It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Derek Graham who died of the miners’ disease, pneumoconiosis, on Saturday 10th December.
Derek or ‘Deka’, as he was known to his friends, started work at Bearpark colliery and later moved to Dawdon colliery before taking up employment in a private licensed mine just prior to the Miners Strike in 1984/85.
At the beginning of the strike he refused to cross picket lines and withdrew his labour in support of his fellow miners in the nationalised industry who were fighting for their jobs and communities. For this Derek was sacked.
Derek remained a staunch member of the union and Friend of the Durham Miners Gala and will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
His funeral takes place on Wednesday December 21 at Durham Crematorium at 10.30 am. The family have requested that donations to be made to The Friends of Durham Miners’ Gala in lieu of flowers. See:www.friendsofdurhamminersgala.org