Letter: Thanks to all who supported my 21st annual pre-Christmas ramble

Through the letters page of The Star, I would like to thank all 39 people and Wilma the dog who supported my 21st annual pre-Christmas ramble on Saturday, December 21, 2019.

On behalf of the Great Central Railway Society, we all enjoyed a leisurely and meandering five-mile walk from Conisbrough to Swinton via Mexborough. Including many from the Rotherham and Sheffield area, participants came from far and wide including Cleethorpes, Alfreton, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Chesterfield, Gainsborough and Doncaster.

Nearing the end of our festive ramble we all stopped off to enjoy sherry and mince pies, standing on Talbot Road, Swinton, overlooking the canal and railway. All together with darkness falling, it looked very Dickensian!

Can I say a special thank you to the Dearne Valley Leisure Centre who kindly accommodated us for a morning cuppa and also for their first aid skills in helping one of our walkers who had fallen down on nearby Doncaster Road? Our walker, June, from Chesterfield, was cleaned and bandaged up, so allowing her to continue and complete the walk. Thanks again Dearne Valley Leisure Centre staff, you are all a great credit to the community.

En route on our ramble we were privileged to have along with us local councillor Ken Wyatt, who is a fountain of knowledge on local history. He pointed out this, that and the other. Everyone learned something new and benefited from his presence as we rambled along. Thanks again, Ken.

As there were near 40 in our party, when we arrived in Mexborough we had to split up for our lunch break and the town did us proud. Mouth-watering festive meals were served all around. I myself and 17 others went to Rosie’s Tea Shop on the High Street.

Tom Atmore and his friendly staff accommodated us wonderfully. The meals were delicious and so was feedback from everyone in our group. We will return here on a future date. What a marvellous little town centre, full of character and friendly faces all around. Thanks again Rosie’s Tea Shop. We will be back!

On all my annual festive walks, I always like to stop off at an appropriate point and read out some of my written poetry and this year was no exception.

The Dearne Valley Leisure Centre is built on the site of Denaby Main Colliery which opened in 1868 and closed in 1968, exactly 100 years in existence!

I would like to leave The Star readers with one of my poems which I read outside the Leisure Centre.

A Miner’s Lament by Stephen Gay

From farmsteads, woodland and fields of green

Along came the collieries and wiped the slate clean

With beaming light above to darkness down below

Descending and caged the miners must go.

From early tramways and wagon-ways

To canal schemes and the railways

Important transport links of the day

Built and constructed to take the coal away.

Dangerous and hazardous is working underground

Risk of flooding, fire and gas all around

Through twisting black tunnels extending the seam

A job full of hardship, dirty and mean.

From pit props and ponies, mechanisation came

New hydraulic supports and the railway train

Soon mining became an industry of change

Old pits worked out and closure wide range.

Coal, not dole was the striking miner’s cry

A chant of pride to help his pit live not die

Eventually, communities were broken up and torn apart

Made to look forward and make a new start.

On maps of today, a road bypass and country park

Many housing estates and industrial developments marked

Much change of landscape now varies all around

Then spare a thought for the miners who toiled underground.

To all readers, have a great and prosperous New Year.