My name:
Message:
	Each posts is copyright to the respective poster, we reserve the right to modify any posts for but not limited to the safety and security of our readers.

Yorkshire Main Miners Welfare is holding a reunion, on the 13th March 2010. Food, Beer, Entertainment. Can I ask that this info is circulated to ensure a great evening for all ex members of the Branch. Come and reminisce with your old mates.

Please note CORTONWOOD is a pseudo name I use and the NUM in Barnsley will clarify that I have no involvement at all with their democratic institution other than I have worked at Cortonwood Colliery and other collieries in the UK but not since 1989 except for visiting Caphouse and Beamish mining museums. I was a NUM and retired member so put that in your pipe and smoke it unless you are U/G in a coal mine.

miners stand up and shout about the millions being taken from our pension schemes.get in touch with your M.Ps and your union reps ASK Mr Scargill what HE is doing about it is he not organising meeting to tell use what he can do to stop our pension scheme robbed

I'd love to but sadly I'm still in the process of recovering from the latest operation on a thigh bone that's stubbornly refused to heal after six long and painful years.Rest assured tho that the #10 adulteress received the most baleful look from the door of the explosives/detonators store upon her patronising visit to Cadley Hill Mine(the pit I believe voted NUM).I'd been injured underground in'79,worked thru 'til '83 when I'd had a wrist op,and (post-strike)had been employed on heavy pit yard jobs(though they knew I'd got a severely-weakened wrist),before being offered the powder-mag job(when few others wanted it!).Made a great HQ to distribute 'The Miner' tho!.She looked surprised to see a jeering character with helmet festooned in'Coal Not Dole' stickers shouting his derision/disapproval.Arthur held firm when more accomodating leaders may have sold NUM loyalists in(sometimes supposedly)UDM- majority areas down the river.He freely admits tho he ain't a computer man,and 'leaves that to the young 'uns'.He probably isn't aware of the cut/thrust of the Guestbook.I did e-mail that indefatigable stalwart of the left George with details of this point,but he was perhaps trying to deliver supplies to Gaza,and I've had no reply as yet.Might be worth someone mentioning the points

backworth miners welfare is grade 2 listed building. what are the num going to do to stop the sale of the building.

well well its very good of arthur to take time out to talk to the maltby men who are mainly men who have previosly sold their jobs. but so as another of the speakers on the night.and its not mr lavry!

try and find out how many so called loyal strikers were actually on the sick.

Who are you to talk like that about one of our great senior citizens' of the World not just coal mining. Hows about 50% of the charity money going to 'Justice for sacked Miners' Also this was posted earlier did you suggest a compromise? After consultation with friends I have decided that I will not contact Mr.A. Scargill re representation at the debate info@theheartbay.co.uk Unless Edwina and Co. consider holding the event at the Miners Hall, Victoria Road, Barnsley. Sine Die Cortonwood

I think it only fair to point out that Ian Lavery, NUM President has campaigned tireless throught the country on the issue of coal whether it be in the North East, Scotland, Liverpool or Brigton and will be speaking in South Yorkshire at Maltby on 13 February. Similarly Arthur Scargill who at the age of 72 is a vigorous supporter of Britian's mining industry and as every one knows, far from being afraid, has never shown fear and only last year went to Kingsnorth and faced the Climate Campers and argued the case for clean coal and a vibrant British coalmining industry. Editor

You coming to ask it on the night Nick? Unfortunately The NUM n Scargill are obviously too scared of Currie to appear on the panel, but perhaps Galloway can back you on that one. By the way Cort....I don't expect this to be posted - just knowing someone's read it at your ivory tower's enough for me.

1 DHSS still got my letter you never know when you might need it. 2 Correction NUM Yorkshire Area NUM.org.uk (I will ask for some clarity on that)I live in Yorkshire

'our great union' You have been misled misinformed, Raleys are the Yorkshire Area Solicitors and the deductions went to them not to NUM.org.uk as you state. Many other NUM Areas did not take ANY deductions from their members in relation to the chest disease case. So let us be perfectly clear, these deductions were NOT endorsed by the NUM National Executive and certainly not going to fund this site.

Yep,that was a p***er being asked for unpaid NI contributions.Think my reply evoked that Thai holiday spot,Ph*k*t.Good points though regarding those in 'picketed out'and even'driven back to work with pickets long gone'situations who joined/rejoined the strike and stayed 'til the end.Two questions to ask my old MP,the self-serving/publicity-seeking Eggwina;-Are you a democrat?.When the post-85 S Derbys NUM secured a High Court admission from the UDM's Ken Toon that one of the 4 local pits had voted to stay NUM and had been forced to abide by an area vote decision,did you support the poaching,on a pit-wide vote of the NUM Warwickshire Area's Daw Mill Colliery?.

Cortonwood Whilst i accept your logic, how many of our colleagues could find the document you refer to?

An accurate measure of 12 months on strike should be endorsed by the person providing a demand letter for National Insurance contributions which was sent by the then DHSS advising of potential pension benefits shortfall for those on strike who had not contributed that year to their N.I. stamp. So there is a way of proving reality to the claim or including *doubtful at the side of each name without the above evidence. CORTONWOOD lives on

When I instructed Raleys to deal with matters arising from my work in Coal Mines I was fully aware that I was contributing funds to the N.U.M.org.UK Shame on those people who are dealing with the affairs of deceased members of the union in a public way. Long live the N.U.M.org.uk comradery attained by unity by our ancestors working in Mines and Quarries.

To try and get an accurate list of all the men who stayed out on strike for the full twelve months in 84/85 would be totally unrealistic. It would have been difficult enough at the time let alone 25 years on. As many of you know, we already have people who 'conveniently forget' whether they worked during the strike or not!! What if these individuals gave their names to someone who was totally unaware of the true facts? 'Food for thought'-If a list was compiled and archived, would future generations naturally assume 1. that the list was compiled by a professional and would be the 'correct' list. 2. Would not researchers assume that if a relatives name was not on the list, that they would be a SCAB !! That would be the ultimate insult, wouldn't it? Therefore, I would urge caution to anyone trying to gather information twenty five years after the event. You may be contributing to assist scabs in rewriting their 'uncomfortable' history, I would suggest.

Have a look on the Welsh Miners Forum http://www.welshcoalmines.co.uk/forum/list.php?14 They are collating a list of miners who was on strike the FULL 12 months

Why are there little or no Memorials to Miners and Collieries in this area?(notts)

In the present climate I would have thought the leaders of the western world would have travelled to COPENHAGEN in a NUCLEAR submarine less risk from terrorist threat? and environmentally safe? or is it they are just hypocrits and want China to use their coal first so that we can be world leaders again eventually.