Old Pals’ dig up fifty years
CAMPBELTOWN’S Old Pals dug out their best mining anecdotes for their visit to a colliery exhibition.
More than 35 members visited Jan Nimmo’s Road to Drumleman exhibition at Glen Scotia’s Old Kiln to mark the 50th anniversary of the closure of Machrihanish’s Argyll Colliery.
Some of the Old Pals who worked in the coal mine shared stories of life in the pits.
George McMillan worked in the mine from 1952 until 1966, the year before it was shut down.
Mr McMillan said: ‘I left because I knew the mine was likely to close. I borrowed a bit of money and bought a chip shop where the Golden Ocean is now.’
Old Pal Willie Durance was an electrician at Argyll Colliery from 1956 until its closure in 1967.
Alex McKinven, Old Pals secretary, also worked at the colliery from 1959 to 1961 as a surface worker.
‘This exhibition is great,’ said Mr McKinven, ‘I bumped into my old next-door neighbour, Raymond Morris, who I haven’t seen for over 50 years.
‘His father, Bill, got me my job at the pit.’
Raymond travelled from Kingussie especially to visit the exhibition.
An Old Pals spokesperson said: ‘We’d like to thank Iain Johnston for organising today’s visit.
‘Thanks also to Age Scotland, Third Sector Interface, Ian MacVicar for transport, Glen Scotia Distillery for hosting us, South Kintyre Development Trust for providing us with seats, and, of course, Jan Nimmo for running the exhibition.’