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I worked in the mines during the war. Too many miners went to war so some had to stay back as we needed coal to fight. We had to keep the factories going but conditions were the same — pick and shovel.

You had to be 20 to be called up so as I was 19 I had to stay. Bevan Boys were fetched in to work down the pit — we had to train them. One advantage of working down the mine was that we got our coal. Others had to buy it and it was rationed.

All my mates were called up and I wanted to be as well but I wasn’t old enough. People said you were shirking but you weren’t. I was in the Home Guard at weekends — training at Ponteland rifle range or the coast. After the pits I was on fire watch — looking for incendiary bombs. You got 5 shilling for fire watching. Everybody had to club together and chip in.

For me the worst thing about the war was the darkness. I spent my days down the mine in the pitch black. And at night it was the same because of the blackout. It was dark all the time. There were no shops or anything and old people were killed because they couldn’t see the buses in the dark. When you opened your door in the morning it took 5 minutes to get used to the light — ‘like a rat in the dark.’

I remember one time, when we’d gone to Morpeth on our bikes. You weren’t allowed lights on your bike so I’d painted the dynamo dark. But it rained and washed the paint off. As I was cycling the searchlight came onto me and an Air Raid Warden shouted ‘Stop there!’. I knew I was in trouble. We used to get fined if there was light after blackout.

With no light there were none of the good times - watching England v Scotland, or going to pubs or clubs. Beer, cigarettes and petrol was rationed anyway. I remember once though there was a football match between the Army and the RAF at St James’ Park. There were twenty two internationals were on the field, including Stanley Matthews and Frank Swift for the Army. When the war ended and everyone came home there were street parties — but it was back to normal in the mines. The biggest change was seeing things lit up — especially for the youngsters who had never seen a lit up shop.

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