A GROUP of women are facing a race against time to restore an old pit banner in time for next month's Durham Miners Gala.

The banner for Thrislington Colliery, West Cornforth, has been paraded at the Big Meeting for years, although it was originally produced for Fenhall Drift Mine, near Lanchester.

Miners from Thrislington first used the banner in the 1960s when their own emblem became damaged and Fenhall had closed. It spent some time at Harton and Westoe, South Shields, and many years at the NUM's Redhills headquarters.

It is being restored by Jenny Robinson, Sandra Ingledew, Pam Brown, Jean Wilson, Elaine Wood, Rita Fyfe and Helen Hesler in a project run by East Durham and Houghall Community Community College.

Former Thrislington miner Bob Robinson said: "The women are stripping it down and adding new material.

"They are refurbishing the paintwork on it and have completed one side of it. They are doing a grand job.''

The banner, which is usually paraded with both mine names on a pennant above the main banner and accompanied by Fishburn, has a permanent home in Coxhoe Village Hall.

It features Lanchester Church on one side, a miner and centurion on the other and the motto "strength stands the test", but will be altered to include the name Coxhoe Drift, part of the Thrislington complex.

"It is part of the heritage and history. If nobody takes an interest, these banners disappear, said Mr Robinson.

"A lot of interest has been created in the village about the gala and the banners.''

Mr Robinson hopes to launch a committee next year to make a new banner based on the one used by Thrislington, which closed in 1967, in the 1800s.