Father was a Miner

Father was a Miner

My father was a miner,
He worked deep underground;
The rush of drams and clanking chains.
They were his daily sounds.

He worked so far below the ground,
Where coal was hewed by pick,
The work so hard and wages small
He didn’t dare go sick.

He crawled upon his belly.
In drifts so low and narrow,
The wind it whistled down the shaft.
It chilled him to the marrow.

He ate his food from a Tommy box,
Shaped like a slice of bread,
While squatting down upon the ground,
Where spit and crumbs were shed.

His water, it was in a Jack,
to wet down clouds of dust,
That gathered in his throat and lungs.
Where it formed a deadly crust.

We would listen for his footsteps,
He then come into sight:
This man, our Dad, as black as black,
just like the darkest night;

His bath was always ready,
Set down in front of fire,
My mother then would wash his back,
and tell us to retire;

Right down his back white rivers ran
amongst the dirt and grime,
But you cannot wash away blue scars.
That you get down in the mine.

Years now have passed. My father gone,
But I am proud to say,
MY FATHER WAS A MINER,
UNTIL HIS DYING  DAY.

Poem by William Holman

Painting of miners having lunch underground by Tom Lamb 

~~~

Here are some of the 100’s of comments:

Jim Campbell: Like my father and grandfather, I, like the vast majority in the village saw my future in coal mining. In the miners strike of 1984′ I, along with my THREE sons were all on strike for a year. Because my wife was working at that time, NONE of us received any benefit of any kind. I had only been married for six months when, unfortunately I was pinned by the legs by a fall of rock. It was 2 1/2 hours before I was released with damaged nerves in both legs, and later on in life I suffered from osteoarthritis, this caused me to have a complete hip replacement 15 years ago. Despite this I don’t regret my years spent underground.

Ronster Campbell: Wish the pit was still open Dad, it’s only now that I realise it was the best job I ever had.

Mary Hay: God bless you Jim Campbell and all other miners and their families xx

Margaret Bourne: So true. My papa had black spots on his face in it was coal.. Wot a terrible job n life

Ann Millar: Ma daddy worked at Cardowan Colliery awe his days, n met ma mam oan the pit bus when she wis the conductress, happy memories n he use tae tell her he never swore till he came tae Blantyre, a lie of course as a bet there wis a few choice words wae awe the miners underground.

Linda Rimes: True & great poem #remember all the miners xx

Jean Henderson: My dad worked in Cardowan pit to x
Willie Sharp Miners never swore

Ann Millar: Ma daddy cursed awe the time, n everybody that knew ma daddy never took offence as there wis nae malice in it, n by God he new hunners a people, n he wis loved by everybody that knew him.

Brian Hardy: My dad was digging coal at 14 and got amazing and worked all his life underground such a hard life lol

Marjorie Montague: This piece of poetry is wonderful. My dad worked down Barnburgh Main colliery, South Yorkshire for 50 years. The words used describe the everyday life of miners. They all were awesome men.

Nan Benson: Beautiful. Not my father, but my grandfather.

Patricia Devaney: My grandfather and uncles worked down the mines So I always knew the true price of coal

Carolin Leblanc: My dad’s father died from working in the mines. My dad’s step father also died from working in mines.

Paul Woolley: My Dad was down the mines at 14 years of age at Orgreave south Yorkshire!

Rowena Bailey: My mother’s father my Grandfather worked in Crosskeys In Wales coal mine then came to Deal before WW11 to work at Bettshanger coal mine where my father worked.

Patricia Hutcheson Docherty: My father John worked in Twechar. Respect to all miners.

Robert Meek: My Great Grandfather took my Granda Doon the Pit to work on his 12 birthday, some birthday present that????

Margaret Mcculloch: Oh must have been the worse job out. The thought sends shivers bless them …

Marian Maguire: Memories of our two daddies, John Tom and Johnny, granda’s Ned and Paddy.

Ann Burnett: So true xx

Annie Thompson: Bill that was lovely well said keep them coming xxx

Jim Brankin: remember it well

Mary Cumming: Lovely verse Bill xx

Helen Ley: Beautiful…. My forebearers all miners..#proud

Martin Dimmock: Thatcher called us “The Enemy Within” what an insult to generations of miners who built this country. Our coal helped to give the world the industrial revolution.

James Skillen: My late father was a miner for 40 yrs in the killoch pit. Many blue scars and two major accidents, he had to get one side of his face rebuilt. They had a hard life to say the least.

Elizabeth Morgan: My dad my brothers and my grandads all worked down the mines all salt of the earth most of them long gone

James Park: My Grandad my father myself and two brothers worked down the pit..it was a lot harder in my father’s day and like him I a!so had some blue marks but mines were not so bad..my coal figures plus my memories reminds me of these days
Jim Campbell Like my father and grandfather, I , like the vast majority in the village saw my future in coal mining. In the miners strike of 1984′ I, along with my THREE sons were all on strike for a year. Because my wife was working at that time,NONE of us received any benefit of any kind. I had only been married for six months when, unfortunately I was pinned by the legs by a fall of rock. It was 2 1/2 hours before I was released with damaged nerves in both legs, and later on in life I suffered from osteo arthritis, this caused me to have a complete hip replacement 15 years ago. Despite this I don’t regret my years spent underground.

Ronster Campbell: Wish the pit was still open Dad, it’s only now that I realise it was the best job I ever had.

John Ceaser Winston Jardine: Proud to say my papa was a great man, and one of the best, thee best in my life, and he was a miner.

Faye Cunningham: Magic poem. My Dad worked all his life down the pits, they deserved medals for what they did.

Marie Glass Wears: My dad was a miner this pic really does show this new generation what a hard working generation miners were god bless all these men never forget your roots amazing pic . Remember my father telling me about being on his knees down the mines

Jim Mcnair: I was a miner the same as my dad and very proud of it. I knew a lot men who lost their lives in the pits and my dad was one of them.

Jean Meikle: My Dad was a miner he died in a mining accident when I was three my sister was one week old my mum remarried when I was ten also a miner they had three more boys he was a wonderful Father and lived into his eighties God Bless xXxX

Martha Bald: My dad work all his days in the pits … he was 14 year old when he went down the Shell pit in Broxburn …than Easton coal pit in Bathgate, he was a hard working man for his family ..

Jean Henderson: My dad world in Cardowan pit to x

Anne Fulton: My Dad and his brother along with 12 others all died in the Burngrange mine disaster in 1947 he left a wife n 5 children all under 11 yrs old I was only 3 months old, my mum had a struggle to bring us all up on her own, no benefits like they have nowadays bless them both X

Marion Dilger: Both my grandfathers were miners. Proud of them both, loved them and the poem.

Janet Cleland: Remember those blue scars. He said its just coal.