AN EX-MINER has penned a book of his experiences and the characters and incidents of his time down the pit.

Tom Chapman, 65, of Brunshaw Road, Burnley, used his free time since retirement to write down memories from his 38 years working as a miner.

He started in the pits in the Burnley area in 1951 as a tackle lad and progressed through the ranks to finally become manager.

He worked at Salterford and Bank Hall in Burnley before moving on to the Rossendale pits of Deerplay, Hilltop and Grimebridge, then Thorneybank and finally ended his days at Hapton Valley before moving to manage privately run mines in Wigan.

Tom said: "It is not really a historical account although there is a bit of history in it, it is more about the incidents and characters I met in the pit, post nationalisation."

The book called Old King Coal is printed by local company Turner and Earnshaw and is on sale locally at Badger Books, Keirby Walk, Burnley Central Library and Pike Hill Post Office priced £5.99.