A great post Wendy. I love your diary entries and feel I hear the younger you. I remember the power cuts and I think they went into the mid- late 70s too.
No family members in mining but it feels like the not so distant past but it’s so far removed from much of our industry now.
I remember for my art o level I painted a lot about the miners strike. I’d forgotten that.
Thanks so much Margaret. Yes, my area was all mining and steel, both of which have disappeared. It’s strange to think how much the landscape has changed during the past few decades.
Fascinating to read this. There’s no coal-mining history in my face that I know of, but my grandad worked on the railway and steam was still the thing when I was little. Coal was absolutely everywhere and part of the fabric of life. I remember the three day weeks and I remember the miners’ strike. Always thought that Thatcher vs Scargill was a contest of two almost equally unlikeable figures. He promised the mining communities that if they stayed strong they would win. They made horrendous sacrifices… and lost.
That’s how I saw it at the time, Jon. It’s still a very raw topic for a lot of people, because it really did split communities. And the Thatcher/Scargill standoff was such a battle of wills.
A great post, Wendy. The effect of the power cuts were severe on small dairy farms like my father's in Devon. No power meant no milking machines. My father had learnt to milk by hand, but it was impossible to milk a herd of 60 or 70 cows by hand on your own. So he had to buy a diesel-powered generator to keep going. There were dark stories in the county of farmers being unable to milk their cows and ending their lives in traditional fashion with a shotgun in a far flung field. Grim stuff.
Thank you, Jeffrey. Oh, that is so grim, isn’t it? Such a telling example of the far-reaching effects of those power cuts. Thanks so much for sharing your own memories of those times.
Thank you for this important reminder, Jeffrey. Such a devastating consequence of the power cuts. So many farmers wouldn’t have the means to purchase a generator and the necessary fuel. While the impact for so many of us was inconvenience, for others the cost was their livelihoods and for some, even their lives.
What a wonderful blast from the past, Wendy ! I remember the 1972 strikes and electricity cuts so well. During my mock A levels I was trying to study by torch and candlelight. I lived in the south of England but I recall the feeling of support for the miners.
Loved the photo with all the mini skirts. I’m trying to remember when the maxi skirt arrived, must have been around that winter because I took my maxi coat with me when I went to train in London in September ‘72 , only to discover how impractical it was with all the escalators and steps on the London Underground.
I love the photo of the miner carved from coal. What a lovely memento.
No family background in coal mining here. I think the start of my awareness was hearing Merle Travis’ “Dark As A Dungeon” on the Will The Circle Be Unbroken collection from around 1970 and also John Prine’s “Paradise” and the Grateful Dead’s “Cumberland Blues”, both also from the 1970-71 timeframe. Thank you for posting this!
Thanks, Jeff. I will look up those tracks! I was obsessed with the song My Darling Clementine when I was a child. I guess because of the mining theme, and it also spoke to my melodramatic side!
“Dark As A Dungeon” hits hard. Merle Travis was from Kentucky and knew coal mining. He also wrote “16 Tons”. I have been listening to a collection of live shows from Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder tour in 1975 and he did “Dark As A Dungeon” at almost every show with Joan Baez on backing vocals - great stuff!
This is fantastic. My grandfather was a coal miner, but here in the states I’m going to come back to this and share it because many of my subscribers are from England and will connect to this and find it incredibly enjoyable.
Thank you for these vivid memories, diary, entries and learning about your dad and sister. What a wonderful, wonderful family.
Thank you
The snake story is forthcoming
Since we had a little exchange, more snake stories came forward, including the one with my Nana.
Love a bit of history of the miners and pits in other parts of the UK. I’m from Wales, my great grandfather worked down the mines and whenever my mum visited she was always happy to see the pit ponies. I don’t know much of the history of the miners in wales (I will look it up) but the main one is the Aberfan disaster. I can’t get my head around how it happened, there was a height limit they were told to work to for the slag heap, but kept going anyway. The rain didn’t help but it was avoidable. It shouldn’t have happened
Thanks for reading and commenting, Hannah. I remember the Aberfan disaster really well. My mum and dad were so upset when they heard about it on the news. My brother and me were primary school age at the time.
Thanks, Josie! The very oldest ones (junior school news books) were in the loft when I cleared my childhood home after my parents died, so I have my hoarder mum to thank for that! But yes, I’m glad now that I got past the cringe factor and kept them.
Thank you, Deirdre. So glad now that I hung on to the diaries. Yes, I love that photo, too. Takes me right back. I was only a baby when that one was taken, but it’s exactly how I remember my dad in that era.
Great post, Wendy! Your diaries are so well written and evocative. I grew up in the Black Country, where the land is literally pitted with thousands of mines. A regular school trip was to the Black Country Museum where you can go underground and tour an old mine - claustrophobic and creepy and a whole other world now. I recommend a visit if you've not been.
Thank you, Georgina. I haven’t been to the Black Country Living Museum yet. Thought I had, but just checked and I’m confusing it with Ironbridge. Thanks for the recommendation. I love a good industrial heritage museum.
What an excellent young diarist you were! Mine were all “Sarah’s annoying me at the moment.” And “Ugh Maths. I hate Mr X” I admit in my thirties I threw my earliest diary away because it was petty and - worse - extremely boring. I do regret it now I have kids the same age though!
Anyway this is a fascinating read. Thanks so much for sharing it.
Thanks, Katie. There is a ton of angsty, petty and mundane stuff in there too! I mean, what are diaries for?! There are whole pages of 1970s calorie counting. But from a distance, even that tells you something about life & times I guess. The impulse to ditch them has been strong, but I’m glad I resisted!
This brought back many memories for me, trying to put on my make up for a date, with my now husband, by candlelight, watching the police laying into miners who were trying to protect their livelihoods. Giving money to the cause.
Watching Sherwood recently made me realise how badly the loss of the mines completely destroyed communities.
Thanks for sharing your own memories, Wendy. Glad it resonated. And glad your date following make-up by candlelight worked out and has led to a long marriage!
A great post Wendy. I love your diary entries and feel I hear the younger you. I remember the power cuts and I think they went into the mid- late 70s too.
No family members in mining but it feels like the not so distant past but it’s so far removed from much of our industry now.
I remember for my art o level I painted a lot about the miners strike. I’d forgotten that.
Thanks so much Margaret. Yes, my area was all mining and steel, both of which have disappeared. It’s strange to think how much the landscape has changed during the past few decades.
Fascinating to read this. There’s no coal-mining history in my face that I know of, but my grandad worked on the railway and steam was still the thing when I was little. Coal was absolutely everywhere and part of the fabric of life. I remember the three day weeks and I remember the miners’ strike. Always thought that Thatcher vs Scargill was a contest of two almost equally unlikeable figures. He promised the mining communities that if they stayed strong they would win. They made horrendous sacrifices… and lost.
That’s how I saw it at the time, Jon. It’s still a very raw topic for a lot of people, because it really did split communities. And the Thatcher/Scargill standoff was such a battle of wills.
A great post, Wendy. The effect of the power cuts were severe on small dairy farms like my father's in Devon. No power meant no milking machines. My father had learnt to milk by hand, but it was impossible to milk a herd of 60 or 70 cows by hand on your own. So he had to buy a diesel-powered generator to keep going. There were dark stories in the county of farmers being unable to milk their cows and ending their lives in traditional fashion with a shotgun in a far flung field. Grim stuff.
Thank you, Jeffrey. Oh, that is so grim, isn’t it? Such a telling example of the far-reaching effects of those power cuts. Thanks so much for sharing your own memories of those times.
Thank you for this important reminder, Jeffrey. Such a devastating consequence of the power cuts. So many farmers wouldn’t have the means to purchase a generator and the necessary fuel. While the impact for so many of us was inconvenience, for others the cost was their livelihoods and for some, even their lives.
Yes indeed, Maureen. It really made one appreciate how fragile our ways of life can be.
What a wonderful blast from the past, Wendy ! I remember the 1972 strikes and electricity cuts so well. During my mock A levels I was trying to study by torch and candlelight. I lived in the south of England but I recall the feeling of support for the miners.
Loved the photo with all the mini skirts. I’m trying to remember when the maxi skirt arrived, must have been around that winter because I took my maxi coat with me when I went to train in London in September ‘72 , only to discover how impractical it was with all the escalators and steps on the London Underground.
I love the photo of the miner carved from coal. What a lovely memento.
Thank you, Maureen.
I remember wearing a midi skirt around that time - 1972, so I think you’re right about the timing.
Yes, it is a lovely memento. I was trying to think how to illustrate this piece and suddenly remembered the coal coal miner!
No family background in coal mining here. I think the start of my awareness was hearing Merle Travis’ “Dark As A Dungeon” on the Will The Circle Be Unbroken collection from around 1970 and also John Prine’s “Paradise” and the Grateful Dead’s “Cumberland Blues”, both also from the 1970-71 timeframe. Thank you for posting this!
Thanks, Jeff. I will look up those tracks! I was obsessed with the song My Darling Clementine when I was a child. I guess because of the mining theme, and it also spoke to my melodramatic side!
“Dark As A Dungeon” hits hard. Merle Travis was from Kentucky and knew coal mining. He also wrote “16 Tons”. I have been listening to a collection of live shows from Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder tour in 1975 and he did “Dark As A Dungeon” at almost every show with Joan Baez on backing vocals - great stuff!
Wendy
This is fantastic. My grandfather was a coal miner, but here in the states I’m going to come back to this and share it because many of my subscribers are from England and will connect to this and find it incredibly enjoyable.
Thank you for these vivid memories, diary, entries and learning about your dad and sister. What a wonderful, wonderful family.
Thank you
The snake story is forthcoming
Since we had a little exchange, more snake stories came forward, including the one with my Nana.
💙
Thank you so much, Prajna. That’s interesting that your family has a mining background, too.
And your Nana had a snake story too? The plot thickens!
You make me smile
L O L
Love a bit of history of the miners and pits in other parts of the UK. I’m from Wales, my great grandfather worked down the mines and whenever my mum visited she was always happy to see the pit ponies. I don’t know much of the history of the miners in wales (I will look it up) but the main one is the Aberfan disaster. I can’t get my head around how it happened, there was a height limit they were told to work to for the slag heap, but kept going anyway. The rain didn’t help but it was avoidable. It shouldn’t have happened
Thanks for reading and commenting, Hannah. I remember the Aberfan disaster really well. My mum and dad were so upset when they heard about it on the news. My brother and me were primary school age at the time.
Oh wow, that must have been so hard for you both 😢
Love the quotes from your diary, Wendy! They’re so evocative. ✨
Thank you, James. I have my younger self to thank for saving the archives, not burning them in a fit of cringe!
fascinating and that you have these diary entries capturing a young voice with such clarity, oh my. Brava!
Thank you, Jill.
Hi Wendy, I am very impressed that you have your childhood diaries!!
Thanks, Josie! The very oldest ones (junior school news books) were in the loft when I cleared my childhood home after my parents died, so I have my hoarder mum to thank for that! But yes, I’m glad now that I got past the cringe factor and kept them.
Loved reading this Wendy, so incredible that you have your diary entries, what a gift. And that photo at the top is fantastic!
Thank you, Deirdre. So glad now that I hung on to the diaries. Yes, I love that photo, too. Takes me right back. I was only a baby when that one was taken, but it’s exactly how I remember my dad in that era.
Great post, Wendy! Your diaries are so well written and evocative. I grew up in the Black Country, where the land is literally pitted with thousands of mines. A regular school trip was to the Black Country Museum where you can go underground and tour an old mine - claustrophobic and creepy and a whole other world now. I recommend a visit if you've not been.
Thank you, Georgina. I haven’t been to the Black Country Living Museum yet. Thought I had, but just checked and I’m confusing it with Ironbridge. Thanks for the recommendation. I love a good industrial heritage museum.
I love it there! You can look round old mining cottages, a printing press, a school... Get fish and chips cooked in beef dripping! It's fab.
What an excellent young diarist you were! Mine were all “Sarah’s annoying me at the moment.” And “Ugh Maths. I hate Mr X” I admit in my thirties I threw my earliest diary away because it was petty and - worse - extremely boring. I do regret it now I have kids the same age though!
Anyway this is a fascinating read. Thanks so much for sharing it.
Thanks, Katie. There is a ton of angsty, petty and mundane stuff in there too! I mean, what are diaries for?! There are whole pages of 1970s calorie counting. But from a distance, even that tells you something about life & times I guess. The impulse to ditch them has been strong, but I’m glad I resisted!
This brought back many memories for me, trying to put on my make up for a date, with my now husband, by candlelight, watching the police laying into miners who were trying to protect their livelihoods. Giving money to the cause.
Watching Sherwood recently made me realise how badly the loss of the mines completely destroyed communities.
Thanks for sharing your own memories, Wendy. Glad it resonated. And glad your date following make-up by candlelight worked out and has led to a long marriage!
I must watch Sherwood.
Great piece. Thank you.
Thank you, Lorna.
Great blog Wendy. Really interesting. You were very grown up as a child and your diary’s amazing.
Thanks, Liz!