It was here I really saw comradeship, my first 20 days underground were spent at a haulage unit with a guy called Dennis from Lochgelly ,with whom I was to become a good friend for the next few years.

we were responsible for supplies to the new mine where they were driving a road up a 1in4 gradient to meet a shaft being sunk approx 1.5 miles away...now known as castlebridge.

It was on this supply route underground I spent most of my coal-mining days ,also going up to the stone face and see rock unseen for 1000s of years even this far underground you still get fossils

after all coal is a fossil and I wonder when the coal-mines will re-open as a source of fuel, giving communities and individuals self-respect once more

the thatcherite government has a lot to answer for, and as the iron lady said herself

where there has been error , let there be truth

unquote

It was while working here that I me t K.Kennedy junior and T.Ryan

one I,d like to thank kenny if it wasnt for him I would have never ventured into the hillfoots

menstire alva tillicoultry

done them all

great-times

jokes-crimes-sex-booze

T.ryan tullibody

tnx for the times at loch Lubnaig including the time when the car did two 360s and we still made it home....

wullie frasier cowdenbeath

give it large

wullie

tiillicoultry

quaint little village foot of the ochil hill main square clock

sundays spent going over to the sword hotel and struggling back for 2am

my main drinking hole would be the red-lion

albeit one year I did don my N.C.B outfit including lamp and go collecting cash for some charity depositing the money in a pub at the alva end of the town

If your going to leave your mark make sure you get it right the first time

I am not shy nor introvert

just the last few years have left me wondering where the hell did I go wrong

all I did was try my best

any way it was all good fun

at least I can laugh about it

B.Redfern team leader New Mine

shug tilly

coming soon taking risks underground

maltese-madness-holiday

miners-night-out-wheel-inn-scone

Since moving into my fathers I have got my act together I think , working in the mines has blessed me with more hours of work I can think of even working summer holidays one year..

However I have booked a holiday with my family at the time to Malta, two weeks in the sun...

that will be right..

We arrive in good time weather was brilliant xchange rate ching!ching!

Not long before I have found a nice little bar on the front of Buggiba qwara point.. st.pauls bay

and on one occasion on leaving the place I see this nice mini cooper keys-an-all

dont need to ask what happens next

well before I know it, I am heading towards Mellehia Bay

well at least thats what I thought, UNTIL

I awoke at the wheel and between two trees..

clambouring out of the car I tossed the keys and headed home ... about 750yards into my drunken wanderings I hear a land-drover heading in my direction, which carries on right past me , although a few moments later I hear it grind to a halt, shit they have found the car, not only that another land-rover is coming along the road towards me, I dive into the undergrowth as the car stops and search-light is illuminated, crawling through the undergrowth, I stumble on for at least 100yrds past this second car and on to the dusty road, running ,my heart pounding...I hear some shouting and then a shot rings out, I hit the deck, shit I m not hit good back to my feet and run, good old detention exercises

running into a drive-way and leaping over a small wall....ouch its a 25 foot drop at the other side..

crumpled in a heap..torches and rifles appear over the ledge...woah buddy dont shoot...

arrested and handcuffed it is down to the local jail

where I spent 3 days before they located my father....ashamed and a little battered

I was ordered to appear in court in 3days time

to which it was to take most of my money and an expensive lesson learned once more

I was fined over £200 and banned from driving in

Malta

for a year

hasten to add I was then chaperoned round the whole network of tourist attractions free of charge, the blue grotto, the azure window, the mosta dome as I was skint and my father did not wish me out his line of sight..

but a good holiday was had

knights of st.john/rhodes

thank-you

93division