islandgun Posted February 19, 2020 Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 (edited) Looking at the ghost ship thread, I happened upon these photos of miners in the 30s apart from the relatively grim scene this one amused me because of the character in the picture on the wall, you almost expect him to wave ! Theres some great photos here by Bill Brandt https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-51480340 Edited February 19, 2020 by islandgun Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billytheghillie Posted February 19, 2020 Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 noticed he washed his hands before tucking in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retsdon Posted February 19, 2020 Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 (edited) The good old days. Good pictures BTW Edited February 19, 2020 by Retsdon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted February 19, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 Just now, billytheghillie said: noticed he washed his hands before tucking in. Did you notice the houses without windows ? 1 minute ago, Retsdon said: The good old days. Good pictures BTW Not much fun to be had, thats for sure Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billytheghillie Posted February 19, 2020 Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 yes. no windows, and a luxury bath ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted February 19, 2020 Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 Now that is a PROPER mug of tea! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted February 19, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 Two of my kids said the man eating his dinner looks like me.. id better be heading off for a bath then 1 minute ago, TIGHTCHOKE said: Now that is a PROPER mug of tea! Bet his got dripping on his sarnies, nice loaf though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam triple Posted February 19, 2020 Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 (edited) Days where if you didn’t work you didn’t eat I’m guessing ,she’s looks like she’s thinking, where did I go wrong Edited February 19, 2020 by sam triple Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted February 19, 2020 Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 You do realise that the picture was taken before the availability of televisions to families like that. The poor woman has nothing to watch apart from her husband having his "tea" and then she will making love all night to increase the size of the family to ensure they have enough money coming in from all the wages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retsdon Posted February 19, 2020 Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 8 minutes ago, islandgun said: Not much fun to be had, thats for sure I think people will do their best to have fun no matter what. But dire conditions to have fun in. I suppose it's lucky that across the industrialized western world the trades unions managed to secure better conditions for their workers. Otherwise it would still be like that - just go and look at Bangladesh or wherever... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandgun Posted February 19, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 5 minutes ago, sam triple said: Days where if you didn’t work you didn’t eat I’m guessing Depression 1930's. I think your right 7 minutes ago, TIGHTCHOKE said: You do realise that the picture was taken before the availability of televisions to families like that. The poor woman has nothing to watch apart from her husband having his "tea" and then she will making love all night to increase the size of the family to ensure they have enough money coming in from all the wages. Another age, almost a different world, well yes a third world picture, hard to imagine anyone living like now, here at least Just now, Retsdon said: I think people will do their best to have fun no matter what. But dire conditions to have fun in. I suppose it's lucky that across the industrialized western world the trades unions managed to secure better conditions for their workers. Otherwise it would still be like that - just go and look at Bangladesh or wherever... yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vince Green Posted February 19, 2020 Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 That man probably died in his early 50s and was an invalid for the last five years of his life from "the dust" That's if he was lucky and the roof didn't fall in on him or got crushed by a truck first. Go to South Wales and take a walk round the cemeteries in the old mining villages reading the gravestones. It tells a tale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samboy Posted February 19, 2020 Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 My old grandfather was a miner in Newcastle. He used to pedal 20 miles to work do a shift and then pedal 20 miles back home again. He was a tough old boy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobba Posted February 19, 2020 Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 My maternal grandfather was a hewer of coal in nine mile point pit, cwmfelinfach. The backs of his hands had what looked like blue tattoos which, in fact , were scars from coal falls filled with could dust. They used the the galvanised bath as there were no bathrooms at that time and the cludgy was at the end of the garden. I spent many many weeks visiting when a child. The pit was still working. His father was a miner in Treorchy. It wasn't a hard life just for the men. Women too had it hard, especially when fathers and sons worked down the mines and on different shifts. Constant cleaning, cooking, washing etc. When Mrs B researched the family tree she read up on life down the mines. What stuck in her mind was a report of a miners son asking the Dr why his mum died so young. "She was worn out" was the recirded reply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retsdon Posted February 19, 2020 Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 In the late 20s and early 30s my mother was growing up in one of those houses in the picture below. My grandfather worked in the steelworks. But around the time she was 12 or 13 he'd saved enough money to open a small shop and they moved to Pant, s small village a bit further up the hill. But then the Depression hit in full force and from what I understand the shop went bust. In any event, when she was 16 she and her sister were packed off to go to London as a trainee nurses at Great Ormond's Children Hospital .....just before the Blitz started! Yet no regrets or moans - it was just normal life for the times and you took it in your stride. Anyway, it all came out OK in the end.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rewulf Posted February 19, 2020 Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 I'm disgusted! Not one of you has mentioned the cultural appropriation of him using 'black face' This sort of racism was as relevant then as it is now! 😏 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retsdon Posted February 19, 2020 Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 26 minutes ago, Bobba said: My maternal grandfather was a hewer That was a hard job. If ever you come across it I can recommend a book called Coming Back Brockens by a fellow called Hudson. It's actually about Peterlee in the North East, but the stories ( and the characters) in it could have applied to any mining area in the country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B725 Posted February 19, 2020 Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 No food banks in them day's or benefits,you either worked or went hungry not like half the lazy folk today who expect everything given to them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wymberley Posted February 19, 2020 Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 12 minutes ago, Retsdon said: That was a hard job. If ever you come across it I can recommend a book called Coming Back Brockens by a fellow called Hudson. It's actually about Peterlee in the North East, but the stories ( and the characters) in it could have applied to any mining area in the country. Beat me to it, I was going to suggest the first volume of his trilogy, "The Rape Of The Fair Country" by Alexander Cordell. Mother's family hail from 'UpTheGarn'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnphilip Posted February 19, 2020 Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 A little reminder. My father was a lead miner back in the 40s to the early 60s . The shot firer got things wrong and it all came down on them . He was dragged out . Then on an operating tablet for 24 hours removing the shale from his back. They never got it all out . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuddster Posted February 19, 2020 Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 My Grandfather was a miner-working at the coal face all his life-a coal dust related lung disease took him in his mid 50's. Hard men doing a hard job in hard times. I've pinched myself a few times when ever I've considered my job to be tough at times. f. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol p Posted February 19, 2020 Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 Real men. Could you that? Don’t think I could or want to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penelope Posted February 19, 2020 Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 37 minutes ago, Pistol p said: Real men. Could you that? Don’t think I could or want to. But if you had to, like them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoBodyImportant Posted February 19, 2020 Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 So why no windows? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rewulf Posted February 19, 2020 Report Share Posted February 19, 2020 5 minutes ago, NoBodyImportant said: So why no windows? Rates {housing tax} used to be calculated on how many windows in the dwelling. Less windows, less rates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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