 | Press ReleasesTravel back in time to the south Wales coalfield of 1927 |
A groundbreaking BBC series is looking for a man to travel back in time to work as miners did in the Twenties Coal House is an ambitious new series for BBC One Wales that takes three families back in time to the south Wales coalfield of 1927. Over three weeks this autumn, the three families will swap the creature comforts of modern life for a cramped mining cottage in the valleys. The families have been chosen from more than 150 Welsh applicants, but now producers are offering someone from outside Wales the chance to be part of the Coal House project as a lodger with one of the families. Coal House promises to be a test of physical and emotional stamina, offering viewers real-life drama as it unfolds and a unique insight into a way of life which has been lost forever. With no car, microwave or television, the men will work as coal miners hacking away at the coal face and shovelling coal and cutting pit props while the women will have to keep the children fed, watered and clean, without the benefit of a central heating and hot running water. "People came from all over the world to the south Wales coalfield," explains executive producer Paul Islwyn Thomas of Indus Films, who are making the series for BBC Wales. "They came from Italy, Spain, England, Poland and Ireland among other places. Many of them were single men who came to south Wales in search of work and they landed up lodging in the houses of mining families. Coal House wants to reflect this historical reality in the series. "The series is set just a year after the national strike, a time of mass pit closures and redundancies when men went on mass hunger strikes. We want to depict the hardships as well as the camaraderie, culture and glory of the Twenties coal industry. "It's not only an entertaining social experiment but also an exciting way to communicate the history of coal to the wider public." If you're a man from outside Wales and think you're up to the task email the Coal House team at coalhouse@bbc.co.uk or check out the website bbc.co.uk/coalhouse or call 08703 500 700. KS2 | 
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