A COUPLE who turned their passion for North-East heritage into a thriving business have found unexpected success in Australia.

From their home in West Rainton, near Durham City, John Mason and Hilary St John run Puddle Productions, an independent film company that has more than a passing interest in the region's mining past.

Mr Mason, a descendant of seven generations of Sunderland miners, said: "I wanted to show the dignity of our people."

Their first independent production, Brass and Banners: A History of the Great Northern Coalfield, marks the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Easington pit disaster, which claimed the lives of 81 miners and two members of the rescue team.

Ms St John said: "John's father was a miner as was my grandfather, and as a result we are very interested in the North-East's mining heritage. Until recently, mining dominated life and culture in the North-East."

The documentary looks at the history of the Northumberland and Durham Miners' Associations, from the struggle to establish the unions to the various pit disasters.

The film also features footage of the 1999 Durham Big Meeting and Northumberland Miners' Picnic, which saw Arthur Scargill in jovial mood.

"I had never imagined Arthur Scargill could be a comedian," said Ms St John. "He was absolutely hilarious."

As a cameraman, Mr Mason spent hours down pits across the North-East, when he worked for the Coal Board's northern region film division during the 1970s and early 1980s.

Along with making training and safety videos, he filmed clips for the mining reviews that for years were shown between the B movie and the main feature at the cinema.

Their success led to Brass and Banners 2: The Colliers Cathedral, which charts the often tempestuous relationship between miners and the Anglican church in County Durham, and looks at the history of Durham Cathedral.

This was followed by Brass and Banners 3: Miners at War, which charts the lives of the miners on the Western Front during the First World War.

The men were given the dangerous task of tunnelling across no man's land to the German positions, where they would destroy them with explosives.

Monday is the 90th anniversary of the first undermining attack, launched by the Germans against Indian troops at Festubert, on the France-Belgium border.

"Before Festubert, the Army wouldn't accept miners because soldiers had to be at least 5ft 3in tall and have a 36in chest," said Ms St John. "Most of the miners from this region were too small."

They were given just one day's basic training before being sent to France, and it was dangerous work, with rival German and British mining teams often clashing in deadly tunnel fights.

Research also threw up some tales of humour, such as how the miners used to break Army regulations and hoard their rum rations so they could occasionally get drunk.

There was also an incident when a case of bad spelling caused some red faces.

"They used to undermine the German positions by tunnelling under them, then fill a chamber with the explosive ammonal and blow it up," said Ms St John.

"Someone by mistake ordered three-and-a-half pounds of a drug of a similar name, which was prescribed for controlling excessive sexual excitement."

The film proved such a hit in Australia that it has led to a sequel, Diggers, the story of the country's mining industry during the Great War.

The couple spent eight months in Australia, researching the film.

Advances in technology meant Mr Mason could use a hand-held DVD camera and then edit the film on the latest lap top computer.

It is the first DVD the couple has produced, but Mr Mason is already re-working the other titles and they are due to be released as 90-minute DVDs.

The film is being sold across Australia through a distribution company, which expects sales to top £20,000. There is also talk of a television series. The couple have also produced Visiting Nemo, which is underwater footage shot by Mr Mason, who learned to dive and use a camera in the Royal Engineers.

They have also produced a video about the Scottish National War Museum, in Edinburgh.

In between the documentaries, the couple make corporate videos.

For further details of the films produced by the company, write to: Puddle Productions, PO Box 90, West Rainton, County Durham DH4 6XS, or visit the website, www.puddle productions.co.uk