A memorial sculpture by Dr Ron Lawson of Stanson Art to honour a village’s miners has been unveiled, more than 40 years after its pit closed.
Members of the Langley Park community turned out in force to have a look at the new statue, which was unveiled on Saturday by Maurice Saville, one of the village's oldest surviving former pitmen.
The committee of Christine Pringle, Gwen Harvey, Donna Donaghy, Julia Dixon and Denise Long
Julia Dixon, one of the members of the committee which has been working to
the statue, said: “It was a fantastic day. We were overwhelmed by the turnout. The village has been waiting for this for a long time.
“There was a lot of feeling that we needed it and people have been really supportive.
People have been saying we needed it so we’re so happy it’s there now to remember the miners who worked and died there."
Mrs Dixon, whose grandfather Tommy Gardner was jointly awarded the Daily Herald Heroism Medal in 1947 for rescuing a fellow miner trapped in the pit, added: "The village has grown a lot since 1975 but there’s still a strong community spirit that comes from people having worked down the pit.
Members of the Langley Park community turned out to see the unveiling of the statue
"We set out to provide a permanent memorial and make sure this proud mining heritage lives on."
Mrs Dixon added: "It’s a bit different and unusual. I think it’s a bit of a surprise for people but so far it’s had good reactions."
Members of the community contributed to raising the funds to pay for the statue, which was also helped by donations from the County Durham Community Foundation, Esh Parish Council, the Sir James Knott Trust and Durham County Council's Area Action Partnership.
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