Snapshots Of My Story: Dad

My  father  John Alfred Axon was born in 1907   . He  lost  his  father  in  1915 and  this  led to   great  hardship for his  mother  and  his  siblings.

As  soon  as  he  was  old  enough  he  began  working  in the  new  coal  mines  in Deal,  Kent. The Kent  mines  were  known as  the  most militant  in  the  U.K.  Miners  from  all  over  the U.K  flocked  to Kent  when the  mines  opened.

This  informed  my  fathers  political outlook  which  to  all intents  and  purposes  could  be  described  as  communist.

My father  was  the  most  private  man.  He  had  a  family and  three  children  before  getting  divorced  and  marrying  my  mother.

All I  know  of  his life as a  miner  came from my  mother. He  never  spoke of  his  family’s  struggles  growing up,  or  the  experiences he  had   down  the  pit. The characteristic  blue  scars  all over  his  body  spoke  eloquently  enough  of  the  pit  accidents  he survived. The Kent  miners  locked  themselves in  the  pits to  fight for better safety  and   pay.  

The  only  subject  my  father  ever  spoke  about  at  length was his  politics,  and his  seething  hatred of  privilege. At times,  growing  up, I  would blush  at how quickly  he  would  rail about  this  with  people  we had  only just met!

 However, he was  loyal to his class,  was kind, and  had a love   all  kinds  of music  from  Jim  Reeves to  classical,  especially  operatic male Tenors  like  Caruso.

One  of my fondest  memories  is  being  taken from a  very  young  age on  the  back of Dad’s BSA Bantam motorbike every Sunday morning  to see my  half  sister  Betty   at  Beckenham  Fire  Station, where her husband  Uncle  Chris worked a s a fireman. On  Sunday  afternoon we  would  go  to Forest Hill to see Aunty  Dorrie,  Dad’s sister. I was  very  upset  when he  sold  it just  before I  would  have  been able to  ride  it  on  my  own at age  16!

It must  have  been  very  difficult  for  him  having  a  son  born  in  1961  having  been   born himself  so  much  earlier,  in a  totally  different  world. I  cannot say  I  was  ever  close  to  him. I wish now I had  asked  him  to  talk  about his  life. I  do know he  would  be  appalled  at  the  state of  the world  today,  with its obsession with consumerism. He  died  aged  82  in  1990. 

 I  am  so grateful to my  half  sister  Betty, for providing the  images of  him    used  in  this post.

I  have  made  this collage   to  represent   the  things  that  were  important  to my  Dad,  and  to me.

For further information on Tilmanston  and  Betteshanger  collieries in  Kent   click  the  link  below.

https://www.subbrit.org.uk/sites/tilmanstone-colliery/  ( credit  for Tilmanston mine)

Acknowldgements:

For  Betteshanger  statue 

© Copyright David Anstiss and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence. 

 By David Anstiss, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=91588927

For BSA  Bantam image : https://images.app.goo.gl/WSgGmkiaosj143FP6