A lasting legacy to poet John Rodie
The old coal miner with a real gift for writing
He penned poems for almost two entire lifetimes of Rabbie Burns.
While not nearly as prolific, John Rodie’s works had the resonance of his generation.
Now his poetry will be preserved forever with the launch last week of 634 of his writings.
“Poetical Works of John Rodie Ayrshire Coalminer” fittingly has him on the front cover peering through the underground gloom with his trusty lamp.
This 301 page book, produced by Newton Burns Club, is the result of two years of work.
Sadly John did not make the launch and died in July last year aged 90, a feat in itself for an underground miner from Mossblown.
But he gave the production his blessing and the Burns Club managed to produce 200 copies of this collection.
Crucially copies are being placed in the National Mining Museum, five national libraries and 15 Ayrshire libraries.
Ten books will go to his old school Annbank, along with a trophy to be presented every year in his honour.
The book was launched at a favourite Ayr haunt of John, the ExServices Club.
Club treasurer John Monaghan said: “He wrote for most of his adult life and brought out seven smaller books such as “Sangs of the Stoor” and “Rhymes of a Collier Lad.”
“We hope this book will allow John’s genius to remain in perpetuity.”
His daughter Margaret was proud to be at the launch as but five copies were snapped up.
John lost his father, also a miner, when he was just eight and was encouraged to write poetry at Annbank school.
But being the eldest in his family he left school at 14 for Annbank pit, going underground at 15.
With his heavy pickaxe, he battered the life out of various seams, some just three feet high, at mines including Littlemill and ended his career at Killoch.
At school he was not inspired by the works of Burns but by poetry itself and he was 24 before he went to a Burns Supper.
John was also a great footballer and was part of the Coylton squad which won the Scottish Junior Cup
He spent more than 50 years doing recitals at Suppers - including one with a broken arm - and enjoyed getting his haggis, neeps and tatties for free. At one gig he was asked by a boy how Burns managed to have a big house in Alloway if he was supposedly poor when he died.