What was it like as a child to work in a coal mining town in the 1920s?

The air is black. Everywhere is full of smoke. You’d breathe it and wear it on your clothes. Everything that you’d touch outside would be tarnished with ash. You’d live in very close proximity to your neighbours with very little privacy, and you’d probably all share a toilet. I’d hate to think of the rota put together to keep it clean. Families were large so that they could earn more money to afford trips to the countryside. You’d seldom be cold as you’d always be moving. The day would start early. You’d have lessons in the morning, and if you were old enough you’d get sent down the mines. Your early jobs would just be to deliver food to your family members; but when you’d be old enough you’d be put to work to help bring in more money for your family by pushing carts to the shafts. If you were brave enough, you’d be put to the front of the line to chisel out the smaller bits before they were claimed by anyone else. You’d seldom have to worry about keeping clean until you came home, but you could always stop off at the local baths to scrub down to save you the pain of having to go through it with your Ma.