Men who spent their working lives underground found a new world of freedom in racing birds.
In Ron Berry’s 1982 story ‘Time Spent’, Lewis Rimmer, a 57-year-old Welsh miner, decides to die among his pigeons. After ‘nigh on 30 years’ hewing coal in the Fawr pit, his lungs are full of dust and, since he can no longer work, the mine is forced to make him redundant. He is entitled to compensation and, as he is reminded, the union should help out, too. But the thought terrifies him. His whole sense of meaning – his value as a ‘man’ – comes from being a collier. Unable to talk to his wife, he slouches out to his pigeon loft in the garden. It is the only other place he feels ‘himself’. He is closer to the birds than to anyone. Opening the hatch, he shoos them out gently. Then, as they swoop low over the valley, he curses quietly, puts a shotgun in his mouth and pulls the trigger.
They say you should never work with children or animals and that politicians should never answer questions involving numbers in case they embarrass themselves.But Rishi Sunak has thrown caution to
He said: “We can’t change what the government is doing but we can do something positive.”
He delivered the turkeys along with other Christmas treats, alongside an army of volunteers from the now thousand-strong Facebook group.
“We are going to make Christmas brighter for so many families.”
His act of kindness comes as S6 foodbank revealed demand for parcels in North Sheffield had increased four-fold compared with last December, and they give out nine tonnes of food per week.
A young mum, who asked not to be named, has been amongst those relying on food donations, and received a turkey from HOWWL.