A FORMER East Lancashire miner has turned story-teller to put his pit memories down on paper in a new book.

Pensioner Ted Clarke went down Scaitcliffe Colliery in Accrington when he was 14 , toiling in coal seams only 24 inches high.

Now aged 72, his memories of labouring underground are as vivid as if he were there yesterday and he has recalled them in his book "Once Upon A Mine".

As his research went along, other miners and their relatives contributed stories and photographs for the social study of mining life in the East Lancashire Coalfield before the creation of the National Coal Board in 1947.

Ted's book tells of the humour and the tragedies, the hard graft and the comradeship of working down the mines.

Ted, who now lives in Poulton-le-Fylde with his wife, Elsie, went down Scaitcliffe pit when he left school working there for more than ten years before going into motor engineering. He said: "Anyone who has worked down the pit will tell you the memories stick for ever and ever. It's a different world.

"The first time I rode down in the cage to the shaft bottom I thought the world had come to an end. It went down so fast."

He started on the book in 1991 after a slight stroke left him struggling to complete a sentence. Typing with just one finger, he slowly began to try to put in writing for his family his working experiences.

Ted said: "My four daughters were always asking what it was like working down the pit and it was some therapy to get my brain active again and get me back on my feet."

So far, he has had 50 copies printed at his own expense, with the 120-page book going to the Lancashire Museum of Mining in Salford and libraries in Lancashire, as well as to contributors and members of the family.

Daughter Jean Bennett lives in Brecon Avenue, Oswaldtwistle, and daughter Susan Kershaw in Hazel Grove, Knuzden.

Ted said he had been a little surprised at the interest shown in his book and is considering another print run.

Anyone intertested in buying a copy can contact him on 01253 896083.

His reminiscences of coal mining days in the Hyndburn district have been published under his pit name of Ned.

He said: "The manager's brother was called Teddy and as I was working like a donkey I thought I might as well be called Ned!"

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