Books on Welsh Coalmining and Collieries

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.

*SPRING OFFER - 10% OFF ALL ORDERS OVER £50.00.*

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. “Where to go for the holidays see you.” “I thought you liked Hiya Butt Bay” “I do Iant, home from home it is mun, but the beers dear down there mind you. The Missus doesn’t want to go to Porthcawl this year see, she wants to go somewhere more erotic or something.” “It’s exotic Dai, but there again! Why don’t you try Barry Island for a change then?” ”Nah, can’t mun, Mrs. Price down the road is going to Tenby, so we have to go somewhere foreign like that.” “What Mrs. Price is that then Dai?” “The one with the big bloomers Iant”.  “I know her, and they’re called Gladioli Dai.””Aye something like that anyway”.  “Look out there’s a light coming.” “It’s ok, it’s only Len the Lecky.””Allright Butt.” ”Aye not so bad mun.” “Where you going Len?” ”Down the tail road mun, trouble with the signals like.” “More like a nice warm transformer to lie on” mutters Ianto. “No you dull beep beep I meant where are you going to on holidays.” Says Dai.  “Oh” says Len “I’m off on a grand tour I am.” “Sounds good, might take the Missus on one, Where to is that Len?” ”Well, I start in the Market tavern, then the Commercial, then the Crown, onto the Pennar, the New Inn , the Swan…….” 

If you have any jokes that would fit into the Dai and Ianto theme, and would like to see them on this page, please email me.

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  Some of the photographs may be of poor quality and the book itself is mainly a historical document of coal mining in that particular valley, area or pit.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. 

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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.