This next track, "The Ghost of Samual Rhys" holds a deeply personal connection for Mike. His father worked in the very pit that sparked this historic uprising in Penygraig— in the heart of the Rhondda Valley in South Wales, where Mike was brought up. When Mike's cousin, Robert Lawless, asked him to pen some words about these tumultuous events, this powerful song was born.

​Why the Riots Took Place

​The historic clashes of 1910–1911—collectively known as the Tonypandy Riots—were rooted in a bitter industrial dispute over wages and unfair pay structures between coal miners and the Cambrian Combine management:

• ​The Spark: The conflict began at the Ely Pit in Penygraig when management opened a difficult new coal seam laced with hard stone. Because miners were paid by the ton rather than by the hour, the men argued that the difficult conditions made it impossible to earn a fair wage.
• ​The Lock-Out: When miners disputed the lower pay rates, the mine owners responded by locking out hundreds of workers, eventually leading 12,000 miners across the region to strike in solidarity.
• ​The Explosion: Tensions boiled over into violent confrontations with police as communities fought back against corporate power and falling living standards, leaving a legacy that still echoes deeply through South Wales. More infomation can be found  in the link below

https://www.rctourheritage.com/pages/penygraig