Ern Smith - Chief Clerk with Coal & Allied, Abermain No. 1. Part 2/2.

ERNEST SMITH
Recorded 9 February 1984 
Part 2/2

0:07 
"Peachey" Moore - he was a villain at Aberdare who took a joint or a finger off every Christmas to get compensation. 

0:27 
Recalls miners compensation procedure  

1:30 
Recalls ordering of stores procedure - requisitioning from Head Office. 

2:04 
Joe McHarg 

2:56 
Dave Hutton - doubled up for Ernest when he relieved somewhere else. 

3:36 
Rich. Main supplied power to Stockrington 

3:56 
Method of payment for power usage-book entry. 

4:59 
Len Coburn 

5:01 
Jack Bennett, Kel Stein 

5:07 
Recollection of chief clerks meeting 

5:14 
Recollection of six month agendas - the returns needed to be discussed. 

6:42 
Aleck Deitz 

6:49 
John Brown, Abermain No. 2 chief clerk. After retirement he went in 2 or 3 days a week.  

8:54 
Bill Fairleigh and his wife (Jack Dodds' mother in law, aged 90 at the time.) 

10:04 
Ern Twist 

10:15 
George Macleod - ex storeman at Coal and Allied. 

10:38 
Billy Hall 

11:09 
Jack Dodd  

11:42 
Bill Healy, Abermain No. 1 manager, becoming Superintendent 

12:10 
Merv Harris 

12:30 
Dossie Ridley, Jean Drinkwater were friends when they were kids. 

13:12 
Alan Hungerford sold his grazing property and introduced grapes. 

15:55 
Opening of Lake Macquarie power stations. Three Star Caravan Park developments for retirees. Proposal to build retirement village. 

22:05 
Eric Roach attacked by an intruder whilst in bed. 

22:18 
Ralph Scobie recently remarried. 

23:09 
Harold Lett did a lot for Cessnock 

26:44 
Ern Ditton. Alf Ditton, father and real inventor 

27:00 
Neil McNeill, Herb Bailey 

27:15 
Len Drayton 

27:23 
Marge Hungerford 

27:42 
Murray Tyrrell 

28:57 
History of first Drayton settlers 

29:14 
Mary Anne Chick 

30:01 
Audrey Wilkinson's wife is a Bloomfield. 

30:36 
Eric Roberts bought Cote D'Or 

31:21 
Cessnock tennis courts behind Allandale Road in Love Street. Dolly Tyrrell, Fran Smith, Mavis Evans, Marie Hemingway used to play tennis. 

33:11 
Margaret Peate 

34:16 
Effie O'Neill, nee McKenzie was a good business woman. 

34:34 
Peter O'Neill - he and Jack started school on the same day. 
 
35:07 
Rab Lewis 

35:15 
Billy Davey 

36:22 
Recollection of early newspapers (Newcastle Heralds and Cessnock Eagles, Cessnock Express and Maitland Mercury and Kurri Times) 

38:09 
Division between Maitland and coalfields  

38:28 
The origin of Ern's wife's family near Swansea, South Wales - Her maiden name was Davies. The hotel near the Rhondda coal mine was on Ern's grandfather's (Smith) property. There was also a large fruit orchard and he took the fruit and eggs to Wallsend by cart. The other grandfather went into wine making and netting fish out of Lake Macquarie. The relatives of Ern's wife were very devout Calvinist Methodist.  

42:30 The first Congregational Church and school were at Pelaw Main because it was settled before Kurri. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1DR3LCHSsY - Ref: Early days of Rhondda Coal Mining.  

Tape duration:46:38