In World War II The people of Heath Hayes used to watch the bombers from Fiveways corner, off the picture house steps (now GEM Carpet Store) take a bearing on Norton Pool (now Chasewater) then follow the canal system south to the heart of Birmingham and Coventry.
They knew which city was being hit as they could see the fire glowing in the night sky.
One evening a group of colliers were secretly playing cards in a field in Newlands Lane at the rear of the Fairlady (see below for explanantion), everyone knew what they were up to except the local Bobby as gambling was at that time illegal thus the need for secrecy.
The men had watched the nights raiders go over and were well into the game of cards when they heard a plane returning "on their way back now they've done the dirt I suppose said someone".
The next thing the whole world erupted about them and they were covered in earth and debris. The returning plane must have been struggling with one bomb, left perhaps stuck in the bomb bay and having the need to jettison it to get home they had seen the Fairlady and let fly with it.
It landed some way away in another field in Newlands Lane missed the pit completely, one miner commented "yo'ed a thought they'd gone for the Lady pit wouldn't ya, we wor caus'in that much trouble to em was we".
No one was hurt but needless to say the card games ceased for a while until a new venue was found.
Coppice Colliery was owned by Mr R W Hanbury, M.P. who lived at Ham Hall near Ashbourne. His wife cut the first turf in 1893 When the pit was sunk already arrangements were made for the construction of a tramway to the Cannock extension Canal and for the extension of the L.N.W Railway line from Conduit no 3 pit, eventually there was an independent rail access.
Mr Hanbury died in 1903 and control went to his wife who took a great deal of interest in the pit. She would arrive at the pit in a carriage and pair. Because of this the pit received the nick name “the Fair Lady”
Hall Of Fame