Marland Cake Miners Yesterday
The Future of the Marland cake mines hangs in the balance as New European Health and Safety regulations for mining come into force next month. Fishleigh Barton reports: The new rules outlaw the use of traditional jelly props that support the structural integrity of mine & hundreds like it, to replace the jelly with another hygienic alternative would probably make the mine economically unviable.
In a press statement released by the Mines CEO & General Manager Mr Kevin-Ian Pling he stated ” Us really dunno what to do now! The jelly props have never been a problem before, in fact the mine has had no major accidents since their introduction as a result of the infamous Battenburg slide & that was way back in 1879. These new regs will cripple us, I be certain o’ that”. Tiz yet another zample of Euro regalations gone mad. This bleak outlook for the mine is a double whammy for Marland with the recently announced closure of the silk purse factory. Redundancies could top 100 before the end of the year is out.
The closure of the last remaining cake mines could have a domino effect for local industry with catastrophic consequences on the supply of cake for the numerous cake stalls across the South West, as all other cake will have to be imported.
So is it the end of confectionery mining in England? Will Marland go the way of Brayford treacle mines in the 1970’s due to cheap foreign imports? Who knows, a petition in support of Marland Mines is already being raised by the recently formed FOMaCaM pressure group (Families Of Marland Cake Mines) and will be available to sign at WI stalls throughout the region. Local MP Geoff Pippin is expected to raise questions relating to the closures in The House Of Gorgons next week.
1 Comment
June 26, 2008 at 6:11 pm
This comes as no surprise, they guys were warned undreds on times. I said to ‘em afore I left off working there, that they’m shud use less gelignite and more gelatine in they jelly props, if em wants to keep the cake in the County.
It’s a mans world down they mines, an no mistake. My old Granfer knew a man who was in that Battenburg slide, he was lucky and just got out with just a bit of almond grazing up ‘is back – lost his pick though!
Fishleigh Barton should go an do a report into they open cast baklava mines in Greece; I bet ‘e’ wont be subject to they new regs, will er? Tis all wrong. Where’s that Pippin when you need him? I hope theym not eating that baklava up in that Gorgons?
Petroc