The Durham Miners Gala which takes place on Saturday will be the largest in modern times with crowds of up to 200,000 expected to throng the city streets. The Big Meeting is one of the biggest cultural and historic events not just on the North East calendar but the UK as a whole.
It sees a parade of brass bands and colliery banners in a day-long celebration of working class life, community and tradition which dates back to 1871 when it was first held in Durham. Since then it was only the First and Second World Wars, the 1926 general strike and the miners' strike of 1984 and the Covid pandemic for the last two years which saw it cancelled.
In the years leading up to 2019 when it was last held, the event saw a surge in popularity and welcomed the return of Labour leaders like Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn. However, current leader Sir Keir Starmer - cleared yesterday over the Durham 'beergate' event - won't be attending.
