What is your involvement with Coal house?

We applied as a family to take part in Coal House and we were invited to the selection day at the army camp in Crickhowell. We had a fantastic day and although we didn't get selected we were very happy to have been involved.

We followed the project over the next few weeks on the website and were excited to see which families had been chosen. Then, my wife heard that Coal House were looking for a lodger to take part and she phoned up to put me forward. When they rang to say I had been selected I was delighted, but terrified!

What are you looking forward to?

I'm looking forward to the experience of working as a coal miner, but only for a couple of weeks, thanks! Both my grandfathers worked as miners. The original Mayos came from Spain to work in Merthyr. My great grandfather was killed in a colliery accident and my grandfather Albert Mayo had to leave school at 11. Bert became a miner and was very active in the campaign for better pay and working conditions in the 1920s. He was involved in the marches to London. He eventually became the mayor of Islwyn.