A Day in the Life of a Trappy Lad

My dad wakes me up with a shout, I have to hurry up and get dressed and go straight downstairs. Dad and I put our boots on and head out of the front door. We never leave out of the back door because we have a pig and it is unlucky to see one before work. It is a long walk to work, it feels like miles but that's part and parcel of working in a drift mine. My dad and I go into the mine through the South Drift, my dad goes into a tunnel which leads to the cliffs but it's underground, above ground you could walk over where we work. I look behind me as my dad disappears. I am heading towards Loftus to the point where I am working today. I finally reach my trapdoor, so I blow my candle out, it will never last the shift.

Picture: Two trappy lads

Then the darkness suddenly hits you, the mine without light is a very sad and lonely place. I bet you are wondering what I do? My job is quite simple really I sit behind a trap door and listen for horses and tubs. As they approach I open the trap door to let them through, one by one the tubs go past. They are pulled by a huge Shire horse. I told you it was simple, you could do it.

Picture: A tub in one of the mines many tunnels

My stomach is telling me it is dinner time now, so I put my hand into my bait bag and pull out my jam sandwiches. Then all of a sudden I can feel something moving around near my legs and I don't mind telling you I was scared. It's the rats, I am sure they can smell sandwiches miles away. I feed them a little bit every now and again. My favourite is called Gladstone but dad won't let me take him home. After I finish my sandwiches Gladstone crawls back down my leg and I wait for the next set of tubs to go past. The mine is a cold and lonely place when you just sit here listening to the water drip, drip, drip. It is dripping from the sides and the roof of the tunnel.

Picture: Gladstone the rat

Old Billy Norris, the mine's deputy comes round and he asks if I am alright. I reply with "Yes thank you sir". I wonder why the deputy is down the mine, it must be gas, that's the only reason he could possibly be down the mine. This shift seems to be really long but that's part and parcel of life down the mine, sitting for hours in the darkness. I can hear a horse and tubs in the distance, I get ready to open the trap door. It is getting nearer and nearer and I open the trap door and the horse comes past with all the tubs. Then all of a sudden I hear the rapper go with the news that my day is over, it's time to go home. Goodbye.