Durham Miners Gala

Here I am on holiday and completely unawares we walk right into the Durham Miners Gala, the biggest of its kind, that has been an annual event since 1877, and continues to this day partly as a heritage event, and partly a celebration of other industries, and the positive influence so.e trades unions have been.

From 8.30 we could hear bands all over the city. Old fashioned colliery bands both brass and silver, pipebands, modern percussive bands, playing tunes old and new. Sweet Caroline was obviously popular, and a version of You’ll Never Walk Alone was well received.

The bands and banners eventually all met and paraded to The Big Meet for speeches from union officials and labour leaders. Also by the racecourse there is  a funfair and stalls. We didn’t follow to that as, this being July in England it was raining heavily and I was perished.

But we did go to the Cathedral and watched the Gala organising team and other former communities parade their banners into the service to be blessed and re-commissioned.

Beautiful music, friendly happy atmosphere, my first visit to the North East and why did I leave it so long?