THE annual meeting of the Dartmoor Museum Association has a growing reputation for interesting talks and this year was no exception as Dr Tom Greeves used his lifelong research to illuminate the lives of those who worked underground on Dartmoor before the First World War.

Peppered with anecdotes and illustrated with remarkable photographs he was able to show his audience what life was like living and working on Dartmoor in the mines.

His research has taken him all over the world to track people down and goes back to the 1960s when some of the tinners could still tell their own stories.

This has also helped him to collect stunning photographs, some of which go back to 1876. A recent view of a typical Dartmoor landscape came alive in a very different way when contrasted with an industrial scene taken over 100 years ago from the very same spot.

Tom’s knowledge of mining techniques meant he could portray the ingenious methods used to carve out a living in this harsh environment.

For those who would like to know more, there is an exhibition on tinning on Dartmoor on display in the John Young Gallery at the Museum of Dartmoor Life until the end of this month (October).