With the closure of the coalmines around East Lancashire went a comradeship that few other industries could ever boast. Today the dry and dusty coal seams with death and danger ever present are but a memory for those whose unique recollections contribute to this proud collection. In this book, former coal miners recall their time spent labouring in the local mines: Josh Greenwood recalls at age fourteen pushing tubs of coal for the colliers in his bare feet along the dark and wet underground galleries at the old Whinney Hill Colliery near Clayton-le-Moors, whilst on his very first day at the Little Naab Colliery, a drift mine on the high and bleak moors above Water village in the Rossendale Valley, Stephen Spencer, also aged fourteen, was given just four candles to light his way along the dark, dank tunnels.
This book is a fitting tribute to all those who worked underground in the coal mines of East Lancashire, and an acknowledgement of a bygone industry to which we owe so much. It is also a mark of respect to the camaraderie of the miners, and their trust in their colleagues while working in extreme conditions, for they knew that should the need arrive, others would be there to help.