Bram, born in Mill Lane was the thirteenth of fifteen children. He started work at Savile at the ripe old age of 13, at the time a small boy for his age. The then Manager of the pit, the diminutive Freddie Adams said ‘ tha’s as big as me lad, and so tha’s good enough’.
Bram remained at the pit until his retirement in the early 70’s, during that time his involvement in the well being of his fellow workers led to him becoming Secretary of the Savile Branch of the NUM a position he held for some 25 years working alongside Arthur Wright who was also a long serving union official.
He was also a long standing member of the Mineworker’s Welfare Institute Management Committee.
He involved himself in local politics (he was a member of the Labour party when I joined for a short spell) and as a local councillor played a constructive role in improving domestic housing conditions along with others in insisting on the speedy introduction of water closets in sub standard housing at the end of the war.
Perhaps his most notable achievement was in collaboration with Ezra Taylor (Mr Castleford) when they were able to obtain central funding for the construction of the new bridge over the river Calder to Castleford whilst he was a councillor on the Transport group.
Bram continued his role in public service after retirement being a prominent figure in the Darby and Joan Club.