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A nurse and a postal worker will top the list of speakers at this Saturday’s Durham Miners Gala.

The Gala returns after two years and is dedicated to all the keyworkers who risked their lives to keep society functioning during the Covid -19 pandemic.

Key workers nominated by their trade unions will be the guests of honour, taking pride of place on the famous balcony of the County Hotel and on the speakers’ platform on the Racecourse Ground.

Organisers the Durham Miners Association (DMA) are urging people to come to Durham and make The Big Meeting, as the Gala is known, a massive demonstration of public support for our key workers.

The DMA has selected two rank and file key workers to speak from the platform on Gala day.

They are: Holly Johnston, a nurse and member of the GMB union, and Rohan Kon a postal worker and member of the CWU.

Both Holly and Rohan worked throughout the pandemic. By coincidence, both are from Sheffield.

Holly has been a nurse for 18 years and is currently a nursing sister at a cancer hospital. She nursed cancer patients during the pandemic. Holly was herself hospitalised after she contracted Covid. She continues to suffer the effects of long Covid, and is still unable to return to her previous full-time hours.

Holly said: “I am extremely proud of the work all key workers do. It is people like us who have kept the country going, but we are now facing attacks on our conditions. There has never been a more important time to join a trade union. We must use our collective power to force change.

“This is what the Gala has always been about and I am absolutely honoured to be invited to speak. It is the greatest and most historic day for the labour movement.”

Like posties around the country, Rohan did not just deliver letters and parcels during the pandemic – she was a lifeline and a welfare worker, particularly for the most vulnerable people in the community.

Rohan, the daughter of a fire fighter and an NHS worker, said: “Something exciting is happening in this country right now; the tide is turning and there’s just something in the air. After two years of isolating lockdowns, it is a privilege to come together with people from across the trade union movement from all over the world for the truly legendary Durham Miner’s Gala.

“We are at a crossroads right now and this Gala is about us sending a loud and clear message to the bosses: We are going to fight for our lives.”

The speeches will begin on Durham’s racecourse at 1pm. DMA chairman Stephen Guy will oversee proceedings.

Stephen said: “It will be our honour to welcome Holly and Rohan onto the Gala platform. I know they’ll receive a wonderful and warm Gala reception. But it is not enough to cheer and applaud our workers. We must all join together to ensure workers receive the much-improved pay and conditions they truly deserve.”

Other Gala speakers for 2022 include trade union general secretaries representing key workers. They are: Mick Lynch, RMT; Christina McAnea, Unison; Sharon Graham, Unite; Patrick Roach, NASUWT; Jo Grady, UCU.

Before the pandemic, only national strikes and two world wars prevented the Gala for taking place. More than 200,000 people are expected in Durham when the Gala returns on Saturday.

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The Gala could not happen in any year without the support of its ‘Marras’ – those who chip in by donation or subscription during the year. Costs are rising sharply and the Gala needs its Marras more than ever.

If you haven’t yet please sign up to support the Gala today here.

This year’s Durham Miners Gala is set to be the biggest of modern times, with more banners and brass bands taking part than at any time since before the Miners’ Strike.

Huge crowds are expected when the Gala returns this Saturday (July 9) after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid 19 pandemic.

More than 50 Durham miners’ banners and more than 50 brass bands are now confirmed as attending. This is more bands and banners than at any Gala since before 1984-85 strike.

Following the dispute, the coal mining industry in County Durham was destroyed. Within a decade, every colliery on the Durham coalfield had been closed with the loss of tens of thousands of jobs.

Hosted by the Durham Miners Association (DMA), the Gala was established in 1871.

DMA Chairman Stephen Guy said: “We are seeing an extraordinary response from the extraordinary people of County Durham.

“Just as they were after the closure of the collieries, our communities are determined that the Gala must continue. The Gala is not just back – it will be bigger than it has been in decades.

“The Gala is the people’s day. There is nothing quite like it anywhere else in the world and it happens right here on the second Saturday in July. We should all be very proud. This is Durham.”

A bumper turnout of trade unions and their members is expected to swell the crowds even further.

The 2022 Gala is dedicated to all key workers – those who risked their lives to keep society functioning during the pandemic. Key workers representing numerous sectors will be the guests of honour of the DMA taking pride of place on the famous balcony of the County Hotel and on the speakers’ platform on the Racecourse Ground. Two rank and file key workers will speak from the platform alongside the leaders of trade unions representing key workers.

Those who want to make the most of the weekend can still book in at the official Gala campsite. In a countryside setting at Houghall Campus just a short walk from the festivities, the campsite welcomes caravans and camper vans and features free entertainment exclusively for guests.

Book camping here.

Details of the cathedral service during this year’s Durham Miners Gala have been confirmed. 

Tens of thousands of people are preparing to gather in Durham City for the Durham Miners Gala on Saturday 9 July, which returns after a two year absence during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The hugely popular Miners Festival Service at Durham Cathedral has been part of every Gala since 1897. 

At this service, five new community banners will process into Durham Cathedral accompanied by brass bands, to be blessed by the Bishop of Durham.

The new banners, accompanied by North Skelton Band and the Durham Miners Association (DMA) Brass Band, will parade into the cathedral from 2.30pm. The banners are: Coxhoe Colliery; West Rainton and Leamside Collieries; Murton Colliery; and Rough Lea Colliery (Hunwick); and ‘Myrtle’ which is the banner of the Women’s Banner Group. 

The Dean of Durham, the Very Reverend Andrew Tremlett, will give the sermon at what will be his final Miners Festival Service before he takes up his new post as Dean of St Paul’s. 

Andrew said: “It is a great joy to welcome the return of the Miners Festival Service to Durham Cathedral once again. The five banners being blessed at this thriving community celebration, 125 years on from when the first service was held, reminds us of how deeply rooted mining heritage is within the North East’s identity. I am honoured to give the sermon at this year’s service as my time as Dean of Durham comes to an end.”

The DMA has dedicated this year’s Gala to key workers – those who kept society functioning, often at great personal risk, during the Covid 19 pandemic – and this will be reflected in the service.

Paddy Lillis, the General Secretary of shop workers union Usdaw will give an address in tribute to key workers. Three key workers themselves will lead prayers. They are: Doreen Chananda, a nurse, Quincy Raymond, a communications worker and civil servant Niccola Charlton.

DMA Secretary Alan Mardghum says: “The Miners Festival Service is always a wonderful, joyous occasion in celebration of our communities. We are delighted that the Cathedral is joining with us in paying tribute to our keyworkers. As the pandemic showed us so starkly, these are the people we really couldn’t manage without. Our thanks as always to all our friends at the Cathedral for the work they do, and for hosting this service that is a source of great pride and strength for us all.”

Actor Charlie Hardwick, best known for her roles in Emmerdale and Billy Elliott, will read a new poem by the Poet Laureate Simon Armitage. Titled ‘Alchemy’, the poem was written as part of a new project in partnership with the DMA and the Brass Festival exploring the history of Durham’s Category D villages.

Yvette Williams, MBE, a leading figure in the Justice 4 Grenfell campaign will perform a reading during the service.

Preceding the service, the popular Mangrove Steel Band – a well-known fixture of the Notting Hill Carnival – will entertain guests at the Cathedral from 1.45pm until 2.15pm. The band are in Durham as the guests of the DMA to participate in the Gala as part of a cultural partnership that will see the DMA Brass Band travel to Notting Hill to take part in the carnival in August.

The service is always very popular and people are advised to arrive in good time. Doors open at 1.30pm. The service will be live streamed on Durham Cathedral’s Facebook page.

For further details visit www.durhamcathedral.co.uk/whats-on

A steel band from the Notting Hill Carnival will take part in the Durham Miners Gala as part of a new cultural exchange.

The famous Mangrove Steel Band will entertain the crowds at the Big Meeting this Saturday. In return, the Durham Miners Association (DMA) Brass Band will take part in the Notting Hill Carnival in August.

Mangrove Band, fresh from performing at Glastonbury, will take part in the Gala parade and will then play at Durham Cathedral ahead of the Miners Festival Service.

The band was formed in 1980 on All Saints Road, Notting Hill, and is steeped in rich social and political history. It emerged from the legendary ‘Mangrove’ restaurant and community association on All Saints Road which became a centre of Caribbean culture and resistance to social and racial injustice.

The story of the Mangrove Nine, British black activists acquitted of rioting following the police targeting of the restaurant, was recently made into a BBC film as part of Steve McQueen’s Small Axe anthology.

Dave Anderson, chair of the Friends of Durham Miners Gala, said: “This exchange brings together communities from opposite ends of the country – but they have much in common.

“We have both have a culture we can be proud of, and a history of struggle and achievement. Both our communities face many of the same challenges today.

“We look forward to welcoming our friends from Notting Hill to Durham on Saturday. We know the Mangrove Band will be a big hit with the Gala crowds.”

Following the Gala parade, Mangrove Band will give a free performance at Durham Cathedral from 1.45pm until 2.15pm ahead of the start of the Miners Festival Service. The procession of new banners will begin at 2.30pm followed by the service at 3pm.

The DMA Brass Band, which traces its origins to Hetton in 1887, will travel down to London to perform at the Notting Hill Carnival on August Bank Holiday weekend.

The Durham Miners Gala takes place Saturday 9 July after missing two years due to the Covid 19 pandemic. More than 200,000 people are expected on the streets of Durham for the return of The Big Meeting.

First held in 1871, the Gala was funded for more than a century by the working miners of the Durham coalfield. Today, it is funded by subscription and donation through the Friends of Durham Miners Gala. Those who contribute are known as ‘Marras’, a Durham miners’ term for a trusted friend.

To join the Marras and for more information about the Gala, visit www.durhamminersgala.org

Mick Lynch will address the crowds at the Durham Miners Gala. The RMT General Secretary has been added to the list of platform speakers, organisers Durham Miners Association (DMA) have announced.

Mick has received wide acclaim for his leadership and for his media performances in defence of his members who are currently in dispute over pay, job security and safety.

DMA Secretary Alan Mardghum said: “The DMA stands in solidarity with the RMT and its members. We are delighted that Mick will be with us when the Gala returns. We know he’ll receive a great reception at The Big Meeting.”

The Gala returns on Saturday 9 July after missing the last two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The speeches on the Racecourse get underway at 1pm.

Mick Lynch said: “It is a great honour to speak at the Durham Miners Gala. It is the biggest and best event in the trade union calendar and a source of strength and inspiration for us all.”

This year’s Gala is dedicated to all key workers – those who risked their lives to keep society functioning during the pandemic.

Key workers representing numerous sectors will be the guests of honour of the DMA taking pride of place on the famous balcony of the County Hotel and on the speakers’ platform on the Racecourse Ground. Two rank and file key workers will speak from the platform alongside the leaders of trade unions representing key workers.

Other speakers already announced are: Christina McAnea, Unison, Sharon Graham, Unite, Patrick Roach, from teaching union NASUWT and Jo Grady, from further and higher education union UCU, as well as Yvette Williams from the Justice 4 Grenfell campaign.

The DMA will announce soon the two rank and file key workers selected to speak from the platform.

Before the pandemic only national strikes and two world wars had prevented the Gala from going ahead. More than 200,000 people are expected in Durham for the Gala’s return.

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The Gala could not happen in any year without the support of its ‘Marras’ – those who chip in by donation or subscription during the year. Costs are rising sharply and the Gala needs its Marras more than ever.

If you haven’t yet please sign up to support the Gala today here.

Part of the parade at the Durham Miners Gala will take a new route this year due to redevelopment works in the city centre.

The Gala is due to return on Saturday 9 July after missing the last two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Road closures will be in place from 5am to enable the Gala to parade through the city’s streets.

The redevelopment of the city’s bus station and the need for service buses to use North Road means that the Gala cannot parade down North Road this year.

Organisers the Durham Miners Association (DMA) have been working with Durham County Council and Durham Police to find a new route for this part of the Gala. The DMA has also been liaising with the county’s banner groups that form the backbone of the event, as well as the trade unions that support and participate in the Gala.

The DMA also makes clear that Redhills, Durham Miners Hall, is closed for refurbishment and cannot be used as a meeting point for any groups

The new route uses Framwelgate Waterside as a starting point. The change only applies to those groups who would normally process down North Road. All other groups and routes are unaffected.

Those using the new route should park buses at Sidegate car park before marching along Framwelgate Waterside, before moving up onto the bottom of North Road and then to Framwelgate Bridge. From this point onward the Gala day route for these groups will remain the same (Market Place/ Elvet Bridge/ Old Elvet and then the Racecourse ground).

To ensure this new route is safe, rolling road closures will be in place and it will be staffed by traffic management officers.

DMA Secretary Alan Mardghum said: “The thanks of the DMA goes to everyone at Durham County Council and Durham Police who has worked with us to find a safe and effective solution.

“We are also grateful to our wonderful banner groups and trade union partners for all their patience and support.

“I urge everyone who is joining us on the day, either as participants or spectators to co-operate with the new arrangements and all our staff and partners working on the day. Together, we can ensure a successful return for the Gala.”

The city centre will be closed to traffic from 5am on Gala day. Visitors are encouraged to use the three large park and ride facilities at Sniperley, Howlands Farm and Belmont.

Coaches will be able to park at Sidegate car park or Belmont park and ride.

For those who wish to stay over, the official Gala campsite is available at Houghall Campus just a short walk from the festivities.

Full camping information and booking is available here.

A map of the new route and details of all road closures is available here.

Key workers will be centre stage when the Durham Miners Gala returns next month.

The Big Meeting is dedicated to those who risked their lives to keep society functioning during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Key workers representing numerous sectors will be the guests of honour of the Durham Miners Association (DMA), taking pride of place on the famous balcony of the County Hotel and on the speakers’ platform on the Racecourse Ground.

Two rank and file key workers will speak from the platform alongside the leaders of trade unions representing key workers.

After a two-year hiatus, the Gala returns on Saturday 9 July 2022. The speeches on the racecourse will get underway at 1pm

The following trade union general secretaries will speak from the platform:

• Christina McAnea, Unison
• Sharon Graham, Unite
• Patrick Roach, from teaching union NASUWT
• Jo Grady, from further and higher education union UCU

The DMA will also select two key worker guests to speak from the platform with an announcement due next week. DMA Secretary Alan Mardghum will also make a keynote speech in their honour of key workers.

DMA chairman Stephen Guy will oversee proceedings on the Racecourse.

Stephen said: “We are proud to dedicate the 2022 Gala to our key workers and give our platform to them and their trade union leaders. As the pandemic showed so starkly, it is the key workers of this country that we truly need. They deserve much improved pay and conditions, but it is our key workers who are often bearing the brunt of the cost of living crisis.

“I urge everyone to join us in Durham to say a massive ‘thank you’ and to join with the DMA to say: ‘we demand better for our key workers’.”

The DMA also reaffirms its commitment to the Justice4Grenfell campaign by inviting its founder Yvette Williams to speak at the Gala.

The community led organisation works to bring a measure of justice for the bereaved families, survivors, evacuated residents and the wider local community who were left devastated after the disaster.

Before the pandemic only national strikes and two world wars had prevented the Gala from going ahead. More than 200,000 people are expected in Durham for the Gala’s return.

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The Gala could not happen in any year without the support of its ‘Marras’ – those who chip in by donation or subscription during the year. Costs are rising sharply and the Gala needs its Marras more than ever.

If you haven’t yet please sign up to support the Gala today here.

The Durham Miners Association Brass Band will launch their new CD at a free concert celebrating the music of the Miners’ Gala on Saturday 21 May. The project developed during lockdown. Ahead of the launch, flugelhorn player Philippa Smith shares the band’s story…

Bringing a musical soundscape of Durham Miners’ Gala to those near and far …

The initial concept of “The Big Meeting” CD came from the enjoyment and entertainment the Miners’ Gala brings to the thousands who flock the streets of Durham City on the second Saturday in July. Therefore, our next band project became the planning, recording and production of a CD filled with Miners’ Gala classics, immersing those from far and wide to enjoy the sounds of the iconic, heritage filled day.

With the devastating global COVID-19 pandemic locking down the UK in March 2020, plans for the CD initially halted. Although we were unable to rehearse or perform together for many months, we remained a strong support group for one another through regular Zoom quizzes and chats. During these virtual gatherings, it did not take long for the wheels to set in motion again as ideas for the CD became a new focus for the band.

Due to minimal fundraising opportunities in 2020, producing this CD would use a substantial amount of the band’s funds. However, with thanks to Crowdfunder’s free fundraising platform and the support of Brass Bands England #SaveOurBrassBands campaign, promotion online and through radio broadcasting, over £3000 towards our CD project was raised throughout 2020/2021 thanks to the generous donations of supporters.

Making music again

Lockdown restrictions began easing in England by spring/summer 2021, and the brass band movement was slowly reviving itself into a new ‘normality’. We were more than ready to get the next phase of the project started.

The band are always honoured to begin our gala day journey outside the gates of Redhills – The Pitman’s Parliament, and the next stage to bring the CD to life was no different. 

Marches, crowd favourites, hymns and reflective melodies filled the rafters of this historic and heritage filled building over two recording sessions in the summer and autumn of 2021.

With the disappointment of the cancellation of 150^th The Miner’s Gala for the second year running due to COVID-19 concerns, the brass sounds reverberating around Redhills during the recording, reminiscent of bands marching up Silver street and Saddlers street, or echoing through the nave and transepts of Durham Cathedral, were spine-chilling and evocative.

A community project

Our community, like many others, saw a rise in unemployment and a lack of available work during the pandemic, especially for those in the arts and entertainment sectors. The band always receive great support from the community, and we wanted to ‘give back’ and try to make a difference to some of our local entrepreneurs through this project. This was fulfilled by offering the opportunity for a local artist and poets to win the chance to be a part of the project. There was a tremendous response, with numerous pieces of artwork and poetry submitted. From this, an artist and three poets feature on the CD. Not only that, but a local sound technician and production company were selected to help us achieve the final product.

Enjoy the music

“The Big Meeting” is a CD full of carefully selected pieces, chosen to reflect the journey of the bands and crowds through Durham City at the Miners’ Gala. Start the journey at Redhills, then onto the city with rousing marches, entertain the crowds in Durham Market Place and at the County Hotel with good old sing-alongs, then remember those who worked and died in the mines in the reflective Miners Service in Durham Cathedral.

Thanks to the support of The Durham Miners’ Association and The Marras, the CD release will be celebrated on Saturday 21^st May 2022 at Elvet Methodist Church, Durham, with a free concert from the Durham Miners’ Association Brass Band.

Come along to the concert and enjoy an evening full of music and entertainment.

Your free tickets can be purchased here –  https://www.tickettailor.com/events/marras

Purchase a copy of the CD and immerse yourself in the sounds of The Big Meeting all year round.

For more information about the band or this project contact – contact@durhamminersband.co.uk

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The author, Philippa Smith, pictured marching with the band at the most recent Durham Miners Gala, on Saturday 13 July 2019.

A free concert will mark the release of a new album celebrating the music of the Durham Miners Gala.

The Durham Miners Association Brass Band will launch their new CD at the event at Elvet Methodist Church, Durham city, on Saturday 21 May.

The album titled ‘The Big Meeting’ is a collection of new recordings of Gala day favourites. The album was crowdfunded during lockdown and recorded at Redhills, Durham Miners Hall.

Organisers have recently confirmed that the Gala will return in 2022 after a two-year absence due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The band will play a selection from the new album as part of the concert programme.

The concert is hosted by the Friends of Durham Miners Gala. Free tickets were allocated first to Marras – those who contribute to the funding of the Gala – and our now on public sale.

Band secretary Heather Ward said: “The Gala is the highlight of the year for brass bands and we sorely missed playing in Durham during the pandemic.

“The album was a way to bring the band together and give us focus and we are delighted that we’ll be able to share it with the public in Durham ahead of the return of the Gala in 2022.”

The album developed from a partnership between Crowdfunder and Brass to provide a free platform for brass bands to raise funds while they were unable to perform. The DMA band gives thanks to both organisations and to everyone who donated to the project.

The concert will take place at Elvet Methodist Church, Durham city on Saturday 21 May. Doors open at 7pm with the concert beginning at 7.30pm.

BOOK YOUR FREE PLACES HERE.

Visitors to this year’s Durham Miners’ Gala can now make the most of this year’s event with official camping in the city. 

Gala organisers are offering camping over two nights just a short walk from the festivities. Camping is on sale now here.

After a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it has been confirmed that the Gala will return on Saturday 9 July 2022.

The introduction of affordable, high-quality accommodation in previous years proved a hit with festival goers. 

More than 200,000 people attended the 2019 Gala, and organisers are expecting an even bigger crowd to attend this year’s event, which has been dedicated to all the key workers who kept society functioning during the pandemic.

The campsite is in a quiet countryside setting at East Durham College’s Houghall Campus in Durham city. It includes free showers and toilet facilities, and on-site catering providing cooked breakfasts. New for 2022 is a communal marquee with a bar and live entertainment for guests only. Stewarding will be on site throughout the night to ensure a safe and secure stay.

Accommodation can be booked now for Friday 8 and/or Saturday 9 July 2022. Camper vans and caravans, as well as tents, are welcome, as are dogs on leads.

All proceeds will go to the Friends of Durham Miners Gala (FODMG), the not-for-profit organisation created to fund the event.

FODMG Chair Dave Anderson said: “We had excellent feedback from those who camped in previous years and are delighted that we are again able to offer visitors this affordable and high-quality option to stay and make the most of the wonderful Gala weekend. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to Durham in July.”

People can book now for an early bird price of just £15 per person per night for adults, £7.50 for under 16s, and free for under 5s. Prices will rise ahead of the Gala to a full price of £20 per person per night for adults, £10 for under 16s, while remaining free for under 5s.

Free cancellation with a full refund is available until Saturday 2 July – a week before the Big Meeting.

There is also a further 20 percent discount for ‘Marras’, those who support the Gala via subscription to FODMG.

BOOK CAMPING HERE.

For enquiries, email marras@durhamminersgala.org or call 0191 3868413

To support the Gala, and receive a 20 percent camping discount, join the Marras here.