Mr Gardiner

Life in a mining village - games children played, took cricket balls from visiting coconut shy, Sunday school trip to South Shields and sports day. Headmistress didn’t put him in for eleven plus, probably because father a noted drunkard so wouldn’t be able to afford more schooling - similar thing happened to wife. Helped with younger children. Child teased because couldn't draw. 1921 strike, father involved in gathering food for the soup kitchens, by lorry. 1926 strike straight after starting in pit. Sleeping on cinders in dry midden pile to protect them from others. Cut down trees, turned out to be illegal, some wood hidden with him in bed, pretended to be ill when police came. Kids bare knuckle fights. Diet - lots of bread and dripping, got dripping from Ushaw college. Many children didn't have shoes. Getting handout from the relieving officer, had to use in particular shop. While still at school helped out at a slaughterhouse, didn't get paid but did have a scam taking empty bottles from the shop and taking them back in for tuppence, then spending it on the plush theatre seats. Potato picking as a child - went on strike when pay deal reneged on, police had to break it up. Refused to be treated like a servant while at school, class master was respected though. Listened to Peter Lee. Run in with a new manager as refused to take beret off. Officials could be slave drivers. Saw first corpse while playing hide and seek, it had been propped in wash house till ambulance came. If "blacked" by management had to leave area to get work unless other family members also working. Children working the screens, the difficulties of getting accurate measurements of amounts of stone and coal. Some young people went into service instead. Accidents in the pit, in detail.

Location: Esh, Langley Park
County: Durham
AUD1983-227

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