~ Tom Brown ~

The 140th Durham Miners’ Gala took place on Saturday 11 July with thousands of attendees as usual, banners and brass bands. Also as usual, we marched with the IWW. This year, the Palestine Bloc decided to meet in a different location to last year, so we instead joined in behind the Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners bloc.

When we got to the field, we found that the Durham Miners’ Association had spread the Gala out over a larger area than last year, and had added a mini folk festival and more stalls including Durham Cannabis Club and the Sex Workers’ Union.

There were craft areas including make your own colourful placard, and a good range of food stalls including Syrian falafel. We joined the long queue for falafel and found it worth the wait.

Alan Mardghum, General Secretary of the DMA, said from the stage that, when the Reform led Durham County Council cancelled funding for Durham Pride this year, the Durham Miners had been proud to step up their support for the event, because they remembered when LGSM had been there for them in 1984.

This year was particularly special because our comrade had only got a two-year Conditional Discharge after participating in an action against Pearson Engineering, the Israeli owned weapons factory in Newcastle, who have recently ramped up drone production. The defendant commented that “the judge used words like ‘Pearson is not on trial’ and seemed very against us”, while his friend added that “Head of security at Pearson denied the company was assisting with war crimes”.

In the afternoon, we went to Lazenby Social Centre for the third Save the Social gig, catching the all-brilliant Motherman, Imaginary Husband, Pretentious, Nadine Hurley, Geordio, DJ Death Defy, Perfect Chicken and Bathing Suits.

At least one of the slogans from the make your own placard workshop came true, when a young lad was asked what he wanted, and decided to put “ENGLAND TO WIN”.

Top photo: Glen Hurst