It was common to leave school and go straight into the china clay mining industry at 15 or 16 years old. Historically, the first role in the industry was kettle or tool boy. This involved running errands, warming pasties and making tea. This is Ray Hill's story of life as a kettle boy:

On 24th March 1967 I had just turned 15 when my father said I was to meet Captain Charlie Penhaligan for an interview. 

He said to me: “Ah! Henry's boy, start Monday, no wait a minute Monday's a bank holiday, start Tuesday, 7 o'clock, my office. See you next week" and shut the door.

My duties were to fetch water, light the fire, look after the 'lodge' crib house and be a general 'go for'. I had to fetch water for the two dries, and the micas. Mains water was brought down to the works about five years after I was kettle boy. 

Water was boiled in a big urn and crib and dinner times I had to carry around a big kettle and top the men's cups up. There was up to about 30 men in the lodge at one time. Fitters, electricians, masons, loading gang and various others would be there. 

People would come in to have their pasties warmed would tell me how they wanted them warmed "I don't like mine too hot, put it in at 150 degrees, 10 past 12." "I want mine red hot, put mine in 12 o'clock at 180 degrees" 

I hardly had a complaint but I didn't tell them that the oven was either on or off, the thermostat didn't work! So I used to put the oven on at 12 o'clock and bung the pasties in all together.

I worked for Goonvean and Restowrack for over 40 years.