Post by scirburn on Aug 15, 2005 14:09:04 GMT
Dear sir. / madam.......
I am writing to you as a member of the community of County Durham. I am aghast as to the proposal for the new and exciting sculpture to cloud the skyline of the City....commonly known as the 'Wok of Durham."
I and many others from the former pit villages would raise our objection to this.
If a new and exciting development is planned for the skies of Durham would it not be more appropriate for a local artist to design something more befitting to our heritage of the coal mining in this area.
Let us have a suitable monument to those miners who worked in perilous and dangerous conditions to fuel the industry of this country and who made Britain great.
It is with this in mind that we are bringing a petition to the people of Durham, the major political parties, and the unions to ask them to remember the coalfields of Durham in a relevant way.
The Labour Party rely heavily on the support of local communities and the votes of the former miners and their families to bring them and keep them in power.
The N.U.M. also have had a long and laborious fight for the rights of miners over the years.
Let us not forget those who were injured as a result of poor legislation and exploitation by pit owners.
It with this in mind that we are asking that the Labour Party, the National Union of Mineworkers and our councillors and MP give us their backing for a memorial to the miners of County Durham, suitably placed close the site of the Durham Light Infantry headquarters, the ranks of which were filled mainly by miners themselves.
If our glorious skyline should be interrupted by a monument — let it be a sculpture that has pertinence to the area, i.e. a Miner's lamp or a Coalminer at his travail, not a frying pan in the sky.
Sincerely Yours,
Keith Hutchinson (son of a Durham mining family)
COLLECTIVE MINERS’ MEMORIAL.
Today 2005 in County Durham, there is very little trace of what was a very large industry, Coal Mining. It was a hard and very dangerous job to be a coal miner and a large number of miners lost their lives in the winning of the coal for this country's industries.
There is no collective Monument to all these miners from the coal mining villages of County Durham, where these miners lived and worked. These men, our forefathers, all proud and hard working miners of County Durham, were instrumental in forming the National Mineworkers Union, which not only benefited the miners but also through the support of the Miners Union our County Durham M.P.s enjoyed great support in London. Nationalisation for the mines came in 1946-47 followed by the NHS etc. The Labour Party has enjoyed the support of the Durham coal mining villages for many years, and still does. The question that needs to be asked of the Durham Labour Party is, will they support, along with the descendants and ex- miners of the County Durham mining villages a petition to the Durham County Council and Durham City Council for a collective monument to the mining heritage of County Durham.
There are talks and plans for a sculpture to be erected in the area of county hall and Durham Light Infantry Museum on the skyline, what more suitable and fitting place on the this skyline to place a miners memorial next to the DLI Museum, as the ranks of the DLI were formed with a large number of Durham miners which also gave their lives in both wars and other actions all over the world.
Would any other sculpture or monument be appropriate on the skyline of Durham City? NO
We the people of the County Durham coal mining villages need to show our proud heritage and history to the world and use a local artist who understands "Coal Was King" in Durham County. Please remember there is no monument to the County Durham miners anywhere in the City of Durham, other than Durham Cathedral. We should show the world that we are proud of our heritage. Therefore we should ask the Labour Party who has enjoyed the support of the coal mining villages for many years to lend their support to make this miners monument sculpture happen on the skyline of Durham before we lose the opportunity. Say NO to the WOK and YES to a sculpture for a Miners Memorial.
Don't let our chance of a MINERS MEMORIAL PASS BY
Write now to the Leader of Durham County Council (kenneth.manton@durham.
Along with your local city and county councillor. You may also send a copy to the following chief Executive of the Durham City Council.
Chief Executive
Brian Spears F.I.O.H
17 Claypath
Durham
DH1 1RH
Tel: 0191 301 8441
E-mail: bspears@durhamcity.gov.uk
Please send a letter of support to us if you and your group approve of this campaign. Any comments you may have will be appreciated.
Sincerely,
Keith Hutchinson (son of a Durham mining family)
12 th August 2005
To the People of Durham
I am writing to you on behalf of the Brandon Heritage Group with concerns
over the forthcoming sculpture to overshadow the skyline of County Durham.
As a member of a heritage group, the siting of a modern sculpture with the idea of bringing tourists to the County of Durham perplexes me.
Surely a just and fitting celebration of the history and heritage of the North
East area would be a sculpture of meaning. A sculpture showing one of the
main industries of the North… Coal.
A suitable sculpture with modern overtones but created with a mining link would surely bridge the gap between the past to the future and would mean more to the people of Durham predominantly coal workers and families of coal workers than any modern sculpture which I’m sure would make County Durham
people feel alienated from their home city.
A fitting sculpture the cost of which still has not been determined would be something similar in the vein of Brian Brown’s sculpture at Redhill.
Surely the people of Durham should be consulted before an artist is preliminary commissioned for a piece of art – that a great many people are uncomfortable with.
Durham Cathedral has been the sentinel of the City of Durham for almost a thousand years and was built on coal.
If the skyline of Durham has to be clouded by a piece of art- then let it be Durham art by Durham people for Durham people.
Durham has recently been voted the ‘souless city’ and if the Arts Panel and the members of our council decide to go ahead with this new soul destroying exercise, then all I can say is St. Cuthbert will turn in his grave.
Gone is the quaint olde worlde city that I remember Durham to be.
This would seem to me to be a case of progress at any expense and certainly at the cost of the taxpayers!
Are we looking at another Gala, another white elephant that certainly never forgets?
If the planners and artists go ahead without the consultation of the people then when voting comes around at our next election – we shall not forget either.