Cloudy with a chance of sunshine?
July noted
It was with a mixed bag of rain and whispers of summertime sunshine that the Friends arrived for a slightly delayed start to another busy Open Day at Hemingfield.
Open Day Sat 6th July 2019
Year: 2019
Frogs & flowers, Saturday 22nd June 2019
A nice prospect: the pit opening up, but tinged with frustration at criminal damage
It was an absolutely cracking day at Hemingfield for the Open Day. Compared to the previous fortnight when rain stopped play. The sun was beating down, baking the ground, drawing all the greenery higher. Set against the bright blue sky it was beautiful; still the crew were eager to get back on site and stuck in once more. Friends Chair Steve, and Site Manager Glen opened up, joined by regular volunteers John, Paul, Chris and Keith during the day which was equal parts glorious sunshine and hard yacker.
Mowing the meadow, Open Day, Sat 25th May 2019
Ah, this is the life. The Great Outdoors. Hemingfield Pit life. A sun-drenched, hazily blue-skied morning with the Friends and regular volunteers arriving at Hemingfield; a cool breeze and whispy clouds drifting by as the gates opened wide in welcome for another busy working day.
Rain and Steam, Open Day Sat 11th May 2019
Site manager Glen opened the gates to regular volunteers Chris, Paul and John, together with new volunteer Sean on a searingly bright and simmering morning up at Hemingfield.
Wheels in motion: Open Day Saturday 27th April 2019
Wet and windy starts are usually inauspicious signs for an open day, but this Saturday was far from run-of-the-mill (or run-of the-pit for that matter).
Open to interpretation. Open Day Saturday 6th April 2019
A solitary daffodil sprouts forth amongst the rough ground at the pit.
Spring was truly upon us this weekend, as the Friends opened up the site. Paul, John and Chris joined Site Manager Glen for a busy Open Day, and a special one to be sure.
An eye for detail, Open Day 23rd March 2019
Bevel gear winding indicator at Hemingfield
It was another busy day on site for the Friends of Hemingfield Colliery. Regular volunteers Paul and Chris opened up, Joined by John and returning Peak District regular John B. and Site Manager Glen later in the day.
Wet with sunny spells, Sat 9th March 2019
Not-entirely-bright blue skies welcomed the Friends back to site in March. A little before the Ides, perhaps, but nonetheless another good day to crack on with work on site.
Summertime sprung: Open day Sat 23rd February 2019
Wow, we could really get used to this! Yet another unseasonably beautiful day welcomed the Friends back on site as the regular volunteers continued work on the retaining wall around the back of the site overlooking the railway line.
Pausing to admire the views as the crew arrived during the morning, we felt more in danger of sunburns than winter chills, with long shadows casting headgear silhouettes out over the Elsecar Heritage Railway line below.
Digging inThis weekend’s open day saw site Manager Glen and regular volunteers John, Paul and Chris, later joined by Andy working on the retaining wall again, but this time focussing on the top side.
In order to secure the long term stability of parts of the retaining wall which have given way, it has been necessary to dig down behind the brickwork at the top to find the level of the stonework, in order to reduce the danger of masonry falling and also to ease pressure on the lower walling.
There was also more work at the base of the wall. On the last Open Day the group had removed fallen stone and dug out a depth of mud from the bottom of the wall and, in so doing, allowed water to drain from the wall.
Allowing the water to drain out of the week may help to prevent further collapse.Flying highDowning tools for the day, the group paused by the headgear as a kestrel hovered into view over the valley between Hemingfield and Elsecar.
This magnificent bird of prey, so closely linked in popular culture to this area, to Barry Hines’ Kes, celebrating 50 years since it was first published. As part of the Great Place Wentworth and Elsecar “Futurist” cinema events (named after a former local cinema), there is to be a special screening of the film adaptation hosted at Milton Hall on Tuesday 12th March.
#Kes50 image by artist Patrick Murphy
Available from: http://www.patrickmurphystudio.co.uk/product/billy-kes-print-kes-50/
Winter wonderwall, Sat 9th February 2019
February by name was not February by nature this weekend as bright sun and blue skies, with the odd cloud, welcomed the Friends and regular volunteers on site for another Open Day down at the pit.
Friends of Hemingfield Colliery 