“It Takes”

“It Takes”
“By Anthony of Glynderi Glanamman”


It takes good men to dig a pit
It takes young boys to shovel it quick
It takes strong ponies to shift the drams
Up the slopes that lay under-ground
It takes tough women to wash the coals
In cold mid winter snows, and watch they do not slip
When they push the slag up to the tip

It takes the brave to walk in a pit
With just a lit candle on a long stick
Look for gas that maybe there
In places with not much air
In that dark hole down below
Where they dig for more black coal
And even if the air is thin you maybe told to go back in
And find your tools that lay within
Yes it takes the brave to walk back in

And as you walk towards the shaft
You sometimes feel like having a laugh
When you hear the boss-man say
“Go back in lads it’s ok, and work another day
Dig more coal and earn you pay”

God bless them that’s all I say

No More Will I

No More Will I

 “by Anthony Gostling”

No more will I wake up to the pit whistle call

No more will I walk to the pit-head cage which I find more difficult at my tender age

No more will I descend to that dark black hole to dig the hard black coal

No more will I see my pony and tram, or sit there eating cold spam and not ham

No more will I give the signal to say that’s it boy’s end of another day

No more will I see the light from below and ask dear God to save my soul

And has I walk away from that pit, I chew my tobacco look back and then spit

And say to myself that’s it, I quit, I’ll not be back at the dreadful pit…!