New Hucknall Colliery

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all here this afternoon to the celebration of New Hucknall Colliery's Centenary. I am indeed proud to be the Manager on this occasion, but I fully appreciate that a great deal of credit must go to many of those here today for their past efforts which ensured the continued development and progression of the Colliery. I know that this has not been easy for I too have experienced the difficulties too often associated with our industry. I am conscious also of the way that the workforce both past and present have always risen to the task, despite the continued frustrations to put the colliery back onto its feet.

We have come a long way from the days of the pick and shovel and long hours of work for small rewards when miners walked home in their black to bath in front of the fire. Today we have better conditions, modern mining techniques and better social and welfare facilities for which we are grateful to those who fought and sometimes suffered to obtain such achievements. Nevertheless the miner is still the salt of the earth and still faces the dangers which are associated with the industry every day he goes underground, a fact which at last is fully appreciated by the public at large.

Ours is a job to be proud of and one which this country of ours relies on and will do so for many years to come. The country needs coal, but not at the expense of safety.