Lives in Cricket No 40 - Edwin Smith

9 Early days the ignition of the flammable coal gas, methane. Fourteen men died in the accident, with a further eight seriously injured. Although there had been numerous deaths at the colliery, this was the first major incident, although one with which their counterparts around the country had become all too familiar. Arthur Bedford Smith was one of the men in this tragedy, but he was one of the lucky ones. He was badly gassed, but recovered and was one of only three miners who returned to the mine afterwards. He had been at the colliery since the war, when he had narrowly avoided a call to arms. He was in the next scheduled draft when the war ended in 1918 and intead continued to work with the many who toiled long, dark hours underground. Less than two months after the disaster, on 2 January 1934, he became a father for the fourth time as a son, Edwin, was born to Arthur and his wife Annie (nee Eastwood). Annie had endured her fair share of heartache. She had married her first husband, Albert Wright, in July 1913 but he had died in Flanders during the Great War, while serving in the Sherwood Foresters. His death is recorded on the Arras Memorial. Annie then married a Grassmoor man, Joe Pickering, in September 1918, but he had died in a fall at the colliery in August 1919, aged only 19. She married Arthur in December, 1920 and one cannot imagine what thoughts had passed through her mind, seven months into pregnancy, at the possibility of losing a third husband. All turned out well, however and Edwin joined a family that already contained his brother, Arthur and sisters Elsie and Doris. With Annie’s two children by Albert Wright, Walter and Gladys, also in the house, money was tight. The new addition to the family was considerably younger, but was doted upon and, while money was scarce, the family environment was a loving one. From an early age he was known as ‘Tat’, a nickname that stuck with him throughout his cricket career. The origins of that name are unknown, although his father, grandfather and brother all answered to it in their turn. There was always a football available and a cricket bat was propped up at the side of the door, ready for use when the weather was at all favourable. The youngsters enjoyed trips to the local cinema in Grassmoor, where there were two shows a week, one running from Monday to Wednesday, the other from Thursday to Saturday. Edwin especially enjoyed westerns and the films of Roy Rogers and Gene Autry were particular favourites, as, in different vein, were those of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. The cinema, originally called The Electric, was later renamed The Roxy and was at the far end of the village. It opened in 1936 and in the pre-television era was an escape from everyday life. In its heyday thousands passed through its doors to enjoy the latest Hollywood films, ‘enjoying’ facilities that were far from sophisticated, but generally being oblivious to them.