'I saw people I had not seen in 40 years': Incredible scenes as former miners reunite
They had not seen each other for 40 years but dozens of former miners were back together on a day of incredible memories.
Former pit workers from the Durham coalfield turned out in force to mark the 40th anniversary of the end of the 1984/1985 miners strike.
Emotional scenes as 150 remember the days of the pits
There were emotional scenes as people who had not seen each other since the 1980s were reunited at a gathering point in Mowbray Park.
Around 150 of them turned up and marched behind Harton and Westoe Brass Band and the Westoe lodge banner.
They headed down Milner Street towards the old entrance to Westoe Colliery.
‘A brilliant day and a fantastic turnout’
‘We had a brilliant day with a fantastic turnout,” said Ronnie Peterson, the chairman of the Harton and Westoe Miners Heritage Group. Ronnie was a fitter at Westoe Colliery for 14 years.
He had previously worked at others pits in the Durham coalfield in a colliery career which lasted for 20 years.
Ronnie added: “Local people turned up as well as some who came from further afield. I met lads who I had not seen for 40 years.
‘Facebook group is keeping the memories alive
“Some of the original women’s group which supported the miners throughout the strike were there.”
The day of memories included a speech by Durham Miners Association secretary Alan Mardghum who was a Wearmouth Colliery pit lodge official in 1984.
He previously told us that it was ‘a bitter pill to swallow’ to go back at the end of the strike. ‘I felt dejected that we had not gone back on our terms.”
Four reunions a year
Ronnie added: “There were about 1,800 people who worked at the colliery at the time of the strike.”
A fantastic Facebook group is going strong and keeps alive the memories of the put.
“The Harton and Westoe Miners Heritage Group has been going since 2007.
“We still get around 100 people at the reunions and we have four of them a year,” said Ronnie.
Westoe Colliery operated from 1909 to 1993. The site was redeveloped into Westoe Crown Village.