Published privately by the author, 81 pages. A4 size booklet (N4396WSO)
This booklet provides an excellent account of the history of the South Wales coalfield from Nationalisation in 1947 up until privatisation in the 1990's. It begins with an assessment of events leading up to nationalisation, and then collects together details and information on various aspects of the industry. Sections include:
- Major legislation to Nationalisation in 1947
- Nationalisation of the Nation's coal mines
- The National Coal Board's organisation in 1947
- Nationalisation - Optimism for the Future
- The Situation in the Industry following Nationalisation
- The manpower and output statistics for 1956
- The NCB ancilliary works and units in 1956
- Training Faces in the South Western Division of the NCB in March 1959
- All NCB activities in the South Wales Coalfield in 1962
- Colliery Statistics for February 1981
- The state of collieries prior to the 1984/85 miners strike.
- The state of the Coalfield in April 1985
- An example of an 1985 closure - St. John's Colliery.
- The NCB closure programme.
Ray Lawrence, who wrote this booklet, was born into a mining family in a village in the Ebbw Vale in South Wales, and he spent much of his working life as a miner at the Celynen South Colliery in Abercarn. Whilst working as a miner at Celynen he was also a local official for the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), and he took an active part in the miners strike of 1984-85
Please note, this booklet was printed, produced and bound privately, and so lacks the 'finish' of a proffessional publication (i.e the photographs that illustrate the booklet are photocopy quality, the binding may be a little skewed, etc). But none of this detracts from the fascinating and detailed information the booklet contains, and it remains a must read/reference for anyone interested in the subject.
The condition of the booklet is generally ok. The clear plastic cover has some minor scuffs, and their is light nibbling and wear along the inside page edges and corners, but the spine binding is intact, and all pages are intact, unblemished and tightly bound.