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Durham
Durham Miners’ Gala, 12 July 2025
Durham, with its cathedral and castle rising above the River Wear, is now internationally associated with the Durham Miners’ Gala - known locally as The Big Meeting - an annual gathering that celebrates the proud history of the Durham coalfield.
Each summer, the city’s medieval streets are transformed as brass bands lead processions of banner groups representing former colliery villages, trade unions, and community organisations. Richly painted banners depict scenes of labour, struggle, and solidarity, turning the march into a moving archive of working-class history.
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