Billy Elliot Fans - Durham Miners Gala

[Mark_E]

Posted: 7/11/09 at 6:03am

Hey guys, just thought i'd share this with you. Im from near the area where Billy Elliot is set and was filmed.

Today is the 125th Durham Miners Gala, where all the pit bands march into Durham. The pits may be gone but the bands still turn out every year to the event, it's MASSIVE, thousands and thousands of people go every year.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wear/content/articles/2009/07/06/durham_miners_gala_2009_feature.shtml

On an interesting sidenote, my dad is playing for Easington Band, and will be marching infront of the banner seen in the Billy Elliot stage show. I did this a few year ago and it was great watching the show being so close to what has happened.

[Mamie]

Posted: 7/11/09 at 7:39am

Thanks so much for posting this Mark. Unfortunately I wasn't able to look at the BBC videos but the photos are great and I really enjoyed reading about the gala. (gay-ler!) Those banners are pretty spectacular. I even noted one with Jack Elliot's name on it!

[kec]

Posted: 7/11/09 at 9:55am

Strange... usually the video on the BBC News website can be seen in the U.S.

[Mark_E]

Posted: 7/11/09 at 1:46pm

Great turnout at the Gala today, lovely weather helped :).

[Scripps2]

Posted: 7/12/09 at 11:35am

Thanks for sharing Mark. I had no idea this was still such a big event: heritage and history don't die easily do they?

It's also very interesting that the brass bands live on as well - even without the pits.

[Mark_E]

Posted: 7/12/09 at 11:48am

Alot of the bands have now died out. My dad used to play for a small coal mining band called Silksworth (in Sunderland) and until recently they had their own band but that is no longer the case, so the old band members now join with Easington. Alot of bands come in from outside areas to carry in some of the banners.

When the mines were open every pit had its own band, quite large, and they would be paid by their respective pits for participating in the miners gala. Obviously with the pits closing alot of the bands folded too, and they do it for pleasure now.

The photos from this year are now up -
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wear/content/image_galleries/durham_gala_2009_gallery.shtml

Check out picture number 9 for the Easington banner