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Post by dazb on Apr 23, 2005 17:39:00 GMT -5
This is the title of a recently published book written by Andrew Paterson, it tells the story of his famous grandfather Andrew (Andra) McNulty who became the first president of The Lanarkshire Miner's Union as well a Labour leader in so many ways. Not another dry "old mining politics" list of dates and famous union meetings but a true story of the struggles of not only the miners and their families but the influence that this man's principles and efforts created in changing so many things for the betterment of the working classes. The infamous Blantyre Disaster of 1877 is described in Andra MacNulty's words as he had related this to his grandson Andrew as well as excerpts of the official hearings and political debates resulting from the tragedy. The book also manages to capture so much more of the history and heritage of miners and other workers that carried their struggles through into the twentieth century. I haven't read the whole book yet but can already recommend it highly, a great book, well written and presented, a great buy.
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Post by Ragger on Apr 24, 2005 9:03:07 GMT -5
Daz,
I have to agree with you the book is brilliant, Andy has done his Grandfather proud. What a wonderful insight into Andra’s (Andrew McAnulty) life Andy experienced, living with Andra and then when he was still at school, he interviewed Andra for a school project and took numerous notes of discussions they had, which he still has. Andy enhances the book through many years of deep meticulous research.
I think the love and respect Andy has for his Grandfather and also for mining people in general comes shinning through. The book describes the hardships, the injustices, and the tragedies that Andra was so personally involved with.
Andra describes how hardly a week passed without serious accidents being reported in the press.
Although Andra’s family was affected by many personal heart rendering incidents, where immediate family members were killed, (and he himself was badly injured and burned), others in mining communities were devastated by numerous events, deaths, little or no sympathy from pit owners, and if no member of a family was left to work in the pit, the family would be evicted. Andy pulls no punches in describing how he feels regarding some of the apparent discriminations against miners and their families.
I don’t want to give too much away but the book is fabulous, Andra, initially with the help of caring friends, overcame the horrors of the Blantyre disasters and steadily rebuilt his life, to the point where he became a leading light both locally and nationally. The whitewash concerning the disasters and the injustices that followed played a major part in driving Andra on his new path.
Congratulations go to Andy McAnulty Paterson for producing a book of such quality. The book is littered with history and deserves to be a success. Don’t think about it, buy it, you want be disappointed.
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Post by dazb on Apr 25, 2005 15:25:41 GMT -5
A problem has occurred in our household as a result of Andy Paterson’s book, my youngest son (still at home) has picked up the book and taken an interest, to the extent that he has started to question for the first time my own coal mining experience, his first question of; “Did I use a candle in the pit?” very nearly got him choked, but as a result of my physical inability to leap from the chair and grab him by the neck gave me time to reflect that during the 1984 strike I along with two of his uncles had worked most nights for two weeks in an abandoned coal mine with the aid of two paraffin hurricane lamps. After a lifetime of adhering to the rigid controls of flame safety lamp mining I have to admit that I chose to risk life and limb in the process of obtaining coal for the home comfort of heating, not a million miles different from the uneducated miners that had no alternative to earning a living but yet knew the risks that they faced from methane explosions. His second question related to the use of earth middins, something that I managed to miss by about four years, although I was reared in a pit terrace row where outside privies were shared by at least two families and any nightly visits were conducted armed with a candle and a sheet of newspaper in the hope of finding the place unoccupied on the first trip. All this less than a generation away yet somehow lost in the mists of a television age but brought back with a bump by Andy’s Blast from the Past, it might well be that the reading of this book results in my son being choked to death or possibly having created a generation bridge.
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Post by Ragger on May 15, 2005 12:15:11 GMT -5
Just an update for all regarding A Blast From The Past.
Heard from Andy Paterson today and the sales of his book are going well. He is promoting the book in his local stores and the response has been fantastic.
Even the principal teacher of history at Hamilton Grammar School has bought three copies of the book.
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