Down South Crofty Mine

Going down South Crofty Mine was not something I expected to do when I agreed to join the Council Cabinet in June. There is now a company that has financial backing, the experience and ambition to turn South Crofty into a working mine with several hundreds of jobs a possibility. This is at an early stage and they invited the Cabinet to visit as they want our support to help attract more funding.

This was quite an experience as it was not like a tourist visit it was going right into the heart of the mine. Some drilling was going on, making an area safe for Camborne School of Mines to use for training purposes. That was very loud, even with the ear plugs that were provided. We also went through some very low tunnels where even I had to duck! For me the most scary thing was climbing up and down the very long but narrow ladders, especially as I’m afraid of heights! I should have been sponsored for this activity.

Whilst I worry about the job of a miner and I would not want to do it, for some it would be an opportunity for well paid work that they might not be able to aspire to in other fields as they are more practical than academic and they prefer this manual work than being on a computer, in an office or a shop. Mind you, there would be jobs for admin people in offices and engineers and other technical fields plus some manual work above ground. On balance, I think it would be good for Camborne and therefore for Cornwall if it does re-open. Thankfully technology and an improved attitude to safety will mean that risks will be reduced and better managed than in years gone by but I know the risks would not be zero. Mind you, the risks of driving a car are not zero and most of us do that!