The 8th of November might have been a good day for American coal, at least in the short term. \u00a0But the previous year had been quite good as the Telegraph reported last week\u00a0with the global price of coal rising 100% during 2016, and the price of coking coal going up by 250%. \u00a0Thus outfits like Glendora and Anglo American have had a good year as well. \u00a0But the Telegraph ends its report with:<\/p>\n
\"If you were lucky enough to receive a lump of coal last year, I'd say it was time to sell.\"<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Maybe. \u00a0Meanwhile, here is Alex Glasgow's take on the price of coal from the magisterial 1960's drama, Close the Coalhouse Door.<\/p>\n
Close the coalhouse door, lad. There's blood inside,
\nBlood from broken hands and feet,
\nBlood that's dried on blackened meat,
\nBlood from hearts that know no beat.
\nClose the coalhouse door, lad. There's blood inside.<\/p>\nClose the coalhouse door, lad. There's bones inside,
\nMangled, broken piles of bones,
\nBuried 'neath a mile of stones,
\nAnd there's no-one there to hear the moans.
\nClose the coalhouse door, lad. There's bones inside.<\/p>\nClose the coalhouse door, lad. There's bairns inside,
\nBairns that had no time to hide,
\nBairns who saw the blackness slide,
\nOh, there's bairns beneath the mountainside.
\nClose the coalhouse door, lad. There's bairns inside.<\/p>\nClose the coalhouse door, lad, and stay outside.
\nFor Geordie's standin' on the dole
\nWhile Mrs Jackson, like a fool,
\nComplains about the price of coal.
\nClose the coalhouse door, lad, and stay outside.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n