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A summery morning at Whimsy Pit, a little known colliery on the North Somerset coast.
Being next to the sea, it’s a bit of a wet mine, so the water pumps have to work quite hard, they being operated by small children deep underground on tread wheels. On really wet days the children are fed with blue Smarties to make them more productive.
This is quite common in Little England where TikTok has yet to be used as a means of keeping children fit. But miniaturisation will no doubt change this in due course, with silly dancing replacing the tread wheels, though they’ll still be allowed blue Smarties as a special treat after Sunday school.
Quite a few coal mines extend under the sea especially in the northeast of Little England, so this isn’t unusual, but it’s the only one to do so in the Somerset coal field, this being the western extremity which extends under the Bristol Channel.
Meanwhile an ex GWR pannier tank has just dropped off a wagon to collect what little coal is mined here, which makes one wonder just how profitable the tiny mine really is. But rumour has it that the coal has a high concentration of treacle, copper, lead and other rare earth minerals making it much sought after by sponge pudding and treacle tart manufacturers as well as the plumbing, pharmaceutical, and science industry.
Treacle is of course a bi product of the sugar refining industry, but this naturally occurring version is thought to be far superior, especially when mixed in with coal, lead, copper and other minerals.
Meanwhile Deliberation Dave and Bob Geeza Cat are looking over at Ivan Locksmith who is standing on the wagon loading platform, they’re wondering what he’s up to, Ivan being midway though smoking something exotic that he’s grown in his giant greenhouse that rivals the one at Kew Gardens.
Why Ivan is here I’m not sure sure, but he’s probably after a lump or two of the ‘special coal’ to grind up and mix with some of his ‘special’ herbs that he grows.
And finally, the sidings here can get quite boggy, they being just a few feet above sea level, so it’s not unknown for them to occasionally flood during a high water spring tide making it quite a haven for wildlife and lost shoes.
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