The Durham Miners' Gala returns this weekend for the first time since 2019.
Taking place on Saturday, July 9, it will be the 136th 'Big Meeting'. Across the years, the annual celebration of working class culture and community has attracted crowds of 200,000 who pack the streets of Durham to enjoy the day's sights, sounds, and carnival atmosphere.
Our film clip, ‘Durham Miners’ Gala 1951-1955’ - once again courtesy of the North East Film Archive - takes us back to a time when coal was king and the yearly gala was a celebration of the strength and solidarity of the mining industry and its close-knit communities where, for generations, life had centred around the local pit.
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