To The Miner Born

[Maggie/915]

Brilliant book written by Mary Wade.

I got the book to read from the Bedlington Library.

The value of our library and the contribution this lady has made to our understanding of our history and heritage is beyond measure.

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Thanks Maggie,for that one.

Will try and check it out.

I am writing my whole life story,and have finished book one,[still in transcript],which is my life from birth,as far back as about two and a half years old,[i can remember walking along with leather harness and reins!!...being held by my Mother.].

I am in the process of writing book two,which starts my life in the mines,aged 15 years..straight from my school desk..and am still at the period of my life aged 19 years,in Choppington High Pit,[the B pit],so I've got a long way to go,to catch up to my present age...[just turned 70 in July!!!]

The difference between my book,and others you may read are,

[A] It is utterly,totally boring...uninteresting...bland....[as critics would say!],but even though I am writing it,I re-cap on what I have already written,and get carried away with it!........as if someone else had written it!! [how dopey is that?!].

THIS book isn't about the history of mining..and the hardships that were had....it's about the pits I worked in,the actual jobs that I did,and the bad conditions I worked in,and the risks to life and limb I endured,and the sad episodes where I lost Marra's in the pits,in accidents that didn't need to happen.

It's about the funny times,and the actual GUD times that I had,making thi best of a bad job!!

Comradeship...second-to -none in the pits....how pit ponies were REALLY treated,at different pits,[cruelty at Choppington High Pit....both by men AND

Management.

If it ever gets finished ...that is!

[Vic Patterson]

I bought a copy from Amazon, (CDN$ 0.02 $6.49 postage!) an excellent book, at the back is the Bedlington anthem by Mary Wade, it is written on sheet music, not having any musical inclination I was wondering what the tune would be, any ideas HPW?

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

Hi Vic,nice ti hear ye again!

Aam gaana check it oot Vic,and aal let ye knaa if a can work it oot.

A canna read music,but a knaa wat aal the symbols are for ...whey ...roughly.

A can find the notes on the guitar and sorta get it that that way.

Trouble is,a divvent knaa hoo ti load stuff like that on here!

It's  gud that wor heritage is being kept alive,cos folk have short memories!

Gie me love ti the boss Vic!!

[HIGH PIT WILMA]

By the way,Maggie,a didn't mean ti tek ya point of Mary's book being a valuable contribution ti wor heritage,by rabbiting on aboot my book!

A hope by noo,that ye knaa me.....it duzn't tek much ti mek me digress...!![age probably!]

Cheers Maggie!

[Reedy]

I saw 2 copies of this book on a stall at Tynemouth Metro Station Sunday market a few weeks ago.

The stall was on the North Shields side between the two sets of stairs on platform 1.

[John Fox (foxy)]

Signed by the author................

[Maggie/915]

That is a book that should be worth money!

Not that you would sell Foxy.

An heirloom.

[John Fox (foxy)]

Maggie,

 

Have you read this one?

[Maggie/915]

Your book is precious !

I am going to try the Bedlington Library Foxy.

[Maggie/915]

Libraries are great!

No copy in Bedlington but just got a copy from Morpeth.

[Maggie/915]

Bill Kerr's book was a good read and brought back memories of The Candlelight Club and the Harmonic Hall.

Just returned it tonight to Morpeth Library.

[Maggie/915]

Kell not Kerr sorry once again.

I even think I looked up Kerr at the library.

Old Age 'it's not dark yet but it's getting there'.

[tomtom]

Two more good reads:-

 

Pit Communities at War by Mike Kirkup  First published in 2005

 

Memories of the Northumberland Coalfields by Neil Taylor. First published in 2009

 

I think I bought these books at Appleby's in Morpeth a couple of years or so ago. They may well be out of print now.