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Christopher Dale. These are two lamps given to me by my father who, in his words, 'went into the coal' when he was 13. He used a poney called Whitey to pull coal tubs and would be caned by the ostler if he was caught riding Whitey. On his three mile walk to work he would help himself to a cabbage leaf from a field to give to the poney to distract him whilst he put on the bridle, otherwise the poney would squeeze him up against the side of the stall.

By studying at night school he eventually bacame a colliery manager and then worked for the UDM representing miners in court when they claimed compensation for accidents or respiratory diseases.

When I was a skinney kid he would tease me, calling me a Bevin boy.

My thought is that work oportunities, in the UK at least, have changed since 1923 when he started work and opportunities for further education did exist in the 1940's.