DURHAM GEM

AN exiled Northerner, every year I bring my family on a pilgrimage to Durham. We thought we had pretty much visited all of the sites of interest and so this year were delighted to find a new gem in Durham's crown - the Durham Miners' Heritage Group Exhibition of Mining Memorabilia.

In rooms above Neville's Cross Social Club we spent a very pleasant afternoon with our two guides, John and Ron, who talked with great pride and passion about Durham and the surrounding villages' heritage based on the mining industry.

How knowledgeable these two were and how patient they were with our many questions and observations.

As the granddaughter and great-granddaughter of miners who laboured in Brandon and Sacriston Mines, I am ashamed to say I knew little of their experiences.

John and Ron helped me to a greater understanding of the life of a miner and graphically painted for me, through words and pictures, an insight into the life of men who spent so much time in dangerous conditions underground.

One of our first ports of call next year will be a second visit to this remarkable exhibition, crammed with so many exhibits, models, paintings, memorabilia, written sources and two very informative videos. - Patricia Baker, Frome, Somerset.