From the 'Trappy Lad' Album
TRAPPY LAD
At the age of 12 a worker would start down an ironstone mine as a 'trappy lad'. The song, from which the Album takes its name, is sung in the character of such a lad and tells of his experience. Sitting alone in the dark, opening and shutting the doors that were part of the ventilation system of the mine, this lad had an important role in the health and safety of the mine. In coal mines the term used was 'trapper' and if you could prove you could read and write you could go down the mine at 8 years of age! Geordie Ridley, who wrote 'Blaydon Races', started as a 'trapper'. The song was written after a visit to the Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum at Skinnigrove where part of the tour includes a 'trappy lad experience'.
AMERICAN BEEF
On the 10 March 1877 the Middlesborough and Cleveland Advertiser carried an article about the advent of American Beef to Guisborough. Purchase of this would likely to have been beyond the means of most ironstone mining families.
THE REWARD
Looks light heartedly at another much reported type of event ( this song is loosely based on fact) for which there were frequent prosecutions, 'Shebeening'. A 'Shebeen' was an unlicensed drinking den. Apparently, the word has passed from the Celtic Countries and the North of England into common parlance in Africa.
TRAPPY LAD
At the age of 12 a worker would start down an ironstone mine as a 'trappy lad'. The song, from which the Album takes its name, is sung in the character of such a lad and tells of his experience. Sitting alone in the dark, opening and shutting the doors that were part of the ventilation system of the mine, this lad had an important role in the health and safety of the mine. In coal mines the term used was 'trapper' and if you could prove you could read and write you could go down the mine at 8 years of age! Geordie Ridley, who wrote 'Blaydon Races', started as a 'trapper'. The song was written after a visit to the Cleveland Ironstone Mining Museum at Skinnigrove where part of the tour includes a 'trappy lad experience'.
AMERICAN BEEF
On the 10 March 1877 the Middlesborough and Cleveland Advertiser carried an article about the advent of American Beef to Guisborough. Purchase of this would likely to have been beyond the means of most ironstone mining families.
THE REWARD
Looks light heartedly at another much reported type of event ( this song is loosely based on fact) for which there were frequent prosecutions, 'Shebeening'. A 'Shebeen' was an unlicensed drinking den. Apparently, the word has passed from the Celtic Countries and the North of England into common parlance in Africa.