Miner Jack Bedford
My father worked at the marine colliery for over 20 years. His name was Jack Bedford, from Brynmawr, a hard working man. There was a pitfall in 1964 where a friend and workmate was killed, he brought this poor man to the surface. I remember him coming home crying. I had never seen him cry before. Those miners worked in awful conditions, up pass their knees in water, with a pick and shovel. I’m always going to be proud of my Dad. What he done for his kids. The one time he had a beat knee, where his knee was just rotting from standing in dirty water for hours. He died in 1995 - God Bless You my beautiful Dad.
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RE: RE: Miner Jack Bedford
Your Jack Bedford was known to us, his workmates as Jackie Bedford. I worked with him on the B7 Black Vien seam where the roof fall occurred . The "fall" killed two men, Jack Timothy and Idris Paul, two lives snuffed out by a [in my opinion] basic mining engineering error. My father worked on that coalface as well, he was Ike Pidgeon [proper name was Ivor Williams]. You are spot on in your comments about our working conditions, roof water like a continuous heavy rainfall, pouring down your neck and running out of the lace-holes of your boots. Your workware, including your underwear, was sodden the whole of the shift. The seam was just over a meter high on B6 so it meant that you had to kneel in a foot of water to work the coal, all day, with freezing cold water swilling about your thighs. I remember Jackie Bedford and I'll never forget that hell hole called Black Vein B7. Yes, most of us cried that day, thinking, selfishly perhaps, there but for the grace of God go I.
Comment from David Williams on Wednesday, 28th December 2011.
RE: RE: Miner Jack Bedford
Thanks David for your message ..xx
Comment from Jackie Haynes on Friday, 6th January 2012.