After featuring Chris Napier’s plee for information on a local Football team in last week’s Journal, Bristol resident, Trudy Crew, stumbled upon the article quite by chance.

She said: “I was just browsing through the articles and was completely surprised to see the photograph on Page 19 of the football team, as I actually have an original of the photograph.

“Icantellyouthatitisa photo of Coleford Football team and my Grandfather, Arthur Hamblin, is knelt with the football, his brother, Henry Hamblin, is to the right of him and another brother, George Hamblin, is in the middle, back row wearing the cap.

“The Hamblin family, headed by Charles Hamblin, a master butcher for Co-op at Radstock Market, were, at that time, living at Ivy Cottage, Coleford Green and they later moved to Edford, Holcombe.

“The brothers were all miners and on 10th November 1928 in an heroic action, Henry Hamblin saved the life of my Grandfather, Arthur Hamblin, when the seam at Mells Colliery collapsed.

“Arthur suffered a broken neck and other serious injuries in the accident and was unable to work in the mines again. Henry, too, could not return to the mines – he was awarded the Edward Medal and the Carnegie Medal for his bravery.

“My Mum always remembered her father being brought home to Mount Carmel, Holcombe, on a horse and cart after the accident and he was instructed to lie flat on his back and look up at a nail that was put in the ceiling.

“He was told he would never walk again, but was nursed well by my Grandmother. Mum could recall him crawling around the cottage and being so determined that he would walk – which he eventually did.

“He moved to Bristol in 1938, but faced more sadness when his home and fish and chip business were completely demolished in the 1941 Good Friday bombing raids in the city, then, in 1944 his nineteen-year-old

son, a Grenadier Guard, was killed in action in Holland.

“I remember him as a lovely Grandfather, but never able to turn his neck. He died in 1955 of carcinoma of the lungs, no doubt the result of the years spent in the mines.

“He never lost his love of football and supported Bristol City.

“Henry moved first to Bath, then Bristol, owning a fish and chip shop in both places. He passed away in 1963.

“George stayed in Holcombe, moving into Mount Carmel when my Grandfather left for Bristol. He passed away in 1967, but his Granddaughter still lives in the property.”