Saturday 8th July was a beautiful morning. The children from three Seaham schools would proudly parade the school banners they had designed and helped to paint, at Durham Big Meeting.
The day started for the Seaham, Dawdon and Vane Tempest miners lodges at three separate venues across the town.
Dawdon Lodge set out from Dawdon Miners Social Welfare Hall (the old Dawdon Miners Hall) . They paraded their banner along Queen Alexandra Road to the end of Princess Road where they took their coach to Durham. This year it was a double decker bus “filled to the gunnels” with passengers.
Seaham Lodge marched from Eastlea Community Centre and marched to the Mill Inn and then by coach to Durham.
Vane Tempest Lodge marched from the Island Club on Station Road to the Mill Inn and then travelled by coach to Durham.
All the children and their parents and teachers travelled together from the Red Star car park to Durham in a separate coach and joined the Lodges in Durham’s Market Square.
Each school marched with a different miners lodge:
- Westlea Primary marched with Seaham Colliery Lodge
- Deneside Juniors marched with Vane Tempest Lodge.
- Ropery Walk Primary marched with Dawdon Lodge.
From Market Square each lodge marched down and over Old Elvet Bridge. Each move forward was no more than 30 yards. As the children waited and proudly held their banners aloft the Brass and Pipe bands which accompanied the lodges played tradional and modern tunes.
It took hours to reach the Royal County Hotel where each lodge stopped in front of the hotel balcony lined with miners leaders, political and industrial celebrities and other invited guests. Each Lodge band played a tune and the children and the miners held their banners high. From the Royal County Hotel the children marched on to the Race Course Grounds to the stalls, Fair and speaking platform.
After a long, happy day out the children returned home with
many memories and next year to look forward to with anticipation.