Miner Lights up Durham Cathedral’s Christmas tree

Durham Cathedral’s 17ft Christmas tree was lit by representatives of the Durham mining community in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the 1984 Miners’ Strike.

Miner lights up Durham Cathedral’s Christmas tree to mark the 40th anniversary of the Miners’ Strike.

On Sunday Durham Cathedral‘s huge Christmas tree was lit by Jackie McCowliff who has strong ties to the North East mining communities. Jackie is a former miner, a lodge delegate to Redhills Durham, and later became a Durham Miners’ Association executive, he will be assisted by Sally Lockey, aged 16, from the Durham Miners Association Band.

During the special Lighting of the Tree and Blessing of the Crib service, Jackie McCowliff carried a miner’s safety lamp and hung it on the Norwegian Spruce Christmas tree, which was then illuminated.

Each year, Durham Cathedral invites special members of the community to light its tree. The tradition continues this year, marking the 40th anniversary of the Miners’ Strike and the long-shared association with the mining heritage of the region.

The Reverend Canon Michael Hampel,  Precentor at Durham Cathedral said,

“The great Christmas Tree at Durham Cathedral shines like a beacon of hope amidst the solemn stone of this special place. In a year when we recall the Miners’ Strike of 40 years ago, we remember too the hurt of the past and the need to believe that the light of hope comes into our lives even at the darkest times.

We’re delighted that young and old from our mining heritage come together to light our tree and mirror the figure of a miner standing in Michael Doyle’s famous crib scene in which the baby Jesus lies not in a manger but in a ‘choppie box’, the trough used to feed the ponies underground in the mines. This is the Jesus whose message of the love of God brings light into our world today and every day.”

Durham Cathedral and the local mining communities have strong links dating back to the 1800s and during the autumn Durham Cathedral collaborated with the Durham Mining Communities Banner Groups Association and Redhills, Durham, to mark the 40th anniversary of the Miners’ Strike, with an exhibition called, Solidarity Forever: Banners of the Durham Mining Community. 

The powerful display celebrated the resilience and heritage of County Durham’s mining communities in which 40 huge miners’ banners, each telling a unique story of struggle, solidarity, and survival were displayed inside the cathedral.

The Norwegian Spruce Christmas tree was generously donated by Wards Bros and a cherry picker to install the tree was kindly provided by Tyne and Wear Access.