Thoresby Miners Welfare Committee & the Pit Trip

Another popular event of the year was the ‘Pit Trip’. This began in 1932 when two trains were hired to take 520 wives and 550 children and (husbands), to Skegness for the day.

The men paid into the Outing Fund weekly so that the women and children went free and were also given vouchers for two meals each. The total cost was £311-17-6 and the committee made a grant of £100 towards it.

For many this was the first time that they had seen the sea. It was so successful that it was copied by other villages. On later trips money was given instead of vouchers and tickets were g

The Christmas Draw 1949.  The Welfare Committee.

Mr W.H.(Billy) Russon, Colliery Cashier, Mr Tommy Sissons (Checkweighman)  Mr Ivor Leeke, Colliery Manager, Mr Tommy Hughes, Mr Johnny Winterbourne,  Mr Bernard (Bunny) Evans, NUM Branch President. Mr Walter Boden, and Mr Ray Ward.

 

The Welfare Committee a trip to London 1947

George Higginbottom,  Harry Fletcher,  Tom Hooley,  Jim Grace,  Charlie Hughes,  Ernie Lowde,  Arthur Kitchener,  Ray Ward,  Bunny Evans,  Wilf Boden,  Johnny Winterburn,  Hughie Clowes in the cabin.

Mr & Mrs Joe Bennett, Mrs Hodgkinson, Mr Chapman, Mr Cullen.

The Welfare Committee 1950

B. Evans, T. Brocklehurst, ?. H. Marshall, E. Callaghan, ?. ?. H. Jones Undermanager ?  I. Leeke Colliery Manager, ?. L. Pegg, B. Smith. S. Maynard

               

The Welfare Committee visit Blackpool 1950’s

Frank French, Harry Jones, Bill Russon, Laurie Davidson, Len Raynor, Albert Prince, Gerald Russon, Ray Ward, Jack Kirkland, George Bowden, Bunny Evans, Arthur Mellors, Johnny Winterburn, Tommy Sissons, Len Cannon, Jack Prince, Ivor Leeke, Colliery Manager.

 

The Skeggy Trip

Paul Kent, who writes from Mansfield, Paul recalls the yearly pit trip:

“For most of the children who lived in Edwinstowe during the 1950’s and 60’s the Annual Pit Trip to Skegness was one of the most eagerly-awaited events of village life. My dad, Fred Kent, was one of the many volunteers who helped distribute the train tickets, which were delivered to each household on the Friday prior to the Sunday trip. I would go with my dad and I remember how excited the children were. The four trains departed at twenty-minute intervals from 9 a.m., each one carrying around five hundred passengers. During the two-hour journey pocket money and half-price tickets for the funfair were handed out to children. On arrival it was a twenty-minute walk down ‘chip shop alley’ and on to the clock tower and the seafront. With around two thousand trippers from Edwinstowe, it was hard not to come across friends and schoolmates. You could always be certain that, before the day was out, a child from our village would fall into the boating lake. The usual comment on the return journey was: ‘Who was it this year?’ Each family had six hours in Skegness, although older children who were on the first train would deliberately miss it to travel on the last one, thus ensuring a longer stay.”

Acorn

Edwinstowe Station 1960’s

Mr & Mrs Fred Scully & Michael, Mr & Mrs Bowes, Mrs Iris Scott & family

The Pit Trip was organised by the Thoresby Colliery Welfare Committee, this began in 1932 when two trains were hired to take 520 housewives and 550 children to Skegness for the day.

The men paid into the outing fund weekly so the women and children went free, they were also given vouchers for two meals each.

The total cost was £311-17-6 and the committee made a grant of £100 towards it.

For many this was the first time that they had seen the sea. It was so successful it was copied by other colliery villages. On later trips money was given instead of vouchers and tickets were given to children for free rides on the Butlins Amusement Park.

Members of the Thoresby Colliery Ambulance Brigade, Mr Hargrave & Mr Woodland on Pit Trip duty with Margaret Marsland & Elaine Clark, with Mrs Woodland looking on.

Mrs Marjorie George with Olwen, Trevor and Andrew

       

   Shirley Evans, Thelma Walker, Ann Cannon – 1952              Marjorie and John George –  1950