AN illustrated talk will explore the remarkable journey of a man who rose from working as a carting boy in the 1920s to become area manager of the Somerset and Bristol Coalfield.

From Carting Boy to Area Manager, by Bryn Hawkins, will take place at Chilcompton Village Hall on Tuesday, February 3, with doors opening at 7 pm and the talk running from 7.30 pm to 8.30 pm.

The talk explores the life of his uncle, Cecil Weeks—a remarkable man determined to improve himself—who was born into a working-class family and began his career in the 1920s as a carting boy in the mines.

A carting boy’s job was to haul sledges, or “putts” as they were locally known, loaded with coal cut from the coal face by the hewers. The boys pulled the putts through very low tunnels using a “gus-n-crook,” a type of harness that required them to work on all fours, much like a horse pulling a cart.

The gus-n-crook consisted of a rope girdle worn around the waist, to which a chain was attached. The chain passed between the boy’s legs and hooked onto an iron loop on the putt. Carting boys would drag these heavy, coal-laden putts over rough, rocky surfaces, often covering hundreds of yards, until they reached larger roadways.

There, the putts were unloaded into wagons on rails, usually pulled by pit ponies. This gruelling process was repeated continuously throughout their shift, after which the pit ponies would tow the wagons to the pit bottom, where they were loaded into the cage — the mine’s lift — to be taken to the surface.

Free parking is available in the hall car park, and attendees are encouraged to share lifts where possible. Further details can be found at www.radstockmuseum.co.uk.