1960: The delight of the MINERS' BRASS BAND PICNIC | Monitor 54 | Weird and Wonderful | BBC Archive

John Gibson introduces us to the brass band carnival and the colliery band contest at Bedlington, Northumberland which occurs each year - as a grand occasion for the family - mixing politics, beauty queens and, of course, music.

John was representing Pegswood Colliery in Morpeth, Northumberland, which as he predicted was to soon close, doing so in 1969, some 101 years after it first opened.

This short film was directed by Ken Russell.

Clip taken from Monitor 54, originally broadcast on BBC Television, Sunday 3 July, 1960.

You have now entered the BBC Archive, a time machine that will transport you back to the golden age of TV to educate, entertain and enlighten you with classic clips from the BBC vaults.

[fredo]

Those documentary crews were really something, like watching a mini movie.

[JohnHonda]

8min 4sec, I still have my Club Cards for Pegswood Miners club.

[JohnHonda]

My Paternal and Maternal Grandparents would have been at this event, my parents too. Sadly none of them no longer here.

[heinkle]

A truly lost world - closer to the 19th than 21st century

[JJONNYREPP]

1961: The delight of the MINER's BRASS BAND PICNIC | Monitor 54 | Weird and Wonderful | BBC Archive. 10.5.24. brass is still of interest....to many. many's the time, after a skinful, when conductor X fell from his soap box....

[davids]

britain is just a large lump of earth with rain people live on in 2024

[scroggins]

My Grandfather was a Miner... Nuff said!

[_Too_Late]

The country we were. The country we could've been still

[andydixon]

Indigenous English people all together having a jolly nice time. Who ever said Diversity strengthens of bull.

[westyham]

Nearly good as that lot in the film Brassed off.

[folksurvival]

It's a shame so many of them were subverted by the Labour party.

[davidharwood]

Is there a picnic 🧺 2024 I would like to attend