Subsidence

Mining caused widespread subsidence in Bagworth up to the 1980s. A new church (above) had to be built in the 1960s to replace that shown on the 'People' page.

Interviewer: Mrs Perkins, I understand that you have had first hand experience of subsidence at perhaps its worst. What happened in actual fact?

Mrs Perkins: Well it all happened very quickly, all in a matter of a few days. The floors started rising, the ceilings started dropping. This was in the club and in the living quarters. But it all happened so suddenly you wouldn’t believe it unless you were actually here, it was like an earthquake.

Interviewer: I understand that even floor tiles were shooting up weren’t they?

Mrs Perkins: Yes, they were cracking and spitting all over the room like Rice Crispies, actually. But, one evening we went out to a dinner and dance and I left the children and when we come home they were at Thornton; the ceilings had actually come down in the time that we were out.

Interviewer: The ceilings had actually collapsed?

Mrs Perkins: Yes, in the house. The son in his bedroom, he had to move into the bathroom to sleep, his ceiling all came down. It was really shocking.

Interviewer: What happened to your children then, I mean, were they taken up by a neighbour and moved to safety?

Mrs Perkins: Yes, yes, the secretary’s son took them to Thornton and then the coal board found us emergency accommodation, which was caravans on the car park. And we were there for eight weeks until it started snowing very badly and then they found us other accommodation, which was an old coal board house.

Interviewer: Since, I suppose they’ve, they’ve repaired the club since to a certain extent have they?

Mrs Perkins: Well, they have been and done minor repairs, new floors and lino, but as you can see this is already going again, rising again.

Interviewer: What do you feel about living here?

Mrs Perkins: Well there’s just no future to it, it makes you wonder if, what’s going to happen one morning when you come in, if there’s going to be any walls or roofs standing.

Interviewer: Coming into the club here I’ve noticed some very bad cracks, some that I could actually get my fingers into, they’re zig-zagging across the walls, is this a normal thing?

Mrs Perkins: Oh yes, yes, you can actually hear it cracking and moving when you’re here on your own in the quiet.

Interviewer: This must be very frightening.

Mrs Perkins: Well it is, in fact it’s taken me all this time to get used to it, because we aren’t Bagworth people.

Interviewer: Has anybody told you how bad this subsidence will be here, have you been told that the place may collapse, or what?

Mrs Perkins: Well no, all we know is what we’ve read that is going to happen in March, and what the miners from the various mines have told us when they’ve come in as customers.

Interviewer: What’s going to happen in March?

Mrs Perkins: Well they say that it’ll be the worst subsidence that the village has ever had, that it’ll look as if a bomb’s hit it, which from my experience it’s hard to believe it could be worse than the last lot we had three years ago.

Interviewer: Why is this, is it because they’re extending workings?

Mrs Perkins: Well, I believe they’re coming up with deep seams from Bagworth pit and Desford pit and naturally they’ll meet at the top of the village, but whether it’s just a rumour I don’t really know.

Interviewer: What do you think will happen to Bagworth, you’re an outsider, have you formed any conclusions yourself?

Mrs Perkins: Well, as long as they’re mining there never will be a Bagworth, because these miners have had to live with it all their lives, and it’s just got worse now.

Interviewer: You can’t see yourself stopping here then in your present job?

Mrs Perkins: Well, unless by some miracle they do build us new accommodation - and which I can’t see that, if they won’t build houses for other people they won’t build one for us - and a new club, I can’t see a future for anybody.

©BBC