Book description
'I had not lived in the former pit village of Lynemouth since 1961
but the winding road north from Newcastle will always be the same
nostalgic highway, each twist charged with vivid memories and powerful emotions...'
So begins a story full of wonderful humour, emotional candour and
hardy tales of tough times - a quietly epic family saga set amid the
pit villages of the North East . It stretches from the 1920s, before
Sid's parents had even met, to the final closing of the mine and his
mother's death in 1999.
Sid paints a picture of a colourful, tight knit community full of
good times and hard work, god-fearing women and hard-drinking men.
Always dominating the skyline is Auld Betty, the pit head that took
the men away each day and, with a prayer, brought them back each
evening. Amongst the unforgettable cast of his extended family and
friends, we follow the Waddells' attempts to stay afloat and provide a
better future and possible escape for youngsters like Sid.
Sid Waddell, 'The Geordie Lip', the Moses of the game, was born in
Northumberland in 1940. He grew up in a former pit village near
Newcastle, the son of a miner. He graduated with a degree in History
from Cambridge University, then started out as a TV producer working on
Indoor League in the early 1970s. This led to him receiving the
back-handed compliment of being asked to be the BBC's lead commentator
on all their major BDO televised darts tournaments. He worked for them
in this capacity from 1978 to 1993 during which time he also penned the
highly successful children's television series
Jossy's Giants
. Since 1993 he has worked for Sky Television and commentates on all
major PDC televised darts tournaments.
