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HAVE SQUARE

Underground in the mine, there is a fundamental rule: to close the gate behind oneself. In the office of Tyrone O' Sullivan - the first on the right while entering Algeco, vis-a-vis with the canteen - it is the reverse. Not five minutes without somebody not crossing the threshold: a minor who comes to seek his calendar, a pensioner with photographs of Tyrone taken with tele, a cleaning lady which has problems of transport.

Tyrone listens, lance a joke, thanks, promises that it will do something. «My father was a little the uncle of the district. As soon as somebody had a problem - a draft to be paid, a sick child - one came to see it »In his office, the things for a long time took the top: a red banner and gold, some lamps, a shirt of covered Rugby of signatures, a shaking armchair.

With the wall, a dedicated photograph of Tina Turner ( «It laid down one night with. However it was my turn», joke Bryan, the head of the security), a Burning Coal poster (documentary film of J.m. Carré on Tower Colliery, currently on the screens) and a poem with the virtues moralisantes: «Is proud of you / But always remember / That no man is not essential. »

In this valley of Wales, whose spoil heaps reorganized the hills and where unemployment does not manage to pass under the bar of 10 %, some however have the air a little more essential than of others. «Tyrone, here, it is a legend», tells Sally, owner of a small riding school above Aberdare. The tears go up to him to the evocation of these years when the mines closed the ones after the others. April 22, 1994, it is with the turn of Tower Colliery, deepest of Europe. Tyrone O' Sullivan is an electrician there since 1967.

«Thatcher wanted to destroy us But me I knew this mine better than anybody. I knew that it was profitable», tells it. With five other guy, it assembles the project, makes the round of the banks and succeeds in convincing part of the minors to reinvest their allowances - 8000 pounds each one - in the repurchase of the well. January 2, 1995, behind a brass band, a procession of men, woman and children goes up to the mine. On the way, Tyrone sabres champagne. The following day, 223 shareholder-employees resume work. The first year, the benefit are assembled to 41 million francs. Today, Tower engaged more than 100 people and opened a small power station. The mine exports in Germany and France. Not only one Tyrone moment did not consider that the project can fail. Not completely a chance then if he says to believe in a Jesus Christ but not in a God. To celebrate the victory, as promised, it bought a car with his daughter.
The former electrician never wearies himself to tell this tale way " the Working class goes to the paradise ". A populated account of «real socialists»and «bloody capitalists», but which never loses sight of the fact «the returns on investment»nor «the conquest of new markets». Last year, a company of Wales assembled an opera which recalls the history of Tower, and Hollywood is on the blow. Hake Welland, the scenario writer of the " Carriages of fire ", already came to locate. Tyrone fout not badly of knowing which will incarnera its character with the screen, but it believes in proselytism: «Three years ago, from the guy of a factory of beds came to see us One advised them; they repurchased their box. Today, it goes. »

However, the life with Tower does not resemble tous.les.jours a scenario of Hollywood.
Last year, the mine ceased work during 11 weeks. A methane tablecloth in the galleries made the exploitation impossible. The accounts transfered with the red.
This year the mine remakes a health, but it is necessary to play tight. «And you know what a guy of the trade union came to ask us yesterday?, Tyrone storm. An increase of 50 books per week for everyone. Without same to have consulted the base. But of the types which think only of the fric, there is everywhere. Here too. »The bad mood of Tyrone O' Sullivan never lasts very a long time. Even déculottée of Wales vis-a-vis in England this afternoon is already forgotten:
«Often, one learns more of the defeats than from the victories. »It recovers to siffloter an air from Beach Boys which has held it for this morning, and tries to attach the collar in strass of his daughter who leaves to make the round of the advertizings equipped in «Scary Spice». But the clasp is too small, or the too large fingers. Tyrone O' Sullivan admits it, it badly did not enlarge lately, especially since it stopped chews it. The life of office - after more than thirty years under ground, it is from now on chairman mine - and the banquets did not help. Yesterday, it began a mode: «It would be really too stupid to die now. »Especially when one likes as much to laugh. 1 last April, Tyrone O' Sullivan told with the radio that in Tower, they had discovered a white coal seam, which while burning repaired the layer of ozone.

«You intended to speak about the idea mild nutter of Tyrone?, ask Allan, an inhabitant of Aberdare. It wants to make a hotel with thousand meters under ground.»Tyrone knows that the mine will not be eternal: it gives him twenty-five more years with living. Then, it erected scaffolding a new plan: to assemble a tourist complex on the site. It comes out of the plans carried out starting from its own sketches: panoramic gallery, museum, room of projection and miniature corridor of mine for the children. A surface of picnic at the place where the trains are charged, with true engines with vapor. It wants also to build a second well and to thus make stone two blows: to allow Tower to exploit new galleries, and the visitors to see a mine in activity.
«When one has visitors, they are glad to meet me. They saw me with tele, all that. But it is enough that two black mouths come out of the well and at once they slip by to go to speak to the guy. Minors, that fascine people. »Tyrone quantified the cost of the project: 10 million books and a hundred employment to the key. It made the point that, since its reopening, the mine had poured in the State 30 million books. As regards Tony Blair, one is not opposed to the idea to finance part of the project. And then there will be the famous hotel. A hotel with architecture of the last century but with a room twenty feet under ground, «history to spend one night in absolute silence». Tyrone has a great ambition. To found «the mile down club», during «mile up club»: a congregation - rather badly known - which gathers those which made love on an aircraft. The victory, it is always better while laughing.

FREDERIQUE DESCHAMPS

Tyrone O' Sullivan in 11 dates

October 24, 1945

Birth with Aberbare, Wales

January 1961

Start to work with the mine.

March 6, 1963

His/her father is killed by a firedamp explosion in Tower Colliery

October 14, 1967

Marie with Elaine. That year, it starts to work in Tower

1972.

Take part in a twelve weeks strike.

1973.

NUM (National Union of Minors) for Tower becomes deputy

1974.

Take part in a Six Weeks strike.

1984-1985.

Great strike of the minors in the United Kingdom, which lasts one year.

April 22, 1994.

Closing deTower Colliery.

January 3, 1995.

The minors repurchase Tower

1996.

First minor to receive the 0rder of the British Worsens.

Release of 9-april-00