WHAT COULD ARTHUR DO TO REGAIN THE RESPECT OF HIS COMPATRIOTS?
With the Miner's Gala officially cancelled and prevented by new local by-laws from marching to the cathedral with their banner, The Pelton Miners Communist League have arrived in force in the city of Durham determined to give the oppressive forces of capitalism a bloody nose and do some shopping at the Indoor Market.
Arthur Wedgewood Benn sees this as an opportunity to re-assert his authority and, having arrived by armoured train at Gilesgate station, gives a three hour speech on Bernsteinian Revisionism and worker's control of factories. Suitably invigorated the League proceed down Claypath and into the city.
The local law enforcement seems reticent to confront such a well-armed force and it is left to the Cathedral Bedesmen along with the University Police and various concomitant forces of the Dunelm Rifles to stop their progress.
Approaching from the north the communists have swelled in numbers and includes two extra sections of miners. Gran Finnigan and her gals are once more to the fore and Mayor Blair has, chameleon like, changed his colours to a redder shade once again.
Comrade Scargill leads his section into one of the derelict buildings next to Paradise Gardens while The Committee, after a quick vote, proceed to the corner of Doggarts store.
Meanwhile the Cathedral Bedesmen have deployed in the walled of the garden of the house behind Fleshergate and take a few minutes to get their breath back.
Oddly missing from the previous photograph in what seems to have been a deliberate act of censorship by the authorities, is the well known statue of Charles William Vane Tempest Stewart, 3rd Marquess of Londonderry. Erected in 1861 and still in Market Square today, although moved a little to the south. Here we see it in its original position just across the road from Doggarts.
The Bedesmen take up a firing position behind the garden wall. They hope this nonsense isn't going to last too long as they could all do with a nice sit down.
Meanwhile Comrade Scargill and his section have climbed to the second floor of what looks like a rather precarious ruin of a building. Quite why he saw it necessary to carry the banner all the way up there is anyone's guess but you can't doubt their revolutionary zeal.
As another communist section arrives from along Claypath....
Mayor Blair and The Pelton Chamber of Commerce scuttle behind St Nicholas' church. Across the road Gran Finnigan and her Factory Girls prepare for their advance into the market place.
Meanwhile a section of the 8/DLI Territorials has deployed at the entrance to Foundry Lane and await the red onslaught.
With a lustful shout the communists led by the Factory Girls charge into the market place and into a hail of bullets.
Men (and women) fall left, right and centre and the progress is painfully and bloodily slow.
But what's this?! Isn't that Comrade Dibnah and his gang of demolition boys? What are they doing next to that statue? Surely they aren't going to........!!
They have! They've blown up the Marquess of Londonderry! Surely such a symbolic blow against Imperialism will reverberate around the world.... well, maybe as far as Gateshead.
As the smoke clears the severely depleted forces of the League retreat under its cover out of the market place and back to their waiting train. The defenders breath a sigh of relief, with a little more co-ordination and a lot more luck (the communist's movement dice were truly appalling) the reds could have swept all before them.
The Durham Miners' Gala is a large annual gathering held on the second Saturday in July, the first of which was held at Wharton Park in 1871. Known locally as "The Big Meeting" its highlight consists of a parade of banners, each typically accompanied by a brass band, which are marched to the old Racecourse, where political speeches are delivered. In the afternoon a Miners' service is held in Durham Cathedral, which may include the blessing of any new banners. At its peak the Gala (pronounced Gay-la not Gar-la, that's very important, apparently) attracted more than 300,000 people – more than seven times the population of Durham itself.
This photograph is from 1948 and shows the crowds and banners crossing Framwellgate bridge.
Chester Le Street folk call it the Big Meet, and drinking excessive quantities of Stella is obligatory (if you are a Farthingdale...) I hope to be at the Big Meet later this year.
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