My Dad George Hurst

My dad was a Coal Miner, a Coal Miner at Bold

Coal dust killed him off long before he got old

He had been down the pit from 14 years old

My dad was a Miner, a Coal Miner at Bold

He loved working deep down underground

Silence and darkness, nothing else all around

Dad developed Coal Miners chest

This left him Needing time off work for his lungs to rest

I remember him coming home from the pit

In the coal fire against my Mams wish he would spit

Pit boots in a corner, dark rims around his eyes

Always a smile on his face, in his pocket, for me a surprise

He was always gentle well presented, always so kind

When they said he had cancer I went out of my mind

I was always with him. No one on earth was like my dad

It was the best friend that I could ever have had

My Mam was always in bad health

We where happy us three though, we had no wealth

My dad came home from after a shift at the pit

He would cook, clean and shop, he did his bit

My dad was a Coal Miner, he loved the coal pit

He had time off, looking after mam, pit made him quit

The Pits needed no man with coal dust on his chest

Even though for 45 years he had given them his best

No job, and no pit pension, they took his free coal away

All because my dads health got worse, day by day

Coal Dust clung to his lungs so tight

At 68 his health was a sorry sight

Always out of breath, coughing, too tired just to walk

Even so of the pit happily he would always talk

Each day Dad told me his memories of the coal pits

He always something different to say about it

I’d say that tell me what it’s like deep down underground

He would say dark,silent, with just Coal Dust all around

My Dad worked so hard from 14 years old,

He had been a Coal Miner, at a coal pit called Bold

All of his life he tried to do his best

Pit dust and cancer, put my dad to an early rest

How much I miss him I just could never explain

It was the bravest man, who would never complain

Now my Dad is Gone from our life, but he still is

looking over the coal pit, all his life he had loved

George Hurst 27/8/1919- 03/7/1988

My wonderful Dad rest in peace

I loved you Dad more than Words

Just an ordinary man born and died in Ashton In Makerfield near Wigan Lancashire UK

Who worked from being 14 years old at Bold Colliery St’helens UK