A week of coal mining songs - Nov 21-26 2016

On Saturday 26th November my family went to the National Coal Mining museum to see the unveiling of the discs in memory of the three Hooper brothers Jim, Bill and George. Bill was my grandad and I will write about our day at the NCMM separately.

To celebrate this I posted a daily coal mining song (or songs) on facebook and this is a blog post that brings them all together. 

There are many songs and poems about mining, many written by the men themselves. These were men denied a full education, at least in the traditional sense, but used their natural talents to the full to tell us about their lives. My grandparents' generation were the last to truly live the traditional mining life. By the time the family line reached my generation we have a raft of degrees including Masters level and a range of successful careers in business, science, teaching and the arts that were never open to our forefathers.

This intelligence has not suddenly manifested itself since 1950; it was always there. My grandad had tears in his eyes when he spoke to mum about his grandchildren going to University. "Who would have thought it", he said, "When we were living in the Long Rows and scrapping for bits of coal to keep warm." This from a man who had to doff his cap when a mine owner drove past him in his car to help keep his job that was making that man, rich by accident of birth, even richer. 

To the Hoopers, to my other grandad Ted, the Whitaker family and all the other miners and their families: I salute you and I will be forever in your debt.

Monday

Today's song is by Billy Mitchell and it encapsulates the history of the industry from the creation of the raw material itself to the end of this period of exploitation (of the coal and the men).

Enjoy "The Devil's Ground" - you can buy the album on Billy's site and it's got some other great mining related songs on there.

Update - Nov 2017 - it's now sold out but still available "pre-owned" on Amazon, eBay etc.

The Devil's Ground Live

www.billymitchell.co.uk

Tuesday

Today I've selected  two songs by women. Women have played a key role in mining communities, supporting the husbands, fathers and sons by working long, hard hours maintaining the home and looking after children whilst all the time knowing that one of those men may go to work and never come back. This is beautifully described in Billy Mitchell's "Collier Laddie's Wife" from the Devil's Ground album and the impact of the loss of a loved one is heart-breakingly laid out in Jez Lowe's "Last of the Widows". Here I have selected two songs, the first of which (written by Hazel Dickens)
is beautifully sung a capella by the country singer Kathy Mattea whose roots are in West Virginia in the American coalfields.  The second leaves me a blubbering wreck every time - Kate Rusby's ability to mix folk songs with the brass bands of the mining communities in Yorkshire is unique and chimes very much with my own roots in Derbyshire. Both deal not with the sudden loss of a colliery accident but the lingering after effects of breathing in dust. 

Black Lung - Kathy Mattea

Kathy Mattea's website

My Young Man - Kate Rusby

Kate Rusby's website 

Wednesday

Today's song is more of a celebration of the coal mining life - even though it's always been hard, grinding, dangerous work it bred communities with a sense of belonging, comradeship and shared experience. 

The song is "I Can Hew" and it alludes to the life the miners had outside of work and also the theme of family succession into the industry.

"Well my boy's fourteen, he's a strappin' lad
And he'll go to the pit soon, just like his dad.
And when Friday comes, we'll pick up our pay.
And we'll drink together, to round out the day."

Thankfully this view was not one that my family held and nothing pleased them (and me) more when we were able to break out of the cycle. Thanks for this go to the opening of health and education for all and my family's ability to see beyond the pit heaps.

This version is by Mawkin, who are a great live band and I urge you to see them if you haven't already. 

Mawkin "I Can Hew" live

Mawkin website

Thursday

Today gets political. The industry has had a long history of disputes between owners/management and the workers. For many years there was a callous disregard for safety and constant attempts to reduce or limit pay and in a lot of cases the mine owners owned the houses the miners and families lived in, making eviction a likely outcome of resistance.

My grandad took part in the 1926 general strike and at some point joined the communist party. The final straw was having to take his cap off when the local mine owner drove past in his car.

As the coal began to run out, closures and consolidation were inevitable and this culminated in what became the final significant dispute between the NUM and the government in 1984-1985. 

What has left me very bitter and what I consider unforgivable was not the closures per se but the destruction of the communities and jobs with no attempt to replace the work and rebuild the towns and villages left in the lurch. The use of the police for political purposes, the unnecessary force applied and the associated corruption and cover ups still need to be investigated to reveal the full truth.

The first song is by the late Scottish singer and poet Jock Purdon - the title is self-explanatory and the version is by the Pitmen Poets (Jez Lowe, Billy Mitchell, Bob Fox and Benny Graham). 

 Blackleg Mining Man

The second song on the same theme is by one of the Pitmen Poets, Jez Lowe from County Durham. Jez is a great writer and performer and this song mixes the story of the 1984-5 strike along with a hark back to the way the same subject was sung about in the 19th century. Again, the Pitmen Poets provide the version. 

Judas Bus

Finally, one that not many people will know from Mark Knopfler and Dire Straits from the album On Every Street. It's about the Battle of Orgreave. The contrast between the stillness of the song and the violence we saw on TV makes it more powerful.  

"The iron will and the iron hand in England's green and pleasant land"

Iron Hand

Friday

Today's song is another political song but related to an earlier period in the 1960s and another struggle followed by betrayal. The song refers to the betrayer Lord Robens; the link to this current year is the recent 50th anniversary of the disaster at Aberfan. Robens was a former miner and union leader who was head of the Coal Board at the time; the board were identified at the inquest as being culpable for the deaths of so many, including children, on that terrible day. This was compounded by their refusal to accept responsibility and their raiding of the disaster fund to pay for the pit heap's removal.

Nobody was fired or resigned and Robens went on to be an adviser on Health and Safety legislation; you couldn't make it up.

"And it's down you go, down below, Jack
Where you never see the skies
And you're working in a dungeon
For a pound a week rise"

It was written by Sunderland's Ed Pickford but I've picked a well known version by the Scottish folk giant Dick Gaughan. Dick's not so well at the moment and it's great to see the folk community rallying round to help him out. 

Pound a Week Rise - Dick Gaughan

Ed Pickford's web site

Dick Gaughan's web site

Saturday

Today was an emotional day at the National Coal Mining Museum and there's only one way to finish this week of mining songs and that's with two about the end of mining in the UK. As Bob Fox says in the Pitmen Poets gigs there's no happy ending to this story but we can at least commemorate the lives of those who were part of the two centuries of industrial coal mining.

Pleasley Pit 2015

The first is another from Jez Lowe.  "These Coal Town Days" was a response to the initial brutal announcement of massive pit closures in the early 1990s. This is a live version without the optional chant "Howay man they're liars and cheats". I don't think I need to explain who the liars and cheats are.

About "These Coal Town Days"

These Coal Town Days - Live Version

And finally Ed Pickford's Farewell Johnny Miner - nothing really to say about this, just listen and join in. This is a live version by Benny Graham.

Benny's website

Farewell Johnny Miner - Live version

My Greatest Sporting Moment

I was thinking only last week about creating an entry about this topic and the sudden and sad death of a great sportsman this week has triggered me to do it.

When I was considering "Great Sporting Moments" as opposed to "Performances" you think of  a single instance of brilliant skill that defines a period of time, defines an individual and captures the imagination of the world. As opposed to a performance over a period of time, such as Ian Botham's innings at Headingley in 1981, or Ali's incredible effort at The Rumble In the Jungle in 1974.

So, what were my contenders. Well, I ought to include Johnny Wilkinson's drop goal in 2003 against the Aussies in the Rugby Union World Cup final. But I just can't as I despise everything that Rugby Union stands for. I'd rather pick the lesser known try scored by Clive Sullivan in the 1972 Rugby League World Cup Final.

I could have gone for Gazza's goal against Scotland in Euro '96. I bloody love that goal.

I could have gone for Shane Warne bowling Mike Gatting with his first ball in an Ashes Test in 1993. But he's an Aussie so I just can't.

As a runner Roger Bannister's sub-4 mile could be considered a moment, at least the moment that he crossed the line, but that previous 3 minutes and just less than 60 seconds must have felt like a lung-burning lifetime.

Instead I've gone for something that didn't win a tournament, didn't even win a game but for me had everything that a great sporting moment needs.

My choice is a save in the 1970 World Cup qualifying game in Guadalajara between Brazil and England - England lost the game but this moment for me defined an era of football that we will never see again and pitted the greatest outfield player to play the game against the greatest goalkeeper; both of these descriptions in my own humble opinion. That goalkeeper was Gordon Banks, born in Sheffield and signed by my home town club Chesterfield in 1953. He eventually moved on to Leicester City (before I was born) and then to Stoke City as he became England's first choice between the sticks and a World Cup winner in 1966.

The outfield player was, of course, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, or Pele as he is much better known. Pele had been a star of world football since helping Brazil lift the trophy in 1958 and 1962. When England won in 1966 it was partly because poor refereeing and cynical tactics had allowed teams to kick Pele into Row Z of the stands with no comeback.

In 1970 Brazil were on a mission to win again in conditions hostile to a pasty-faced set of England players not used to playing at altitude. Pasty-faced they may have been, but they were good. Banks was considered the world's best keeper, Bobby Moore was at the height of his powers in defence and Bobby Charlton would run his blood to water in midfield. Surrounding them were names we would kill to have in the modern England side - Cooper, Newton, Hunter, Ball, Peters, Hurst, Jack Charlton, Clarke, Astle.

Most of the games kicked off late in England which was the blistering mid-afternoon heat in Mexico. This particular game, if watched again, can be considered a classic of competing styles and would probably have been a preview of the final if England hadn't blown their quarter-final against Germany when 2-0 ahead. It would have been a great final as well, but I think Brazil would have won that one too.

The move that led to the save was perfection - a ball from midfield by Carlos Alberto released winger Jairzinho who beat the left back Terry Cooper and got his cross in just before it went over the goal line. Waiting at the far post was Pele - he rose perfectly to meet the ball with his head and direct it towards the far corner of the net. Banks had been covering his near post and had to re-position himself to cover the whole goal and then react to where Pele decided to put it. Whether it was instinct or reaction perhaps Banks doesn't even know; what we saw was a brilliant piece of athleticism and strength to push the ball over the bar.

Watch it here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngE9RCAdWaE. Watch it and marvel.

This may not really be the best moment in sport - maybe it's just nostalgia for when England were genuinely good and football wasn't all about money. Maybe it's because it involves a player who is a local legend and another who is a world legend. There you go, I'm picking it anyway.

The sad event that triggered this is the death on 25th October 2016 of the Brazilian captain in 1970, Carlos Alberto Torres. He made the pass that started the move that led to the save; he also scored the fourth goal in the final with a powerful shot after a move that ripped the tiring Italians apart.

Why parkrun is brilliant

When I was thinking about what I should write about first in my blogs, I thought about what may have had most effect on my life recently. 

In general, or at least since 2010, that has been losing more than 30kg of weight and a good part of the motivation for maintaining that weight loss has been running. I am of the belief that you can only really lose weight by limiting your intake - exercise is good but it can't compensate if you are still eating too much sugar and fat.However the motivation for maintaining weight loss can be harder and having taken up running I have found that the need to be fit to improve times and to feel better during and after running I also need to keep the weight off. 

I therefore began running regularly and also took part in events - first 5K, then 10K then 10 miles and so on. In May 2013 someone I know on facebook posted about something called parkrun at Graves Park that took place every Saturday. On closer inspection I discovered that it was free (I like that), that it was 5K, that events took place all over the country and that one had also started at nearby Rother Valley. I registered straightaway on the website and records show that my first parkrun took place at Rother Valley on 25th May 2013 where I finished 35th out of 78 runners in a time of 24 minutes 22 seconds. Immediately this felt different to other events I had taken part in - it was hard to put my finger on it at first but I now know that it's what can only be described as the "parkrun vibe". It could be one of those feelings that does not have a single word in English to describe it but you only know it when you feel it. Perhaps the word exists in another language but it's a combination of friendliness, fun, comradeship and community spirit.

For me the hook was instant - I wanted to go back and do it again, and again and again. I'd also noticed that it was volunteer led - this was a double edged sword for me as I'd spent a long time as a volunteer and committee member at two other sports and had discovered that I ended up being overwhelmed by it as I can't do things halfheartedly. However this seemed to be different - less bureaucratic and very team and community driven. I instantly liked the people who were involved and so I decided to go to a volunteer meeting and help out when I could.

By 2013 parkrun was already a phenomenon but since then it's escalated into something that I don't think anyone could have foreseen and that has transcended the essentially simple fact that you turn up, run 5 kilometers, get a time, have coffee and cake and go home. Since my first run over two years ago I have to date completed 117 parkruns at 30 different venues in the UK and Australia and also volunteered over 50 times including being Run Director at two different parkruns. These are just numbers that don't really do justice to what parkrun means to me and many thousands of others. The joy of these community events is from the people you meet, support, socialise with, commiserate with and end up being friends with. I have found with running in general that the people you meet are typically supportive and empathetic but parkrun takes that to another level. Volunteering can often give you a greater buzz than running, which I'd never expected.

My excursions to other parkruns have only confirmed any positive feelings I already had about the concept and how it has developed. Wherever you go you can feel the same life affirming spirit that I felt at Rother Valley in those early weeks. If you really want to get a view on what parkrun is about, go to the website www.parkrun.org.uk, find the news page, pick any newsletter and scroll down to the "news from the field" section. In there you will find some beautiful and moving stories from the world of parkrun. From my experiences at Rother Valley I can call on one story that you may have subsequently picked up on after it appeared on local news and Breakfast TV. 

One Saturday a young lad called Bailey Matthews arrived at Rother Valley with his dad to do the run. Bailey is 8 years old and was unlike any runner we had welcomed at our event as he has cerebral palsy. He does the event partly with a walking aid and partly unaided. Of course he took longer than anyone else but many people stayed on to cheer him through the finish line. Our tail runner on the day ( the tail runner is a volunteering role that always goes around in last place), has said that this was his best parkrun and a truly humbling experience. If you haven't seen the video of Bailey completing a triathlon last year, seek it out. Since then he has gained national recognition at the Sports Personality of the Year awards and on BBC Breakfast.

This is just a sample of the stories from parkrun - runners who have survived illness, who are fighting illness, people who have passed away and have their memories honoured at parkrun and, recently, a couple who met at parkrun and have subsequently married. All this, and an excuse to eat cake. 

Anyway, enough of the sentimentality. What else has parkrun achieved? Well, in pure numbers it has succeeded where many government initiatives have failed in getting the Great British Public off their backsides and exercising. All without a single penny of direct Westminster funding, although I know that many councils have contributed to the startup costs of events. In true politician style, the latest occupants of the Culture and Sport department in London have noticed this and want in on the action. I would urge the parkrun organisers to sup with these devils using a very long spoon - their track record once they start interfering is, to say the least, patchy. So, could other sports learn from the success? Can they achieve the same level of casual participation using the model of free access, volunteer led, friendly and fun events that can be an end in themselves or point people to clubs where more serious participation and competition can be found? I think that's hard to say. Running in a park is essentially cheap, it doesn't require coaching, much in the way of organisation and can cope with numbers from 1 to 1000 showing up without much change in process. Other sports are technically complex, have contact elements, require costly courts/pitches/halls and cannot manage easily with small or large numbers of participants. Nonetheless, if you are involved with other sports you would be advised to have a good look at parkrun and in particular what makes people rock up in significant numbers to an open space in February, in the rain, to do some exercise.