Pit Pony Stables open for business!
Although the museum site has been covered in mist for the past few days our Old King Coal celebrations and the opening of the Pony Stables continued unabated.
The whole Old King Coal weekend celebrated the mining heritage of the area. Working alongside community banner groups we welcomed miners banners from across the Durham Coal Field. To mark the opening of the Stables in style a parade of banners made its way from the Town to the Pit Village, accompanied by the Houghton and Murton Colliery Bands.
Banners waiting in Hetton Band Hall for the parade
To perform the opening ceremony we welcomed back three former members of the Beamish Drift Mine team. Martin, Billy and Tommy all worked with Pip, Durham’s last Pit Pony, who spent his retirement at Beamish.
Billy Martin and Tommy and one of our current ponies Wheezer
The first pony to take up residence in the Stables was Flash, Beamish’s longest serving pony.
Flash checking out his hay supply.
All ready for opening.
Quarington Hill Banner
One of the Banner Groups we welcomed over the weekend was Quarrington Hill. We were especially pleased to see their banner as it is the only known Durham banner to depict a Pit Pony. The Banner is also one of the newest in the region, having been unveiled and blessed at last years Durham Gala. Made by Durham Banner Makers, it was recreated from a description, as there were no known photographs of the original.
Also making an outing for the opening was the Browney Colliery, horse drawn Ambulance
More photographs of the banner parade will follow soon.
Jonathon/Paul, I was down on Easter Saturday and had a good look around the new stables. they are very nice well done. I have a question about its railway, this goes down a slight incline towards the road to the colliery and stops at the road. Is it intended to continue this along the road? How about taking it down the pit cottages back lane to represent the night soil operation that was at Ashington? I also hear you have stated ground works in the town for the Chemists shop.
Hi,
Yes the intention is to eventually extend the track. Initially it would be across the road into the next field. It would then be a possibility to extend further but no definite plans have been made yet, but the Ashington example has been mentioned.
Preparation work started on the Chemists site this week, there will be more information on the main museum web site when building work gets under way.
Thanks,
Jonathan