News on Screen

Series

Series Name

Mining Review 6th Year

Issue

Issue No.

6

Date Released

Feb 1953

Stories in this Issue:

• 1. NEW YEAR HONOURS
• 2. RIGHT LINES
• 3. PRIVATE EYE
• 4. JIM’S GYM

Story

Story No. within this Issue

1 / 4

Summary

BFI synopsis: three of the mining people selected for New Year Honours - Alan Hill Area general manager at Bestwood, Nottinghamshire, Arthur Wright of Worksop and Burt Day from Haunchwood Colliery, West Midlands.
NCB Commentary - The first of January, 1953! Alan Hill, No. 6 Area General Manager at Bestwood, Nottinhamshire, comes in to start the year right. Let me see, there’s a wages meeting, output figures to check and - but what’s all the fuss? His secretary and his area administrative officer want to be the first to show him the news - Alan Hill, OBE.
In 1953’s New Year’s Honours list, Mr. Hill is awarded the only OBE to go to the mining industry. Congratualtions!
But many other miners were also honoured at this time of year. Here’s Arthur Wright of Worksop, in the North-Eastern Division, who’s typical of many others mentioned in the London Gazette. Arthur Wright is 65 years old, and his record matches those of so many old-timers in the industry. He started in the pits at 13, has been at the coal face since he was a lad - and according to my reckoning, that gives him 52 years’ service. Today he’s a B. E. M. - but he’s still working.
Over in the West Midlands, at Haunchwood Colliery, another B. E. M. holder comes on duty. He’s Burt Day, 74 years old and still going strong. He works in the checkweigh office, and just now Mr. Day is on nights. 61 years in mining he’s had, and 45 of them he’s spent as checkweighman. Burt Day’s life has been given to the fostering of good relations between men and management; after 25 years as Lodge Secretary and 13 as President he should know the ins and outs. He’s only one of the many who have fully deserved their awards for "long and meritorious service".

Researcher Comments

Commentary recorded 5 January 1953.

Keywords

Celebrations and festivals; Mining; Awards and honours

Written sources

British Film Institute Databases   Used for Synopsis
Film User   Vol.8 No.87 January 1954, p32.
The National Archives COAL 32   /3 Scripts for Mining Review, 1949-1956

Credits:

Production Co.

Documentary Technicians Alliance

Sponsor

National Coal Board

Camera

Ronald Bicker