This third publication by Lynne Mayers is a collection of first hand accounts of working at surface. Some are from new sources, others were quoted only in her previous publications; Bal Maidens (awarded the Hoyer an Gof Trophy for 2004) and A Dangerous place to Work! (2007).
We read of the direct experiences of philosopher Samuel Drew, preacher Billy Bray and poet John Harris, alongside those whose lives would have been lost to history, had it not been for a chance interview or conversation. These include the men, women and children who featured in a Royal Commission in 1942, the late 19th century Troon bal maidens interviewed for a scrapbook competition in 1951, women who worked at a Glass Mine in the First World War, and newspaper interviews with two ex-bal maidens in their old age. In addition, we have auto biographies from a terminally ill bal maiden, a Delabole slate agent, and two workers at Geevor Tin Mine during the Second World war. All remind us of the important part played by these unsung heroes of the mining and quarrying industries of Cornwall.