EAW047386 ENGLAND (1952). North Gawber Colliery and environs, Mapplewell, 1952. This image was marked by Aerofilms Ltd for photo editing.

In this picture, North Gawber colliery, Carr green lane, Spark lane , Darton lane.

I was born in then end house in the botton left hand corner, my granddad John Haigh was a Banksman for the old pit shaft, he kept pigs and poultry in the out buildings and in the field.

In those days most of the dwellers in and around Carr Green and local butcher Mr Pointon Birkingshaw Four-Lane-Ends Mapplewell would process pigs into prime cuts and granddad would salt his own hams and bacon.

During the collieries annual Barnsley Feast holidays the pit ponies would be put to pasture in this field and others close by. Looking at the photograph i can remember quite a few of those ponies names, Boxer, Bowler, Sweep, Scott, Roy, Duke, Peter, Snap and many more. The pit top show ponies would be there too, ( my profile picture ).

Mr Albert Gillispie colliery winder was presented a copy of this picture by Mr Collingwood colliery manager, one can see where the picture was cropped.

Above Spark lane can be seen the Towncroft Working Mens club, ( today this is the village hall ).

Below the club can be seen the bowling greens and football pitch, this pitch was constructed by the colliery workers during the 1920 pit strike. By the side of the football field in darton lane can be seen Mr Ibotson's private gardens that were open to the public several times a year.

The Kings Head pub, mine host Mr Harry Cross and his good lady, across the road is Horton Clayton family butcher's shop.

The gasometer can be seen too, behind is the village cricket pitch.

Above the colliery in Spark lane is the exservice men club, in those days called the Tin Hat, they too had bowing greens

In front of the Tin Hat can be seen the old field where the traveling fairground set up as we called the Feaste, next to this field is where our local Tripe and offal trader used to process his meats, Mr Thomas Arthur Clark, it is worth the mention that his good lady wife was one of the first baking staff that the famous village bakery Fosters employed. Mr Clark and his son used to deliver coal too using two grand shire horses, one for the tripe cart and one for the coal.

We must also not forget Mr Frost who lived in Spark lane, he too used a shire horse to transport colliery pit props to the sawmill, he lived in a grand old cottage with an orchard--all gone now.