Ted Jones

Brodsworth Colliery - Closed September 1990

They called it the Queen’s pit, the Queen Mother’s pit, and it was the deepest pit in Yorkshire and more men worked here than any other pit.

I was a charge man were on a machine when the pit closed, well they made me redundant. After that I tried different pits but they wanted young lads, not a fifty year old.

Things were bad on the picket line, very bad. They all met at the Welfare hall, and you used to get told which pit you’re going to be picketing.
You got a pound for picketing; we hid in the boot of a car once, me and my mate, to get through the police line. When the Bobbies used to come at you with horses and that, it was frightening, very frightening.

I’m all right now because I’m on a pit pension, which is a good thing in a way because a lot of people don’t have a pension, only social. I’m alright, I’m living alright, not as happy as when I was working, not as much money going into the house, but we’re managing, mind things look like they’re getting worse don’t they? A lot worse.