New book rewinds to the pit communities

Were you a pitman or did you live in a mining community?
June 1971 Turk, Prince and Mettle the last three pit ponies in the Derbyshire Area retire from Shirebrook Colliery in June 1971, Turk and Mettle had spent 17 of their 22 years working down the mine while 10 year old Prince worked underground for four years.
At one time Derbyshire's Collieries used over 1,000 ponies for haulage work  with the average pony working about 1,500 miles a year. Photo by Mansfield Chad.June 1971 Turk, Prince and Mettle the last three pit ponies in the Derbyshire Area retire from Shirebrook Colliery in June 1971, Turk and Mettle had spent 17 of their 22 years working down the mine while 10 year old Prince worked underground for four years.
At one time Derbyshire's Collieries used over 1,000 ponies for haulage work  with the average pony working about 1,500 miles a year. Photo by Mansfield Chad.
June 1971 Turk, Prince and Mettle the last three pit ponies in the Derbyshire Area retire from Shirebrook Colliery in June 1971, Turk and Mettle had spent 17 of their 22 years working down the mine while 10 year old Prince worked underground for four years. At one time Derbyshire's Collieries used over 1,000 ponies for haulage work with the average pony working about 1,500 miles a year. Photo by Mansfield Chad.

If so, this book will revive some memories...