Sea Coal - UK
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- čas přidán 16. 08. 2007
- July 2006
Joe Smith, now in his 70s, is one of the last remaining sea coal collectors in England. Working down the shore from the mines, he collects coal washed up by the sea.
"It's a beautiful job. It keeps you healthy", states Joe. In its heyday, hundreds of other people worked alongside him, collecting an average of 2,000 tons of a coal every weekend. But since the mines have closed and demand for coal fallen, the others have slowly disappeared. "Now it's just old codgers like us."
Joe was my uncle and his life always seemed fairly normal when we were growing up. Only now I realise that he really was special and one of a kind.
What strikes me most is the nobility of his life and the strong community that he was a part of. He lived with the travelling community and was always seen as one of their own. They gave him a great send off on his passing.
When Joe left us we lost not just a great man but also a very unique and important part of our social history. He is missed.
Joe seemed like a right legend. If only there were more people like him in our country.
Greetings from Canada I grew up in Newbiggin by the Sea in the 60s and 70s made extra money sea Coaling
I found this after reading Chris Killip's Sea Coal photo book today. It's good that these sea coal collectors have been recorded while it lasted. Sad to read below of Joe's death and the uncertain fate of his pony, but at least they are remembered here...
Great folk of the North East, I used to do this in the 70's off the Headland off Hartlepool, but no Lucy to assist. A great life and kept me fit. Thanks for posting this.
Total respect!! My grandad worked down Elllington Colliery all his life.
The colliery is now long gone.There was a few local pits which were joined underground and all the coal was brought to the surface at ellington colliery.
Yes some people still collect sea coal but i think like myself they take it for their own use. i use it over the winter for greenhouse heating.Whilst it still comes ashore it is not in any great numbers to make a living selling it.I believe there is an exposed coal seam on the sea bed and it is broken up and washed ashore.
A great insight into the lives of a generation now sadly gone.
Thank you to all involved.
i guess Im quite randomly asking but does anyone know a good site to stream new tv shows online ?
@Chris Billy I watch on FlixZone. Just search on google for it :)
@Jude Colin Definitely, been watching on FlixZone for months myself :)
@Jude Colin Thank you, signed up and it seems like they got a lot of movies there :) Appreciate it !
@Chris Billy You are welcome :)
i have a great respect for these men hard work makes hard men gone and so dies part of the area of the sea coalers respect
I used to live in Peterlee in the 70s and early 80s..........i remember the sea coal and also remember the converted green godesses which used to be the army fire engines.
These were converted to big pick up trucks. These were hard working men doing a back breaking job.
Yes lots crashed down crimdon bank etc think a lad was killed in one
I was on that beach just last week but didnt see much coal. mostly rocks and stones. The colliery is gone now but the chimneys you see in the background are part of the alcan smelter works at Lynemouth. Better to buy the sea coal from the man with the tractor at newbiggin just up the road £1 a bag.
Sea coal, who would of thought you could get coal on the beaches! Interesting video. Great video!!
It was horrible coal though. It didn't burn well and left a lot of ash and cinder.
@@briankeniry219 How much did they sell a bag of that coal for?
@@Neilukuk still sold now, anywhere between £1.50 and £3 a sack
The world is a poorer place for your passing Joe.R.I.P
my dad used to have joe work with him i sat in his caravan as a lil nipper while they loaded the coal used to love going out with them delivering traveled all over the country selling sea coal and was good sea coal i those days
I bet they had some great stories
I went to Newbiggin earlier this year and stayed in a nice frienly pub the new ship. I did see some coal on the beach and apprently there is one man knicknamed "Pie" who still uses a pony and cart to get the coal. From what I can gather it appears Joe's sister was left with the pony after Joe's death and couldn't cope so gave the pony away to a relative of Joe's called "Pie". Despite her age he tried to get her in foal, when that failed she was sold to a dealer and probably went for meat.
very interesting ,wonder if its still done ?
Nice to see them wearing Wellington Boots.
@Pitponyman did you ever hear anything about the pony roy ? nice thought about giving her a home !!! regards.
So in essence it's the act of recycling the tipped mine tailings and spoil that came from the line carriages at the end of get Carter?
All these men have the shakes
so sad roy! pity you did not get to know about her before ! sure joe would not have wanterd that after all she did for him, heart breaking , kind regards rich, ps keep up the good work.
I enjoyed watching that where abouts was this film shot sounds like Newcastle by the acsent, I am 29 years old and only know alittle about mining
i don,t know why this needs subtitles,i can understnd every word perfectly,its when listening to southern people talk where i could do with with subtitles.cos when ya here them talk,ya would think they had a mouthfull of marble,s
i walked the beaches he collected the coal from today with my dogs. live in newbiggin by the sea
I wonder if he's still alive?
Thanks for posting this video I have enjoyed watching it so much could someone please tell me where this beach is I would love to go and collect seacoal just out of interest, I live in the Midlands myself so I am few miles from the sea!
Lynemouth beach is in the North East, I believe last year they cleaned up and removed a large part of the old tip etc as at times you find literally all sorts of colliery waste/bits and pieces on the beach, this is only information from Google and Facebook, I've not been to the bay recently
My uncle is in this video he’s called George search up George smith Newbiggin by the sea he will come up
I wonder if it spits when burning ?
armpitfuzz it doesn’t I just got some today but if you get a accidental stone it will pop like a bullet
Yes i does, i can vouch for it. I used to pick it in the early 80s.
ive pulled coals off the same beach ,mi historia.
RIP unkle joe x
is this video from 2006 or 1980s when the pits still open
Definitely 2006. 0:8:36 notice the Vauxhall corsa.
in turkey some poor people collect coal from blacksea.
Same in the UK
@trahkered Thanks be new year after the winter as at min out of work but yes sometime in new year I will take my girlfriend there be a day out after March time when the weather gets warmer take care Ian
@trahkered whens this guy there and whats the postdcode dont want to drive from the midlands for nothing fuel is expensice take my gf for a day away from here
Nice to see proper pulling horses, you need wheight to pull pull wheight.