B. L. Coombes
Encyclopedia
Bertie Lewis Coombes Giffiths (1893 – 1974) was an English-born writer who spent most of his working life in the coal mines
of the South Wales coalfield
, which provided the subject matter for much of his writing.
Born in Wolverhampton
and brought up in Herefordshire
, Coombes moved to Resolven
before World War I
.
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
of the South Wales coalfield
South Wales Coalfield
The South Wales Coalfield is a large region of south Wales that is rich with coal deposits, especially the South Wales Valleys.-The coalfield area:...
, which provided the subject matter for much of his writing.
Born in Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
and brought up in Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
, Coombes moved to Resolven
Resolven
Resolven is a small village in Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales. It is located in the heart of the Vale of Neath.- Location :The village is situated in the Vale of Neath, next to the A465 Heads of Valleys Road, and is the main settlement in the community of Resolven...
before World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Works
- These poor hands: the autobiography of a miner working in South Wales (1939)
- These clouded hills (1944)
- Miners Day (Harmondsworth, 1945)
Further reading
- William D. Jones & Chris Williams - B. L. Coombes (Writers of Wales series) (1999)