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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jul/11/durham-miners-gala
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| In praise of … the Durham Miners' Gala | In praise of … the Durham Miners' Gala |
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| On Saturday, Durham's narrow streets will be thronged with thousands of people, young and old, from the county's pit villages. Miners' Gala Day, the Big Meeting, is a celebration of the industry that has stamped its mark forever on the landscapes and memories of County Durham. Don't ever say "former" pit villages, even if the last mine closed in 1993. The colliery banners and bands processing for hours through the city tell us otherwise. Coal is still king on this proud day. Once, all aspiring Labour politicians needed to be seen there. It remains a politically and emotionally charged day for the working people of Durham. Nostalgic? Not when you see the bonds of connection and common purpose that such communities in the north-east feel. To them, Durham's great cathedral, packed for the miners' service in the afternoon, is a symbol of belonging to a distinctive, deprived but greatly cherished region of England. | On Saturday, Durham's narrow streets will be thronged with thousands of people, young and old, from the county's pit villages. Miners' Gala Day, the Big Meeting, is a celebration of the industry that has stamped its mark forever on the landscapes and memories of County Durham. Don't ever say "former" pit villages, even if the last mine closed in 1993. The colliery banners and bands processing for hours through the city tell us otherwise. Coal is still king on this proud day. Once, all aspiring Labour politicians needed to be seen there. It remains a politically and emotionally charged day for the working people of Durham. Nostalgic? Not when you see the bonds of connection and common purpose that such communities in the north-east feel. To them, Durham's great cathedral, packed for the miners' service in the afternoon, is a symbol of belonging to a distinctive, deprived but greatly cherished region of England. |
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