I am always researching my family history because, having lost Dad when I was so young, I did not ask many of the questions I now would like to have done! I recently discovered something that has helped me to understand the strict but loving upbringing that we had much more. Dad’s family were living in the mining village of Ferndale, but his grandfather had been born in Ireland and had come across to Wales at about the right time to have been fleeing the potato famine. He started work in the docks in Swansea before marrying and moving to the valleys where his son, my grandfather, Bartholomew, was born. Bartholomew was one of a large family with seven sisters! He inevitably went to work down the pit and worked his way up through a complete career that must have been very hard. He was an underground fireman or ‘shotfirer’. I never realised how his experiences down the pit had influenced his path in life until I recently discovered he was the first General Secretary of NACODs and did a great deal of work campaigning for mine safety for which he received an OBE. Not only did this discovery make me incredibly proud of him, but it explained a great deal about my father, Graham. As children he was very strict about certain things including working hard at school and education in general. I remember being scared when reports came out in case they were not deemed good enough….thankfully I passed the test on this one……but I now realise that was simply a reaction to the fact that he had witnessed his father going down the pit and seen the hardships that this could bring making him determined to seek a better future by being the best that he could at school and beyond. He simply wanted us to have the best possible chances in life and for that I am immensely grateful. I have tried to instil his values in my five boys and am immensely proud of the young men that they are becoming. My eldest has decided to follow somewhat in his grandfather’s footsteps and is doing a course in Art Animation at University. His younger brother has just passed 4 A levels with flying colours and will be studying Biomedical Sciences at Cardiff University. The others are still at school. Dad, I know you would be proud of your grandchildren. Thank you for being my amazing Dad…..dwi’n caru ti dad.