Miners' Hall revamp could be finished by Christmas

The relaunched Redhills will have a youth brass band in residence

The restoration of a 109-year-old miners' hall should be completed by Christmas, the charity behind the revamp has said.

Redhills opened in Durham City in 1915 and is home to the Pitman’s Parliament.

The building, which was constructed when the Durham coalfield employed more than 150,000 men, is being turned into a heritage centre as part of a £8m project.

Nick Malyan, the head of the Redhills charity, said he hoped it would be a place where “young people come to learn about their history”.

The Pitman's Parliament is where miners' representatives would meet and make decisions.

It is held up as an icon of worker democracy and commissioned a range of welfare support schemes, including homes for aged miners, reading rooms and healthcare for sick and injured workers.

Durham Miners' Association delegates in the the Pitman’s Parliament in 1944

The relaunched Redhills will have a youth brass band in residence, with rehearsals already under way.

“We know in this area how important brass banding is,” said head of Durham Music Service Michael Summers.

“We also know how important this building is so it’s a perfect marriage of those two traditions coming together.”