence, I recommend that the water is in fact safe for the Yorkshire men and child workers to drink and any mineral content would be beneficial.

Aside to testing the volatile nature of the water I did notice a strange incident had occurred. After testing the water I noted that a flame had appeared on the shaft top. After several attempts of trying to extinguish this flame I concluded the best option was to turn the pumps off for a while to flood the mine shaft. I am pleased to inform you that this worked and all four and the men working on the face managed to swim their way out.

I have now received permission to drive the said drainage suff, however they would like it completed by Saturday. To achieve this and as you have recommending regarding the potential strike action - I recommended sending the men to mine the down dip coal, then locking the gate and allowing the water level to fill up to 23" within the seam thus giving the men and children plenty of incentive to complete the suff by Saturday.

Yours Sincerely

LeeW
Undermanager, mine surveyor and general dogsbody


PS I will complete my report on the Cornish findings by Yesterday

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