IN reply to Mr Paul Morgan's letter (Review, March 7). Yes I agree with what he is saying.

As an old miner – I'm 77 years of age – I did work in Northern United Colliery in the 50s and I worked down the J side and the H side on the coal face.

The J side had the coal face 11 off it and the water did come in there like a rain storm and we would go out early on a wet note.

Then go down the dipple a bit further and you had the 12 coal face and that was under a rock roof and it was dry with a seam of coal three to four feet high.

The 12 coal face we worked was under Cinderford about half a mile straight down and the 11 coal face was worked under the dam which was under the old brick works towards Steam Mills.

I also worked down the H side and that was towards the Forest Church and the roof over the coal face was a mixture of dirt clay and other rubbish and you could have a roof fall in if you did not get the props and lids on quickly.

My deputy was the late Harvey Gwilliam and a very fine man he was. If you were getting behind with your stint of coal he would pick up a shovel and help.

So I think the planners of the council should go back in history before giving consent to build on any ground near old mines in the Forest because, like Mr Morgan said, there will be sink holes.

But the old saying is get a bit of information off the old miners that have worked down these pits But they be a getting a bit thin on the ground now and disabled from working in the bowels of the Forest.

– Albert James, Cinderford.