Northumberland Miners’ Picnic celebrates 159th anniversary

Taking place at Woodhorn Museum, the fun-packed spectacular will celebrate North East mining history and heritage.

The June 10 event, the 159th celebration to take place, brings together music, performance, and arts and culture in a day of remembrance and celebration of the region’s mining communities and industry.

Rowan Brown, chief executive of Museums Northumberland, said: “Woodhorn Colliery closed its doors in 1981, but deep mining continued in Northumberland until 2005. The industry has a thousand-year lineage in our county, and generations of families worked in mines across Northumberland and the North East.

“The Northumberland Miners’ Picnic was first established to bring coalfield communities together so that families could enjoy a day of music, sports, food and friendly competition.

“Today, the tradition is very much the same with people from across the North East coming together to celebrate this hugely important part of our region’s culture. It’s a day of fun, laughter, and remembrance, and it’s a great way to honour an industry that is still so important to the heritage of Northumberland.”

Traditionally, the day begins with the miners’ memorial service and wreath laying, commemorating those who died in the coal mining industry. Four local brass bands - Ashington Colliery Brass Band, Bedlington Brass Community Band, Ellington Colliery Band, Newbiggin Jayess Brass Band - will perform together during the service, before taking to the main stage for a lively performance to start the day’s entertainment.

Live music has always been an important part of the Northumberland Miners’ Picnic. At this year’s event there will be performances throughout the day from acts including Blyth Tall Ship Sea Shanty Singers, Northern Monkey Brass, and New York Brass Band.

In the Pit Yard and outdoor areas of Woodhorn Museum, GemArts – famous for its celebration of South Indian culture – will lead a mini mela. Curious Arts, which champions LGBTQAI+ culture and arts, will be delivering a floral pop-up outdoor performance.

Ednie Wilson, a musician from Gateshead, will be holding performances and demonstrations of the Northumberland small pipes throughout the day.

She will perform inside the cafe and host demonstrations where members of the public can try the pipes for themselves.

This year’s Northumberland Miners’ Picnic also includes drop in artist workshops in Woodhorn’s Cage Shop, rope knot demonstrations from a traditional skills community group from Blyth, and pop-up performances from The Blyth Tall Ship Sea Shanty Singers.

Ashington Town Council have supported local schools and young peoples’ groups to create their own banners which will be on display during the event.

In addition to the food and drink on offer at the Winding House Cafe at Woodhorn Museum, there will also be pop-up food and drink stalls including Crepes Gourmet, Scream for Pizza and Tandoori Naan Hut.

First held at Blyth Links in 1864, the Northumberland Miners’ Picnic has taken place in the county every year since 1864, except during the first and second world wars, the strikes of 1921, 1926 and 1984 and foot and mouth disease in 2001 and coronavirus in 2020 and 2021.

The event is free, but onsite car parking is £5. A free shuttle bus will be operating between Ashington Leisure Centre and Woodhorn Museum.