Coal Hewing Amble Beach? COMPLETED WITH THANKS

[ambleetc]

Thanks again - really great to know exactly where the photograph was taken - will have to visit the spot next time I am in the area. Fancy the photo being your husband's Uncle!

[aspin]

To be truthful I spotted it as his cousin who looks very like his Dad also named George

Do you know where the Saltpans are (Island View now )
its along by the old cemetery on the Links road
Elizabeth

[aspin]

Husband says it looks like his uncle and these men would be looking for coal
Its not dakers as I thought it is beside  cave near to the Saltpans

known now as Island View

Elizabeth

[Gen List Lass]

I walk the dog often at Amble and it's not what I would call a coaly beach. It's sandy.

There are an awful lot of men on that photo, more than I would have thought to be out picking up sea coal on an average day, even in the Depression days.

There also seems to be a lot of "stuff" on the beach. Were they perhaps picking over the wreckage of a coal boat?

There are however remains of coal staithes at Amble, the beach near there maybe had enough spillage to search through?

The photo isn't clear enough to enlarge to see more detail, unfortunately.

Gen in Northumberland England

[aspin]

Gen
You mustn't have been here about 50 years ago
On a stormy day I used to or should I had to leave my little ones with my invalid father in law to help my mother in law carry coal up from the beach yes its sandy now
and you will see what we call the little shore is a digrace at the moment
You most likely park your car at the bottom of my street

Elizabeth

[Gen List Lass]

I've only known Amble in the last 5 years so it's probably changed quite a lot since  you went coal gathering:-)

If it used to have coaly beaches and now it's sandy, makes me wonder where the coal went???

Gen in NBL UK

[aspin]

It all got gathered up by my mother in law and many more 

The pits have been closed for years and the seams all sealed off
Hence no coal to get out of the seams

Elizabeth

[wilsonhepple]

Sometimes coal seams were found just inches under the surface of the ground.
When I was a youngster, I would spend my Summer holidays with my Auntie in  Esh Winning, Co. Durham.
I recall her telling me about the horrible cold Winters when they nearly froze to death for lack of fuel.
Imagine her surprise, when years later the Wimpy Opencast Co. moved onto the land, and found coal deposits just six inches under the surface of her land.

[wilsonhepple]

My Father was a coal miner, working in pits throughout the North East.
One day, in the 1950's, he told me he had been working all that day."under the sea"..
They had travelled down into the shaft, then continued almost a mile under the North Sea...
What a scary thought.!