A former Pit Engineer Mr Bramwell Pashley who was Married to Winifred and a father of four, in his younger years he served 9 years down't pit after leaving school at the age of 13 unfortunately when the time came he could not go and fight in WW2 due to his bad feet he studied old mine plans and bought a semi-detached house with his life savings over a coal seam he eventually ran his own haulage business.
His wife must have been very tolerant as at the time of the war coal was on rations and Mr Pashley made his own mine in the back garden in Durkar, near Wakefield and in doing so many of the household items were converted and utilised for the mine, The Vacuum cleaner was adapted for the air extractor a washing mangle was used to haul up the coal in the households washing tub and so came the name of his mine "Peggy Tub Main", this was over 5 years of digging and to the astonishment of his neighbours the mine was born which he spent his weekends down't the pit pulling up around 2 tones each weekend.
The shaft went 25 feet deep before he hit coal and then it was brick lined with 5500 bricks although this mine shaft was built he had a very lengthy battle with the National Coal Board for a licence to extract the coal.
By 1947 his business was fully up and running, underground the light was by candle and he used a pick axe to chip out the coal he even ignored the potential dangers from methane gas, eventually the winding gear was coupled up to 3 electric motors and then the household electric meter.
His dream was to employ as many as 35 men and extract over 100 tons of coal a week but in the 1960's he struck into old mine workings from another pit which flooded his own pit but worse was to come, in 1966/7 the mine closed for good as his "lock stock the fekking lot" house/out buildings and land was compulsory purchased due to the plans to extend the M1 (which to be hones is no bloody where near) and so could have carried on without a problem IMO !.
The family moved to near by Newmillerdam and would you have guessed it again he build yet another mine this time instead of going vertical (shaft) he went horizontal known as a "Drift mine" into the hill side, sadly to say at the age of 66 and in the year of 1981 he died.....Rest in piece Sir.
Could you believe what the faces of the health and safety inspectors....hell they would be foaming at the mouth!.
In his memory I give you the below pics for you to view including a link to a B&W small vid of the man and his mine "Peggy Tub Main".
House Name
In the back garden.
Mr Bramwell Pashley hand writing.
His working Bib's.
Old rope.
Hmmmmm whats hiding ere !.
Mr Bramwell Pashley pick axe handle.
Disused hopper.
Ooooooo !.
Mr Bramwell Pashley climb in shaft.
Air vent into Peggy Tub Main Shaft.
Flooded shaft.
Inside Mr Bramwell Pashley house.....Decay
Coyal oyal..!
Link below to a short film of "Peggy Tub Main".
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=46552
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