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Billy Kendall (born 1906)
Mr Kendall was born in 1906 at High Row, Marley Hill. 
At the age of 14 he went down Marley Hill Pit for 10 shillings a week, working shifts of 9 to 10 hours. He worked at the pit for 48 years.
In 1938 he sat his Deputies Certificate, after being coached by a teacher from Marley Hill School. He also had to take a hearing and sight test.
As a deputy he had to take a Glenny Lamp down the pit to test for gas - the smaller the flame the more gas there was. He had to go down on Sundays to take measurements.
Eventually Bill became a Training Officer at Marley Hill Colliery following a 3 months safety-training course at Middlesbrough. He had to take the trainees for six weeks to the Morrison Busty at Annfield Plain. He retired at 64 years.
Bill was Secretary of Marley Hill Welfare Hall, which is now Marley Hill Community Centre.
Bill remembers:-
* the grass on the football pitch being withered as the result of its proximity to the acid plant at the Chemical Works.
*Elizabeth Kendall, nee Simpson had a shop in her house. She made meat pies for sale and sold basic foods, black bullets and yeast, as most women baked their own bread.
*Once a week the storeman from Burnopfield CWS coming round with his horse and cart selling everyday necessities.
*Eating chocolate sandwiches and ones with just sugar in them.
*When canaries were used to check for gas.
*When the pit ponies were pensioned off.
*Allotments, pigeons, leeks and chrysanthemums.
*The many deaths and accidents down the mines, particularly one when a man had his leg blown off.
*When the pits were taken over by the N C B in 1947.
*He is still known as his nickname of Lovely, which came about when he was an overman. If he wanted to compliment some one on their work he would say "lovely, lovely".