Buy History of the Big Meeting (hardback)
The Big Meeting - A History of The Durham Miners' Gala by David Temple (hardback price £19.50 plus £3.50 p&p)
Dave Temple worked as a coalface electrician at Murton colliery for 20 years, was Lodge Secretary of the Mechanics and served on the Executive Committee of the North East Area NUM.
Book Reviews
‘The title doesn’t do this book justice because, as well as being a history of the Durham Miners’ Gala, it is a history of coal-mining in the county and a social history of our towns and villages.’
Northern Echo
‘This beautifully produced and illustrated book shows the importance of the miners to Britain in the last 140 years, their triumphs and disasters and the reasons why they march with pride each year with their bands and banners to celebrate the Durham Miners’ Gala.’
Tony Benn
‘This wonderful book is a considerable achievement. Rich in words and photographs, it traces the history of the Durham Miners’ Gala, illuminating both local and national struggles and the central role that coal miners and their families have played in British politics and society.’
Professor Huw Beynon, Cardiff University
‘No book could ever capture the spirit of Durham Miners’ Gala..... or could it? David Temple comes as close as it is possible to get with his comprehensive new book.... He rekindles memories of Galas we attended and tells the story of Galas long ago, setting them in the political context of their time and the battles fought by the union...’
Sunderland Echo
‘Packed with detail, this book is a terrific, fast-moving account that charts not only the history of the Gala since its inception in 1871 but also chronicles the political and industrial struggles of the Durham miners for 140 years.’
Workers.org
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