"The best job I've ever had" - Big Pit's first female tour guide

Once she completes her three year apprenticeship scheme, Emma Long, 41, will also be the National Coal Museum’s first female guide.

Picture Chris Tinsley

Describing herself as “local history geek,” two of Miss Long’s friends saw the post advertised and recommended that she applied.

“I’ve been a single mum for a good number of years and not in a position to pursue a career path,” said the mother-of-three from Abergavenny.

“Prior to having kids, I was in sales but that wasn’t something which I wanted to get back into.”

Picture Chris Tinsley

The apprentices undertake a three-year vocational training period, gaining hands-on experience of working alongside members of the maintenance team, and also become part-time members of the local mines rescue team.

For Miss Long, the opportunity of becoming the museum’s first female tour guide was a “unique” opportunity but played down its enormity.

Picture Chris Tinsley

“It is more of a big deal to other people, me being the first woman, than it is to me. I applied for the role because it is what I want to do,” she said.

“It’s a unique opportunity to be a part of Big Pit’s future, moving forward.

“I think if you have a passion for something, regardless of whether you are a man or woman, you should give it a go.”

The new apprentice praised the current crop of guides for passing their expertise.

“We have absolutely wonderful fellas at the museum. We all value them so greatly and they are Big Pit. Without them, we don’t have a product to show the public,” said Miss Long.

“The importance of the apprentices is to try and suck every bit of knowledge out of these wonderful guys.

“It isn’t something that you can go and learn in a classroom.”

And the role, despite a grand departure from her previous career, has been well received by the mother-of-three.

“It’s been absolutely amazing so far – it’s the best job I’ve ever had by far,” she said.

“The assumption is that when you visit somewhere like here, people put on their costumes and that’s that.

“But these guys are experts in their fields, or their mine, and they are keeping it alive – I’ve stressed that with my friends that we are maintaining the mine.”

Picture Chris Tinsley

The second new apprentice, both of whom started in October, at Big Pit is Lee Thomas, 35, of Treorchy, who is following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather.

“My father was a miner and my grandfather too. My dad actually worked at the museum in Cardiff, where I worked also,” he said.

Picture Chris Tinsley

“It is an honour to carry on my family’s mining legacy. I have done the opposite to my father – he went from the mine to the museum and I’ve gone from the museum back to the mine.”

Mr Thomas has described working at Big Pit as “absolutely brilliant” and is excited for his future at the museum.

“It started out as Emma and I shadowing the tour guides but now they are shadowing us when we go underground on the tours.

“They are making sure that we are getting things right and before long, hopefully, I’ll be able to tour on my own.”

Huw Jones, the mine manager, said the apprentice scheme, with the roles financially supported from the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority’s (BNNPA) Sustainable Development Fund, has provided welcomed assets to Big Pit.

“Our first two apprentices, Ben Monro and Dai Powell, have now been with us for six months and have proved to be wonderful assets to Big Pit,” said Mr Jones.

“We are extremely pleased to have been able to recruit two more apprentices, and thank BBNPA for their support.

“We are delighted to have both Emma and Lee join us and having Emma on board as the first female mining apprentice in Wales, is another ground-breaking achievement for Big Pit in providing the next generation of staff for the world-famous mining museum.”