When I tell people I'm a coal miner, some of them say 'Do coal miners even exist?' Some people still think there are miners down there shovelling coal, but it's not like that. There are always different things going on - you could be loading or firing the explosives, driving an underground loader or bolting roof supports. There's lots of things you can do, so you don't get bored. 

Working underground isn't for everybody, but I love it. I enjoy getting dirty, having the machinery around, and working with explosives. It's always a nice temperature underground, and you're working as part of a team where you end up a close-knit group because you have to look out for each other. 

Ever since I was a young fellow, when I used to visit my stepfather at the mine, I wanted to be a coal miner. I left school in fifth form and shortly after that managed to get a job at a gold mine. I really wanted to get into coal mining, but you had to take what you were offered at the time. It turned out to be a really good grounding for me. I learned to drive heavy machinery like diggers, dozers and trucks. It gave me a good knowledge of machinery, which you need for working in coal mining too. 

I worked at the gold mine for about two years and then spent time at two different opencast coal mines. I kept nagging about how much I wanted to go underground, and eventually I got the chance. So it took a while to get there, but I just started at the bottom and worked my way up. Now I've got my supervisors ticket, but what I really want to do is to get my managers ticket. I like being able to help out the new recruits, pass on a bit of knowledge, and make sure they are learning to do things the right way.