South Yorkshire Times, February 5th, 1949

Manvers Main Presentation

N.U.M. Long Service Medals

Oldest Swintonian Is Oldest Recipient

Guest of honour at Manvers Main canteen tomorrow (Saturday) when Manvers Main branch of the National Union of Mineworkers will hold a social evening at which N.U.M. long-service medals will be presented to more than 200 old men of the branch, will be 98-year-old Mr Edwin Stead, of “Dovecote,” Brameld Road, Swinton. Mr Stead is the oldest member of the branch, and the oldest man in Swinton. He will be 99 in May, and has been a member of Manvers branch of the Union since he was 15.

In order to make certain Mr. Stead will be present, branch officials will call for him by car, His wife, who is 83, who, he says, “Looks after its wonderfully.” is to be Invited to accompany him, although tt is not usual for womenfolk to attend. The branch are to make a special concession in this case.

He Will Be There!

Coun. G. Palmer, J P., branch secretary, told a “South Yorkshire Times” reporter yesterday that although Mr. and Mrs. Stead were being brought by car. he thought Mr. Stead would come along, even if he had to make his own way.

“Every Sunday morning the couple make the long walk down Swinton to the Zionist Chapel in White Lee Road,” said Mr. Palmer, “and Mr. Stead could probably walk to Manvers Main if he set his mind on  going to the function. Sometimes I wait for the ‘bus to take me down into Swinton and they reach White Lee Road before I do. They’re a wonderful old couple.”

Employed at Manvers Main Colliery for 55 years, Mr. Stead was at Lundhill Colliery for several years before going to Manvers. An accident at Manvers, when he was 70, caused him to stop work and go into retirement.     Mr. and Mrs. Stead have been married for 12 years. Both have been married twice previously, and have been very happy through-out their married life. “She looks after me wonderfully,” he says, “and we have never had a cross word.”

The branch hopes that 250 men will receive medals at the social if they all turn up. The function will start at 4 p.m. and will go on until about 6 p.m. or 6-30 p.m. The medals will be presented by Mr F. Goddard (branch president).