A Christmas concert will provide the last chance to visit Redhills, Durham Miners Hall before it closes for a major programme of restoration and renewal.
The public are invited into the historic hall for a festive performance from the Durham Miners Association Brass Band on Saturday 4 December.
The concert is the last opportunity to visit Redhills before it closes. The home of the Durham Miners Association will be fully restored and renewed as a centre for heritage, culture and education, reopening in Spring 2023.
The band will perform a series of Christmas favourites, and will be accompanied by soloist Lily Banev, who sings with the Durham Cathedral choir.
The Redhills team will also provide updates on the project, and a provide a look at the future of the Miners Hall.
Redhills was opened in 1915 as the purpose-built home of the Durham Miners Association (DMA). The DMA has recently handed ownership of Redhills to the people. A new charity now serves as stewards of the Miners Hall on behalf of the communities of County Durham.
We look forward to welcoming the public to Redhills for an evening of wonderful brass band music.
This will be a festive and fitting way to say farewell, for now, to a place that means so much to so many of us.
We will then close the doors for an extensive and exciting programme of restoration and renewal. Redhills will be back, greater than ever, in 2023.
Chris McDonald, chair of the Redhills charity, and cornet player in the DMA band.
With the support of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Durham County Council and others, the historic Miners Hall will be fully restored and the addition of new buildings with modern facilities will enable Redhills to improve accessibility and offer a wide-ranging programme of activities and community resources. The renewed Redhills will use cutting-edge audio-visual technology to bring to life the rich history of the DMA, the people and the communities of the Durham coalfield.
For many years, the Christmas concert was a highlight of the festive season for DMA members and their families, who would come to Redhills for a special brass band performance.
The Christmas Concert at Redhills will begin at 7pm on Saturday 4 December with doors opening at 6.30pm. Mince pies and hot drinks will be served in the Committee Room.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, this is a limited capacity event and Covid mitigations will be in place. Attendees will be required to wear masks in restricted spaces including toilets and refreshment areas. Anyone with Covid 19 symptoms should not attend.