Great Unrest : a novel of a Welsh mining family during a time of labour unrest, great change and world war one

The story revolves around the Williams family from 1912 -16. They are a family of five children, Ceredig, Mari, Sion, Rhodri and Eluned, lovingly cared for by their mother Morfydd and their father Jack. Jack is a collier in Y Glo Pit in the town of Drefordd, a mining valley, over the hill from the Rhondda. He, along with, Dafydd Ifan and Nobby Clark are the catalysts working to get the miners a better deal against the mine owner, an arrogant man, Steven Trenshaw. Trenshaw is bound and determined to bring the miners to their knees, in spite of the protestations of his wife Sian. Sian is from a working class background. Ceredig, the eldest son of the Williams family, becomes, at the age of 14, a collier boy; and like all boys his age is proud to work underground and receive the acclaim of younger boys and the admiration of the local girls. His first day down under is filled with wonder and hard work. He meets a number of characters and discusses with his Dad, an upcoming meeting that Jack has organized at the Cow, regarding a better deal for the miners. Jack is evasive, not wanting Ceredig to get involved.After a nasty accident at the pit in which a number of miners are killed, there is fuel for the claims of the colliers that the pit has unsafe work conditions and, with the cost and output of coal spiraling the miners demand a better deal, especially claiming that they are underpaid. Trenshaw, of course, sees things differently, even laying the blame for the accident on careless use of cigarettes. Negotiations break down and a long strike ensues, involving Trenshaw’s spy, a collier named John Langley, ‘bara neu waed’ motto, scab labour, collier versus scab riots, police and hussar versus miners, a protest march, gossip, soup kitchen and political involvement. It is during this stage that Ceredig wishes for a new opportunity, feeling shut in by the confines of the valley, frustrated by the strike and wanting to spread his wings, he is more than interested in posters seeking recruits for the British Army. Even though the strike ends somewhat in favour of the working class, Ceredig wants to do more with his life, in spite of a special relationship he has with a new found love, Gwen Thomas.With the onset of World War I, Ceredig, much against his parents wishes, and surreptitiously, becomes an underage soldier in Kitchener’s Army. He is attached to the 38th Division Welsh. He has one last wonderful week with Gwen before receiving a hero’s send-off. While in training he meets and makes friends with Edward Evans, a Brecon farm boy and would be poet. Edward is mainly Welsh speaking and not really convinced that he has done the right thing by joining up. Their first taste of action is at Mametz Wood in the Battle of the Somme. Ceredig and Edward make a pact to stick together through thick and thin.