Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
9 January 2009
14:0512446Barryw I like thousands of other miners were not the "enemy within" we were just hard workers who, justly, wanted to keep our jobs and our futures. I don't care why she wanted to do it, I don't care about Labour's bottle or u-turns, I don't know what "the time of Castle's 'In Place of Strife' "means. I am a simple person who knows right from wrong. I am not a German, I was not at war, and you wanted to shut our pits to teach others a lesson. You're just a big bully and I suppose you see me as just a casualty of war. I don't care what you think or believe about me, I know my actions were right and the fact that we now have no Collieries left in Kent proves me right. I tried to do something to stop mass unemployment in our area, what have you done?
Your comment to Keith "businesses need customers with money" surely, if you take jobs of people and put them on benefits, then its only your money(as you see it) that they can spend at your business?
"My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum"
Unregistered User
9 January 2009
14:1912447Regretably Gary there did not seem to be a formula to deal with those pits that should have been shut without the usual industrial conflict. I believe many TU Leaders had wider agendas & that the strike should never have started. History tells you they took on the wrong PM & Coal Board Chairman. I don't think your Leadership in Kent were shining examples of how to conduct disputes & were tactically outflanked. They called the Coal Board's bluff once too often, particularly with Betteshanger & got the resultant tragic answer. What a travesty that the Kent pit Snowdon, which was one of the original dispute list was the last to close.
Both sides were far from blameless. You, your families & communities are the losers. You may be industrial martyrs but at what consequence!!
Indeed modern King Coal has a part to play in any future energy policy with nuclear leading the way.
Not the answer you want & as close family friends I don't think we want to follow this thru.
Watty
Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
9 January 2009
18:2812448Paul, I think a formula different to the one used should have been found, and yes, time to move on. Has anyone got a couple of Marques we could borrow in August for our Kent Miners Festival?
"My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum"
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
9 January 2009
20:1612453i would like to see tilmanstone re open fully and start produseing coal,and betteshanger open up as a mining museam.
Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
9 January 2009
20:2612457that would cheer a few people up Brian
"My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum"
9 January 2009
21:0012460It is time to move on, but scars go deep. They will heal with time - let's be kind to each other.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
9 January 2009
21:1412465would it not be too dangerous to open any pits now for commercial production?
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
9 January 2009
21:3512470no not really.
Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
9 January 2009
21:5012473Howard, our pits will never open again, they were abandoned and filled in.
which makes it more important that we remember our Mining Heritage, not just to keep our father's and grandfather's memories alive but also to show their children and grandchildren how they played their part in forming the history in our little corner of Kent.
"My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum"
Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
9 January 2009
21:5812474Bern, yes it is time to move on and yes it is time to be kind to each other and to start working with each other to put things right, if we can.
My scars run too deep to forgive and forget but what is ahead of us is more important than the past.
"My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum"
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
9 January 2009
22:2212477i can understand how the former mining community feels, and hope that time will heal all scars gary.
can we now keep our statue?
Guest 649- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 14,118
9 January 2009
22:4012481As you know sometime ago I done a post about coal coming back and it is they have open two new pits and more will come we are siting on the best coal in the world and we need the work opening the pits will bring 1000s of jobs and also it will be Health and Safety first this time round,so lets get moving and get the coal mines open.
Vic matcham
Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
9 January 2009
23:0712483Howard your not losing the statue, its only going a short distance away, giving you all another reason to visit the Miners Way Trail and our picturesque parks and villages and it will have information inviting visitors to go to Dover and take in place's of interest and projects that are in your lovely town. With the sky lift and the possibility of the Straits of Dover attaining World Heritage Status things are looking brighter for Dover.
"My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum"
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
9 January 2009
23:3012484gary
you must be a marketing man now.
i will be visiting the miners trail, may bring barry along to talk down to the exhibits.
will be a long time before the straits get heritage status though.
Guest 671- Registered: 4 May 2008
- Posts: 2,095
10 January 2009
11:0612496Howard
Just let me know when you bringing Barry over and I would be glad to meet up and show you round.
Also, you are all invited to bring your families along to Fowlmead Park, on 31st August, for the Kent Miners Festival, it will be a fun & exciting day for all the family, Mining Exhibitions, work shops, shows, entertainment & refreshments, bands, music and much more, put date in diary's now. If any person or organisation is interested in being involved in any way, please contact me.
getting world heritage status for the straits will take a long time but well worth putting in the time to get it, very important for Dover's future.
"My New Year's Resolution, is to try and emulate Marek's level of chilled out, thoughtfulness and humour towards other forumites and not lose my decorum"
10 January 2009
11:1712498I will be glad to see this - we absolutely need to remember and cherish our mininghistory.
