22 December: Coal

In the French Revolutionary Calendar today is the day of Coal. Also, given how shite 2020 has been, it’s all Santa is going to leave in any of our stockings this year, whether we behaved ourselves or not. 10 things you might not know about coal:

1. It is mostly carbon, but may contain nitrogen, Oxygen, sulphur and hydrogen, too.
2. Coal is made when dead plant matter gets covered in Water. As it is buried by millions of years worth of sediment and rock, it turns into coal.
3. The plant matter goes through several stages in its journey to becoming coal, all of which are found on Earth today. The first is peat, followed by lignite, or Brown coal, the lowest quality which is mainly used for generating electric power. Then it becomes bituminous coal which is dark brown or Black and is used for steam power and to make coke. This is the stuff which historically powered steam trains and ships and may also be known as steam coal. Anthracite is the type we’re probably most familiar with – this is the glossy black stuff we buy to go on our domestic fires.
4. After even more time, coal will turn into graphite which is difficult to ignite, but it still has its uses – it’s the stuff used to make Pencils.
5. It is found in areas which were once wetlands which covered much of the Earth's tropical land areas during the late Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) and Permian times. These areas are called coal forests.
6. While coal has been used to make fires for thousands of years and the Romans were involved in mining coal in Britain, Marco Polo was nevertheless amazed by it when he travelled to China in the 13^th century. He described it as “black stones which burn like logs” which was so plentiful that it allowed people to take three hot baths every week.
7. Coal is still plentiful in China – China mines about half the world’s coal, followed by India, which mines about a tenth.
8. In Medieval and Tudor times a major source of coal was the beach – erosion of cliffs would expose coal seams. It was known then as seacoal and would be carried to London by sea. People who live by the sea still exploit this source to this day and use it to heat their homes. Though not all coal found on the beach is local – some of it is washed ashore after falling off cargo ships.
9. The bad things which result from coal power are almost to numerous to list, from lung diseases and accidents killing miners to London smog and global warming. There is a move away from coal to cleaner forms of energy with many countries having pledged to phase it out. China, however, continues to build new coal powered power stations.
10. Coal is the official state mineral of Kentucky and the official state rock of Utah. It’s said that naughty children will receive a lump of coal from Santa Claus instead of presents. In Scotland and the North of England, however, it’s considered lucky to give a gift of coal on New Year's Day. It is given as part of the First-Footing tradition and is said to mean warmth for the year to come.

NEW!

Who's That Girl?

Matt Webster lives in a tower block and attends a failing school. He dreams of being a spy like James Bond. Little does he know that he is being watched by someone who can make him into even more than that – a superhero.

His first solo mission is to attend a ball at the Decembrian Embassy and discover who is planning to steal a priceless diamond. While there, he meets the mysterious Lady Antonia du Cane, and is powerfully drawn to her. It soon becomes clear, however, that Lady du Cane is not what she seems. Matt’s quest to discover who she really is almost costs him his career.

A modern day Guy Fawkes gathers a coterie around him with the aim of blowing up Parliament with a nuclear bomb. To achieve this, they need money. Lots of it. Selling the Heart of Decembria Diamond will provide more than enough. All that stands in their way is the Freedom League – but the League is beset by internal disagreements. Can the heroes put their differences aside in time to save the day?

Prime Minister Richard Miller and his wife Fiona grieve for their daughter, Yasmin, who has been missing for three years, and is presumed to be dead. Viper agent Violet Parker could hold the key to what happened to Yasmin, but Violet is accused of giving away the organisation’s secrets. She is to be executed without trial. Will she take her knowledge of what happened to Yasmin with her to her grave?

Available on Amazon:

Paperback

E-Book