Mining and its legacy is a very prominent feature in our communities. One of the special things that came out of mining was the emergence of some very talented artists who are often called the Pit Painters, the best known of whom are Tom McGuinness and Norman Cornish. The pit painters are well represented at the Spennymoor Art Gallery and the new Mining Art Gallery in Bishop Auckland Market Place will open later this year. In recent months a singer song writer called Gareth DaviesJones has become interested in the idea of writing songs in response to paintings by the pit painters as well as cowriting songs about stories shared by ex-miners and their families. Gareth’s forbears were Welsh miners. In 2015 Gareth was the artist in residence at the Mining Institute in Newcastle and he produced an album of songs called The Seam as a result of his research there. To start this new project a concert has been arranged at the Spennymoor Art Gallery on May 16th. On that evening the gallery will be open from 7pm and the concert will begin at 8pm. Gareth will be singing songs from The Seam album and he has also composed a song responding to one of Norman Cornish’s paintings at the gallery. Tickets can be obtained via this website: https://www. garethdavies-jones.com/tour or from David Pott (Mob: 07932 790525).
The concert will be of particular interest to miners and their descendants. The concert is being arranged in partnership with re:generate, the new initiative whose aim is to encourage churches to work and pray for the spiritual, social and economic regeneration of this area. Rev Eileen Harrop, entrepreneur priest at St Anne’s in Bishop Auckland and a leader of “Re:generate” is very keen to collect stories from mining families. She explains: “Are you a former miner from a colliery around Bishop Auckland? Or perhaps you are part of a mining family with many generations before having worked in the mines. Would you be willing to meet me for a chat about what it was like working as a miner and what was special about being part of a mining community? The church in the middle of Bishop Auckland’s Market Place, St Anne’s Church, would like to dedicate a programme of events and services to honour the contribution of mining to our country and to the world; to acknowledge the dedication and sacrificial efforts of miners and their families; and to celebrate the community and family values nurtured by the camaraderie of mining households”. Please contact me: Rev’d Eileen Harrop (01325 733154; ekgharrop@gmail.com) if you are willing to be involved in this special programme or just to share with me the experiences and feelings of miners and mining families
