The last pit in the Durham coalfields may have closed 18 years ago, but the annual Durham Miners’ Gala always attracts thousands of visitors.The event is part of a particular trade union and socialist tradition. The banners of the former pits - many displaying the images and slogans of class struggle - are carried through the streets behind marching colliery bands. At its zenith, the gala used to attract some 300,000 people - now the figure has dropped to just 60,000. The Durham Miners’ Gala is an event where enjoyment of working class pageantry is mixed with nostalgia for an industry that is now little more than a shadow of its former self.
