Big Strong Men Of Coal And Dust

A Memory of Bexleyheath.

As with many of the neighbors in our road we owned two coal fires, one in each downstairs room, with chimneys to match. Keeping the fires lit during cold winters required loose coal, supplied in huge bags, to be regularly delivered. As a child this was always something of an event when the coalmen arrived in their big lorry. We usually had two bags delivered, carried from the lorry to the coal bunker at the side of our house by two burly, incredibly strong men covered from head to toe in coal dust. Each bag must have weighed a ton yet they thought nothing of carrying them with ease on their back as if light as a feather.
There were also the dustmen who called once a week to pick up and empty our two very heavy metal dustbins when full. As with the men of coal the men were impressively strong, effortlessly picking up the bins and ferrying them on their backs out to the old fashioned dustcart to physically empty the contents through the vehicles side doors.

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