Banner show to mark 40 years since miners' strike

The hand-painted silk banners form part of an exhibition by Durham Cathedral

Forty miners' banners representing North East collieries will go on display to commemorate the anniversary of the miners' strike.

The hand-painted silk banners form part of an exhibition by Durham Cathedral "celebrating the resilience and heritage of County Durham's mining communities".

The banners, which display the name of the colliery, union branch and mottos, were paraded at miners' celebrations, protests and events.

The miners' strike of 1984-85 was a defining moment in the history of British coal mining and the biggest industrial dispute in post-war Britain.

• Miners' strike: A frontline story

• Miner's strike: Return journey

It pitted thousands of miners and their trade union against then prime minister Margaret Thatcher and her Conservative government, which supported plans to shut 20 coal pits.

About three-quarters of the country's 187,000 miners went on strike to oppose the pit closures, which were expected to mean 20,000 job losses.

About three-quarters of the country's 187,000 miners went on strike to oppose the pit closures

A wave of pit closures followed the strike and almost all of the UK's deep coal mines - where digging takes place underground - were shut within the next 20 years.

It caused lasting unemployment and poverty in former mining areas, just as the workers had warned with their slogan "Close a pit, kill a community".

The show, Solidarity Forever: Banners of the Durham Mining Community, looks to tell "an unique story of struggle, solidarity, and survival", Durham Cathedral said.

It will run from 22 October to 7 November.

The cathedral said it worked with Durham Mining Communities Banner Groups Association and Redhills Durham Miners Hall.

Andrew Usher, from Durham Cathedral, said it had strong links with the local mining communities, dating back to the 1800s.

Rain-soaked crowds gathered to watch as the 138th Durham Miners' Gala wound its way through the streets in July

Mr Usher said the exhibition was also a "celebration of the fantastic local banners representing each colliery and the community spirit that continues in the region".

Patricia Simmons, from the Durham Mining Communities Banner Groups Association, said the show's aim was to "encourage former mining communities and the younger generation to recognise the importance that these vibrant and colourful Banners have in the history of Durham and the stories they portray".