For those interested in mining in the locality his book by John Graham will be a facinating read.
There was a review in the recent edition of Pont Island News published by Ponteland Local History Society:
"Son of a miner, John Graham dreamed of a life at sea.Sadly ,his fatherdied of cancer when John was 10 years old,so when he left school at 15 he had no choice but to follow his 2 brothers and go down the mine.This was summer 1953.Hestarted as a screener picking out stones from the coal trucks for £2-16s a week and by hard physical work and study worked his way up the coal face heirarchy to be a colliery overman.When he retired in 1987 miners could earn bonuses of up to £125 a week.Realising what would eventually happen to the coalmining industry,he applied for voluntary redundancy which he won after a battle.;he then bought a newsagents business and was very successful. His final verdict on life as a miner was--YES I would do it all again, NO I would not send my sons down the mine.
This is the fascinating story of a coalminer who worked at Prestwick and Havannah and ended up working at the huge undersea colliery at Westoe South Shields. There is a lot of technical information,with illustrations,but it gives an excellent insight into life at the coal face.The opening up of new seams,shoring up the roofs,building the railways to transport the coal to the surface are all beautifully detailed. Soare the dangers involved including roof falls,methane gas explosions and flooding ,often with apalling injuries.However ,this book is not just a commentary on the mining industry and its developement over the years with increased mechanisation and vastly improved safety and working conditions--it is the very human story of a man A man dedicated to his life as a miner,striving always to ensure the safety of his men,increase production and motivate them. Itis also the story of the miners themselves, theur humour,their camaraderie,their distrust of new techniques and inventions, and sometimes their "bolshiness"If you have ever wondered what life was like at the coalface ,John Graham's book provides a fascinating read.Coal mining is part of our Northeastern heritageand should not be forgotten.This book will help the reader remember."
