My stepfather Gren Gaskell, who has died aged 89, was a former miner who pulled himself up by his bootstraps to become a company manager with a passion for learning. In later life he published three books, including poetry and short stories, inspired by his experiences in the coalmining community.
Born in Bulwell, Nottinghamshire, Gren, short for Granville, was the son of John, a miner, and Eliza. John died in a pit accident when Gren was four, and Eliza struggled to look after him and his five siblings. Experiencing hunger and cold as a child made him count his blessings as an adult, as he championed the rights of the less fortunate.
