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Tom McGuinness was born in the village of Witton Park, County Durham, during the year of the General Strike. In 1944 he was conscripted into the mines as a Bevin Boy. After the Bevin Boys were officially released from their duties in the mine, some two years after the end of the war, McGuinness left the industry for a short time. This period also coincided with his first encounter with the Spennymoor Settlement. It was here that he met fellow mining artist, Norman Cornish, with whom he became friends. The Spennymoor Settlement actively encouraged its members to seek inspiration from their own experiences. Although he seriously considered embarking on a career as a commercial artist, he resolved to return to mining. In the coal industry he found a lifelong source of inspiration and one that was to maintain his reputation as one of this country’s most renowned mining artists.