Transcribed by Dave Banks. Geo. An extract from a Whitehaven News edition of 1930. Old Whitehaven Pits A recollection by George "Geordie" Irving of Roper St, Wath Brow. " I was born in Whitehaven in the year 1843. That makes me 87 at my next birthday. I lived a long time at Harras Moor and Moor Row, eventually coming to Cleator Moor about seven years ago. At the age of 10 I started work at Low Wreay Pit as a trapper. There were no cages and no tubs in those days - baskets and trams being used. In 1854, North Pit opened on Harras Moor and I started there, but it had a short career, stopping two years later. I went in William Pit and was there until 1862, when I went to Lowther Street, got a sack of gear, a bogie, and a pair of traces. I put the gear into the bogie, and, getting between the traces I pulled it on to Low Wreay Pit top! I started there the next day. There was only local trade for the coal, and we were lucky to get eight days in per fortnight, and wages were low. When I started work I had 4d per day! I saw very little daylight then, too. I was turned 16 before I was earning 1s per day. When I was at William Pit I had 9d and for that I was rising on Harras Moor at 4.30 in themorning, going down the pit at 5 o'clock and getting back as late as 8.30 at night! Those were the good old days! There was not time nor room for cuffs or collars. Anyway, I worked in all the Cleator Moor coal pits, and was among iron-ore, too. I last worked at Stirling's No.3, finishing there when I was 79 - seven years I have been 'running loose.' I never went to a day school, but I went to a Sunday School regularly. Boys and girls sat together in the day schools - and together they learned knitting, sewing, Bible reading, and writing. There was one at Harras Moor called Davy Pit School, carried on by Gilbert Hartley, of Rose Hill - a thorough gentleman. Miss Hopkins was the mistress. When the National Schools came in they were called 'charity schools' because the scholars paid only 1d per week. I well remember Harras Moor races. They started on the 17th of November, 1852, but they stopped again in 1864. They were not held for years until the present Earl of Lowther came in 1892 and they re-started and carried on for three years - the last races being in 1895. There is now a farm standing where the big grandstand was. It was John Lowther who built the castle at Whitehaven. The first coal found there was an outcrop at Ginns. James Lowther, the eldest son of John, became the first Earl of Lonsdale. He sank Croft Pit. I knew Sal Madge. She was a very strong woman and was employed as waggoner at the incline chiefly. She had a bonnie head of yellow hair. It was cut short at the back - just like present day 'bobbed' hair. It did not do to 'cross' Sal! Many years ago there was a public-house in Whitehaven kept by a Mrs Simon, the widow of Captain Barker, re-married. Two of us went in, and Sal was sitting there, smoking her little black clay pipe and a pint of ale in front of her. Some sailors came in and passed some remarks which she evidently resented, for all of a sudden she got up and snapped the door on the inside. There were four of the sailors, but she up with her fists and went for them right and left. I got up on the window out of the way. The fracas was stopped by a burly policeman bursting open the room door. Sal would stand no nonsense, I tell you. She was not the only character I could tell you of in Whitehaven, though! People were rough in those days, because times were rough. The public-houses were open from week-end to week-end, being closed only for half an hour at church time on Sundays. The churchwarden went round to see that all were out - and perhaps had a pint or two while he was about it! I will tell you an anecdote about William Pit. Jimmy Doran was driving a horse pulling trams and baskets down a decline called Nova Scotia dip. The tram wheel struck a joint, the basket tipped over on to Jimmy's leg and broke it. The trappers laid Jimmy at the side and went for help. Now Jimmy was a bit of a rhymester, and when they came back, he was singing the following lines to the tune of 'The Girl I Left Behind Me.' As I went down Nova Scotia dip My horse set off a canterin', Tram got off t'road and t'bucket towped, And broke my poor old lantern. Jimmy died some years ago, though he lived to be a good age."