Hi Willy

My grand-father worked at the Elsecar pit. He retired when it closed. By the time I was "a twinkle in my father's eye" my parents had moved to Cheshire.
We used to go on holiday to my Gran's at Elsecar – yes we did !!! I learned to swim in the lake in Elsecar Park.
I couldn't understand much of what my grandparents were saying due to their "Barnsley Brogue".

Grand-dad played cornet in the Elsecar Pit Band and I used to go with him and watch them practice in the pub sometimes.
I see that the Elsecar pit site is now an antiques centre and has been featured a few times on BBC's Bargain Hunt programme.

I agree with you about the By-Elections being notoriously difficult to use as prediction for a General Election. But you wouldn't have to be a political genius to have predicted a Labour victory.
But not many (any ??) political correspondents predicted Libdems to come 6th !!!!
Cheers

MikeL2