Men standing chatting at the corner end were discussing the Big Meeting. This made me wonder if Dad was going to take us again, it had been such a wonderful day out the last time.
Durham Miner’s Gala known as the Big Meeting was the highlight of the year. This was held in July every year and still is. It was then the largest gathering of any kind held in the County of Durham. There were about seventy or eighty pits represented in Durham that day. Each one with its own banner, the pictures on the banners were usually mining or religious scenes, Political Labour Ministers or past and Present Miner’s Union Leaders. It was always a great honour to carry the Banner, and at each pit a draw was made the night before the meeting of all full union members to see who it was to be. It took six men to carry the banner, one for each pole and one for each of the four steadying ropes. Most of the pits had their own Colliery Band to accompany the Banner, but those who did not, hired one for the great day. The most popular band to hire was a Pipe Band if you could get one.
The Banner and Band of each pit paraded round it’s respective village the night before the Big Meeting so that all of the people had the chance to see it.
An early start was the order of the day, the pits within three miles or less from Durham always walked all of the way in, the others travelled by bus to the outskirts of the city, there was no traffic allowed in the city on that day. There were so many banners waiting to get into Durham that great queues formed on all of the roads approaching Durham City. Each Banner with its Band, Union Officials and anyone else who wanted to join in took their turn in the queue to march to Durham City Race-course where the Big Meeting was held. On the way the big parade, singing and dancing to the band passed The County Hotel where the invited Political and Union Guest Speakers were on the balcony for all to see. On entering the Race-course each pit looked for a space on the perimeter fence to tie the Banner. Once this had been done the bandsmen put their instruments under it and were free for the rest of the day. That is unless they had been the lucky band to play in Durham Cathedral later on in the afternoon. It usually took four to five hours for the bands to assemble on the Race-course, and what a sight it was to see, all the banners flying and the thousands of people milling about. Situated in the background was the show field with roundabouts and side-shows far enough away from the speaker’s platform. This was where at two o’clock the guest speakers would be for all to come and listen to. The sight of all this was magnificent, never to be forgotten. To go round and look at the Banners, each one different from the rest was great. Some here and there were draped with a black sash, this was to denote that there had been a fatal accident at that pit in the past year. Young children who were at the Big Meeting were always shown where their Banner was, so that if they got separated from their parents or friends all they had to do was wait under their own Banner until someone came.
By late 1936 the now famous ‘Jarrow March’ was taking place and the big depression in the coal fields which had been caused by the 1926 National Strike seemed to coming to an end. The pit in the next village had re-opened and a new Coking Plant had been built. This created a lot more jobs in the surrounding area and the local Councils were well on with their re-housing programme. The people who lived in the ‘Raffy Yard’ had already been re-housed on a new Council housing estate about two miles away. This Raffy Yard area had been a dreadful place, very close to the pit heaps and next to the field where the pit ponies were kept. The houses looked like hovels, they were built very low and the roofs at the back appeared to almost touch the ground. Almost everyone had their name down for a Council House and were very envious of those who already had one. It was a whole new life to live in a house with a garden around three sides of it and not open the door straight out on to the street. And of course there was hot water out of the tap and a proper bathroom.
The strain of the last ten years or so had taken its toll on the people but there was always a bond between the miners’ wives. They were always ready to help when it was needed, but if anyone broke the rules there was trouble. Fights would sometimes ensue, usually in defence of their children. Being a mixed community of Catholic and Protestants each religion kept mostly to themselves, the children going to their own schools and did not even mix in play. This was a strange situation often leading to gang fights among the boys and name calling with the girls.
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Doris Morgan family photographs: Irene with Ronald and Doris. Aunt Doris and Bernard. Albert and Doris, Bernard Wedding.
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Doris Morgan and Jim Robinson.
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