The Undermanager

by Michael Morton

This is the story of the fictional Undermanager Mick Gibson. At the age of sixteen he began working for the National Coal Board. The then Chairman Sir Derek Ezra had recently presented the 1974 Plan for Coal. An industry with a secure future. A job for life he was told. After working in the Lancashire Coalfields for the first thirteen years He was appointed Undermanager at the last remaining colliery in North Wales. Point of Ayr Colliery. It was a whole new life for both himself and family. Then on 13th October 1992, the President of the Board for Trade Michael Heseltine announced the pit was to close in March 1993. There was no market for 31 of Britain’s 50 operating collieries. The date of the announcement was seventeen years to the day he’d started with the Coal Board. The story is set against the background of the mining industry after the 1984. Characters in the story are fictional but many of the incidents and daily occurrences at the mine are real.

382 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 27, 2020

About the author

Michael Morton was born in Everton, Liverpool in 1958. Qualified as a Mining Engineer and worked in a number of UK collieries. In 1996 following the collapse of coal mining in the UK he moved into the airline and airport business. His love of story telling came from his nan, she'd spend hours every Sunday creating stories for him and his cousins. On becoming a father he continued this family tradition with his own two children and thereafter the five grandchildren.
Back in the early nineties when he moved to North Wales he put pen to paper and started to write a number of short stories for his children. The first of which "Message in a Bottle" was released in May 2020.
His first published book based on his experiences in the airline and airport sector was in 2017 "Flymeaway Babe.com" and followed in 2019 by "Time To Move On." The final book in the trilogy John Wesley International Airport is currently on hold whilst he completes a number of books on his coal mining industry experience.
The first of which "The Undermanager" was started in 1992 but never finished until November 2020 and now available on Amazon. It tells the story of his time in the coal industry and the men he worked with and for. It was an extremely important part of his life and something he was proud to be part of. Much of these experiences helped develop him into the manager he was to become. The sequel to this will be "Shafted" which he is currently writing and hoping to be available next year.
During the recent coronavirus pandemic he took time out to complete his first short story. Published in April 2020 "Love is in the Air"

Reviews

[geoff Bridgman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant read

One of the most enjoyable and informative books about coal mining have read .have learnt so much and a very interesting book. Highly recommended.

[mrs c tolley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gritty Stuff!

Coming from a Lancashire town which itself has local mines mentioned in the book I found this very honest account of life in the pits particularly towards the catastrophic end, absolutely fascinating. My Grandfather broke his back, and most other bones, underground at Bickershaw Colliery. My wife's Father did 44yrs at Bickershaw as the Colliery Carpenter. One of my best friends moved to Point of Ayr as a Mechanical Engineer. I feel sure that Michael's Mr Richards (Denny) could well be my mate! This is an absolutely must read for anyone who remembers pit life and pit communities. The characters are real as are the often sad situations. The last days of this hugely challenging business were at times comical with the govt, in my view intent on closing the one industry that had caused the then govt a great deal of worry from a union that had held them to account. Well done Michael!

[Christopher Nixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having worked in the mining industry (Coal & Industrial Minerals)for 45 years I could not wait to read this book. I was not disappointed, the book really reflects the way the Mines were managed , the sense of humour comes through in parts of the book which for me was such a great part of working underground and made the job so enjoyable most of the time, and everyone looked out for each other. It was also a very dangerous place to work and this is highlighted in the book. I am not a regular book reader, but i look forward to the next book and exploits of Mick Gibson (The Undermanager)

[Simon Pickup · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great read for anyone connected or interested in the mining industry. Michael manages to convey the day to day challenges of the coal mine in the context of pit closures and privatisation. The humour and camaraderie of the industry comes through, as does the brutal management style. As a person who worked in the mining industry all my life in a number of positions, including as Undermanager, I can fully relate to the experiences depicted in the book including the stresses on the family life. I look forward to the next book.

[bob storer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read

Being an ex colliery official l can fully relate to this very true to to life book. Having said that, Michael has written in a way that the none mining fraternity would have little problem in understanding and in many respects relate to their own workplace experiences.well done Michael and l await your next penning.

[Craig Watkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for anyone who has a mining heritage

A well written account of life in a different time when coal was king. The language and pictures it creates took me back to my childhood and conversations with my father.

[Michael Simm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting account of the last years of British coal mining. It was particularly interesting to me as Ron Groves was my Uncle!