Wigan Album

This and the previous photo are of the first production shift returning to work just three days after the explosion.
Left to right: Mick Kennedy, Freddie Cunliffe, Bob Round, George Pennington, George Morris, Tony Blackhurst, Kenny Thorbourne? Micky Payne is just visible between Freddie Cunliffe and Bob Round.

sadly bob round is with us no more .

The sorrow depicted on their faces shows the anguish that they are experiencing. May those miners’ that went to their eternal rest, rest in perpetual happiness, and peace.

That's a good shot of Freddie Cunliffe. He worked at Lavins' Arch Lane colliery in the 60s. I don't know if he's still around, but I hope he is. He's a great bloke, and I recall he was pretty handy with a guitar in his day.

I never knew that Freddie could play the guitar, I have'nt seen him for a few years but your're right, he's a great bloke, as is his brother Harry.

They were a nice family tuddy as I'm sure you're already aware. I haven't seen either Harry or Freddie for years. Their youngest brother Tommy died a number of years ago. He was in my class at infant school and there's a photo of him on the album in the percussion band at St Andrews school. They lived up at Tithebarn Hillock, but you probably knew that. Their only sister, Christine lives on Booths Brow road.
By the way, Tommy could play the piano to an acceptable degree. I have a photo of him performing at my place one Christmas.

I only knew Freddie and Harry, they both worked at Golborne Colliery, both really nice blokes, both good grafters too.

they are both still going but because of the virus freddie has put his bass guitar down from playing in the "cally" .

Your comment brought back memorys worked at arch lane colliery early 60ts lorry driver remember a john cunliffe worked on screens pit brow

did the lavins have that pit dave ? .

Yes Whups they did my dad Arthur spent most of his working life at arch lane pit on the surface use to call it lavins kingdom.

yes they were a big shout years ago & with their farms as well .

Although I have no recollection of the event, I may possibly have met your dad at some point Dave, as back in the 60s I was bagging for Reg Lavin with a chap from Haydock by the name of Sid Pilling.
I assume there must have been some kind of family agreement between the Lavins, as once every fortnight, we were obliged to load out of Arch lane, whereas normally we would load out of Bold.
I have no idea what seam Lavins were working, but given that it was a dey hey, I'm guessing that it would have been relatively shallow.
The coal they produced was somewhat similar to the stuff they produced at Quaker pit, a mile or so away. Not the best quality in my opinion.
I'm no expert, but it was in a different league altogether than the stuff they churned out at Parkside.
What do you lads that produced the stuff reckon ?

You may have met him ozy he was the loading shovel driver i think there was another pit just across from lavins blackley hurst on the road leading from garswood to billinge have a photo of my dad under the screens if can find it will try to put on here.

You're right about Blackleyhurst Dave, but that place was well before my time.
I would only have been about 17 when I loaded out of Arch lane to be honest Dave, but when I was about 14, I used to load off the floor at a colliery near Billinge hill with a chap by the name of Jimmy Edwards, ( not the bloke with the handlebar moustache by the way ). This bloke lived on Whitledge Green.
It wasn't the mountain mine, it was the one just before it, but I forget the name of the place now.
Roy Cunliffe, who ended up at Quaker pit worked there at the time....Whups will remember him I'm sure.
There was also another pit on Newton road, just up from Simms Lane end. I don't know who it belonged to, as I only knew the place as 'Gaffney's.....
.... I doubt that even Whups will remember that one....let's see eh?

my old man worked there then it changed to baxters then gaffneys.

but did you know that the farm to the right of the pit was called blackleyhurst farm ?

HI OZY found the photo of my dad at arch lane its on the album but not very clear can just about make him out in the cab you said about the coal not being of good quality we used the slack on the fire at home it burned well and gave of plenty heat .