A Valleys Legend

Former miner Gyp Davies shares his struggles with alcohol, mental health, and community leadership in Wales.

Christopher Davies, aka Gyp, is a former miner from the Maesteg area in south Wales. It recounts the tale of a working-class man who has led an extraordinary life of hard, dangerous work allied to heavy drinking and raucous rugby stories. This thoughtful, ‘larger than life’ miner opens up to recount his struggles with alcohol and depression. He offers hope through his total commitment to his community, where he is well known and well-liked by so many. He is now a local councilor and runs the local Men’s Shed, which offers refuge and support to many men, the ripples of that work felt by everyone in the area. Gyp’s story encompasses Valleys life in south Wales, the rise and fall of coal mining, toxic masculinity, trade unions and mental health.