Paul Garvey was born in the mining town of Pontefract on the Yorkshire coalfield and his early childhood was spent among miners, though his own father escaped the collieries and worked as a clerk. However, his grandma often looked after him in Monkhill, built to house the miners at the ‘Prince of Wales’ colliery when his mum was at work. His grandad has died of lung cancer and pneumoconiosis from a lifetime down the pits and his uncle died soon after retiring early. Both were face-workers and both took him for walks to collect their pay and also to the ‘Miners’ Welfare’ where he spent many a happy lunchtime, playing on the slot machines and eating crisps, while they enjoyed a few pints. It was a damn hard life and few miners lived long after retirement. His uncle Walt lost an arm in an horrific accident underground. A lovely man and after his injury, he worked in the lamp-house, giving out lamps and tokens and collecting them, at the start and end of shifts.



Paul left Pontefract to attend university in Reading. Really, he needed to get as far away as possible, but the ties that bind them were strong and he returned to live with his dad and then married Julie, and they lived in the ex-mining village of Ackworth, near his childhood home. Now they live in South Wales near their two children and two grandchildren and close to the valleys—another area steeped in coal mining history.



Frost Patterns is part fiction and part autobiography—have fun trying to sort the real history from the invention! Part of writing this novel is also to help preserve the language. The voices of the Colley family and their village, are the authentic voices Paul heard in his childhood and the voices of the people he hears when they return to see family and friends.



Enjoy the book, but never forget the miners and their brutally hard work. They helped to make Britain rich.