South Yorkshire Times, January 19, 1963.
Retires after 50 Years Pit Service.
A man who was “evicted” from the pit in 1911 because he was too young, returned six months later, and he has just retired from Cadeby Main Colliery after completing 50 year´s service there.
Mr Richard Babiner, 51 Cliff view, Denaby, first went to Cadeby Colliery when he was underage (you hadto be 14 before you could go down the pit), and after just two weeks working at the shaft bottom it was discovered that he was only 13 1/2, and he had to work at a glassworks for six months before finally “becoming of age.”
Mr Babiner started officially just two weeks after the Cadeby disaster, as a pony driver; he then worked on the haulage, and later at the coalface. For health reasons he came to the surface, was a labourer when he retired.
Mr Babiner said he had only had two spells off work through ill-health inhis working life, but ironically he had tomiss hislast working day through ill health.
Mr Babiner, a native of Burcroft, Conisbrough, was married in 1919 and has a son and daughter.
He said that so far he found retirement “monotonous,” but a favourite pastime of Mr Babiner´s is watching Denaby United. He has been a supporter for 50 years, and still goes to home matches, and away games as well, if there is a bus available.
Among the places he has visited with the United are Blyth and Carlisle, when, Denaby lost 1-0 in a FA cup tie.