Books on Welsh Coalmining and Collieries

HOT OFF THE COALFACE - I WILL BE AT CAERPHILLY CRAFT FAIR (BELOW THE VISITOR CENTRE AND OPPOSITE THE CASTLE) ON SATURDAY THE 9th OF JUNE BETWEEN 10 AM AND 4 PM.  WITH A WIDE SELECTION OF BOOKS, SOME REDUCED, SOME ONE-OFFS AND NEW ONES ON BEDWAS AND THE 'WIDOW'S WAIL' FEATURING COPIES OF THE SET OF POSTCARDS BY W. BENTON THAT SO CAPTURED THE TRAGEDY OF THE SENGHENYDD EXPLOSION OF 1913.

Welcome to the website that comprehensively covers all parts of the South Wales Coalfield.  There are books covering all the mines in a particular valley, there are books covering local areas such as Abertillery, there are books covering individual pits, and there are books covering all the other aspects of the Coalfield such as the National Coal Board, Trades Unions, etc..

Please feel free to explore this website.  If you cannot find what you want please contact me at 'raylawrence123@yahoo.co.uk', also contact me if you want a dedication or message written in your book, at no further cost.

Dai and Ianto sat down for their grub;"allright Dai""aint so bad butt, and you?""allright mun I suppose, bad night last night it was" "how’s that then" says Ianto, "couldn't sleep see Ianto, worried I was mun", what for butt" says Ianto.”Can’t tell you mun” “Come on Dai, we’s butties mun” “Can’t tell you Ianto.” “Trouble with Gwlad issit?” “Belt up Ianto mun, are you deaf as well as dull huh?” “Allright butt, no need to go dappy.”  PAUSE – “Hey Dai heard about Dai Hats trip to Japan?” “No what’s that then butt?” “Well Dai and his wife Sue went to Japan on holidays and stayed in the same hotel as these blokes who were setting up car factories.  Well the one was so impressed about the first time that he met Dai that he decided to call his cars HIYADAI, but the interpreter made a mistake and it came out as Hyundai.  The second one thought the world of both Dai and Sue and called his cars Daihatsu.  But the third” He looks around, “but the third, and keep quiet about this Dai mind you” “ I will Ianto honest” He was very taken with Sue, and nine months later Sue had a baby, so he called his cars DAISON, but again the interpreter made a mess of it and they became Datsun” “Hey Ianto, what did she call the baby then?” “Oh, it was Hafod RFC First 15” “Funny name Iant” “There you are then, she wasn’t very good at remembering names!”

“Feeling better now Dai?” “Aye butty I am like” “ “Wanna tell me then, you’ll feel more betterer then.” “ Allright then Ianto, do you remember..” A booming voice came down the coalface, “Oye you two, come up here bloody rapid like, the whole bloody lot is coming down.”

All the books are written, printed and published by me and come thermal bound, with size A4 paper.  Some of the photographs may be of poor quality and the book itself is mainly a historical document of coal mining in that particular valley, area or pit.  They are not expensive or showy, but aim to relate to the reader facts and figures and stories about the South Wales Coalfield and its collieries.  They are highly recommended by professional historians and laymen alike. 

Quietly, I am now introducing some books with a hand made (amateur) hard cover and printed on gloss paper, for those who prefer a different appraoch to their heritage.

PAYMENT IS THROUGH PAYPAL OR BY PERSONAL CHEQUE OR BY A POSTAL ORDER, IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO REGISTER YOU CAN ORDER BY CONTACTING ME BY E-MAIL STATING YOUR REQUIREMENTS.  WOULD ALL NON UK CUSTOMERS PLEASE  E-MAIL ME BEFORE PLACING AN ORDER FOR A QUOTE ON POSTAGE.      

I APOLOGISE IN ADVANCE FOR ANY PROBLEMS THAT YOU MAY ENCOUNTER WITH THE WEBSITE - I AM A DODDERING OLD CODGER AND SOMETIMES TECHNOLOGY OUTWITS ME - I AM RE-WRITING THIS HOME PAGE BECAUSE SOMEHOW OR OTHER I WIPED OUT THE OLD ONE.  SO FAR I HAVE FAILED TO TRANSFER THE FACEBOOK LOGO, BUT YOU CAN LOOK ME UP AT "WELSH MINING BOOKS"!!

The author, Ray Lawrence, was born in Cwmcarn, and was the third generation of miners in his family.  He worked for twenty-five years at the Celynen South Colliery, Abercarn, until its closure in 1985.

He was the National Union of Mineworkers, Lodge Secretary at that colliery for fourteen years, and served for three years on the South Wales Area Executive Council of the NUM.  He took an active part in the 1984/85 miners' strike.

He retired from the probation service in 2009, and, in the words of Hywel Francis, MP, turned from helping make history to recording it.  His books have been used as presentations to such dignitaries as the head of the European Union, and the Prime Minister of the day, by the Coalfield Communities Campaign, and are highly regarded by other authors, and libraries, such as the South Wales Miners' Library, as reference works.

His BSc comes from part-time study with the Open University while he was in his 60's.