A beautiful wooden box with ivory decorations contains a letter now in pieces, stating that it was given to William Cresswell for services to Tinsley Park Colliery Cricket Club. The letter, dated 1856, is signed by members of the team, including a Mr Boycott.
New shafts were sunk. Coal fuelled Sheffield steel and powered the steamships that helped the British to rule their Empire.
William’s daughter married a sewage works manager. Her two sons, Fred and Billy, became sewage works managers too. ‘Sewage is my bread and butter’ declared Fred. They survived the war. Fred’s heel injury saved his life but hindered his cricketing career.
The pits produced ever more coal. It would always be needed, even though to get it was dirty and dangerous.
Fred’s daughter went to Secondary school and he captained the cricket team in genteel Harrogate. His grandfather’s box had pride of place in his kitchen.
Coal was nationalised but became more expensive to mine.
The colonies gained independence.
Mr. Boycott’s descendant became famous. Oil replaced coal. The colliery owner’s family became extinct.
A small boy arrived from Kashmir and grew up in the streets where William Cresswell had lived. He found them 'poor in material wealth but rich in spirit'.
The coalmines closed, as did the steel works where his father worked, but Shaffiq went to University and became a politician. Lord Mohammed of Tinsley took his place in the House of Lords.
Fred’s granddaughter keeps the box with the letter inside.
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