Chris joined Meco International in 1987 as regional Sales Manager, & in 1992 became International Sales Manager Russia, just before Joy took over the Company. In 1997 he came to Australia as Joy State Sales Manager, and joined Longwall Associates in 2002 as National Sales & Marketing Director. At present Chris is managing director of chains and lifting supply company, ACTL.

Chris still plays division 1 commercial league soccer for Brisbane and this April will represent Glenmore Park on the Gold Coast in the over 35s World Fun Cup. His other sporting pursuit is golf.

ILN:What is your earliest mining memory?

CW: My earliest memory of mining comes from living in a small village near Barnsley called Great Houghton. Almost everyone who lived there worked at Houghton Main, Dearne Valley, Hickleton Main, Barnburgh or Goldthorpe, so most of the conversations with the older people was about mining which was fascinating.

ILN: What made you choose mining as a career?

CW: I was always interested in mechanical things so I helped out at my uncle’s garage during the holidays. One of the guys who also helped out was a fitter at Barnburgh Colliery and some of the stories he used to tell me about work convinced me that mining and mechanical engineering was for me.

ILN: When was your first underground visit?

CW: As a member of the village church youth club, a visit underground at Houghton Main was arranged. Three of my mates and myself found the visit superb and we all started at Houghton Main in 1962, two of us as apprentice fitters, one as an apprentice electrician, and one as a mining apprentice.

ILN: What was your favourite job in a coal mine?

CW: I would have to say as an assistant engineer, this is where I first started to learn the value of management, but could still keep close involvement with the actual engineering. I learned organisation, planning, and man management, and with the right attitude I found there was always help available by some very experienced management.

ILN: What was your least favourite job?

CW: Hard to say really, but as an apprentice fitter the coal face was the place to be. You had to go through quite a stringent learning programme, so working outbye on all sorts of cold dirty jobs, was not where my heart was. I wanted to be at the coal face.

ILN: Who, or what, has most influenced your mining career?

CW: I have been lucky really in my mining career, I have met many people and most have added something beneficial and made me the person I am today. Lots of different personalities come into this category, but everyone even to the present day have all had one thing in common, that is commitment to mining and zest for the job. Mining has a special camaraderie and the people I have in mind, too many to mention, are very much part of this.

ILN: What do you consider your best mining achievement?

CW: Mining Supplies in the 70’s were regarded as innovators within coal mining. I was heavily involved in developing two or three forms of chainless haulage systems for shearers. For people that can remember that far back, to have a system, other than a haulage chain whipping about from one end of the face to the other, must be regarded as a major achievement.

ILN: What do you see as being the greatest mining development during your career?

CW: Roof Bolting. Australia was probably the major pioneer in this. Looking back at the 60s, 70s and early 80s when mines were using heavy arches, production figures could not and would not have been achieved without this major step.

ILN: Do you hold any mining records?

CW: Back in 1994 while working for Meco International, I happened to be underground at Kiveton Park, South Yorkshire when the National news BBC were there. They took several photographs. When the National Miner’s strike started, which went on for 14 months, every time it was shown on national television there was a clip of me walking up the drift underground. They then froze my picture at the top of the screen for the whole duration of discussions. Instant fame, but I would have liked it to be for something other than a National strike.

ILN: Do you have any unfulfilled ambitions?

CW: To have a round of golf with Jack Nicklaus, & Elle Macpherson as my caddy. ( only because my wife is not interested in golf – of course!!!)

ILN: What was your most embarrassing moment in a coal mine?

CW: While underground in the UK with foreign visitors, we were at a man riding belt and to illustrate how to get on the belt I was asked to lead. I stepped on the belt only to slip and finish upside down in the blind side. I did no damage to myself other than my pride when I saw everyone in the group doubled up with laughter

ILN: What was your scariest time in a coal mine?

CW: After travelling 240 miles on a Sunday afternoon from Barnsley to South Wales, to a mine called Wyndham & Weston, I went straight underground to the longwall face some 2 miles in to look at the chainless haulage system and the shearerdrive. I knew there was not another person underground and while I was examining equipment there was a huge weight flush in the goaf. I had witnessed these before but never on my own and in a strange mine. I was somewhat shaken up after, but being a true Yorkshireman, I cleaned myself up, went back on the face and finished the examination.

ILN: What is your worst memory of coal mining?

CW: Without question for me, 12th June 1975, Houghton Main explosion with 5 people killed. Any fatality is one too many, but you never think it will happen on your own doorstep. When you knew all the 5 people that lost their lives, everything else pales into insignificance. The last person they found Dick Bannister, was 15m from safety. He started work at Houghton Main the same day as me and we had adjoining lockers. A nicer, more genuine person you could have wished to have met anywhere.

ILN: Do you think that the day of the fully automated remotely operated face is near?

CW: It is almost here, when you look at how technology has advanced in mining in the last 20 -30 years. I think the larger supplier companies are ready, it now only needs total commitment by them and the coal companies to go the extra yard.

ILN: What major improvements would you like to see on longwall operations?

CW: Both supplier and coal companies working even closer together and anything connected to safety, dust suppression, methane drainage and even further advancement on self rescuers.