Information on Loughborough

Miners Gala Returns to Snibston

Posted on 04/09/2009

Leicestershire Councty Council Community Services

4 September 2009

Miners Gala Returns to Snibston

Snibston is opening its doors for a second annual Miners’ Gala on Saturday 12th September, 10am – 5pm. This year, it will begin with a parade featuring local school children, a marching brass band, and a former Coal Queen. It will leave from Memorial Square, Coalville, setting off for Snibston Discovery Museum at 10.30am.

The gala will play host to a range of events and activities, across the site, for everyone to enjoy. There will be brass bands, a Junior Coal Queen competition, a horticultural show, colliery and railway tours, displays by local history groups, mining memorabilia, ferret racing and much, much more.

As a community-focussed event, celebrating Coalville’s mining heritage, entry to the main event and galleries will be free for all. Even the usual paid-for attractions will only be £1 on this special occasion (under 5s free).

With music and entertainment throughout the day, including Leicestershire Co-op Snibston Charnwood Brass Band, and Desford Colliery Band in the evening, it’s guaranteed to be a fun-packed, family event.

Ernie White, Leicestershire County Lead Member for Better Places said "Over 2,500 people attended last year’s event and this year there will be even more activity linking Coalville Town Centre to Snibston. The level of community participation shows just how much Snibston and the mining heritage means to local communities, and Snibston is the perfect venue to bring everyone together"

The main events are:

  • Parade from Memorial Square - 10.30am
  • Junior Coal Queen competition – registration at Memorial Square – 10.15am, judging at Snibston – 11am
  • Leicestershire Co-op Snibston Charnwood Brass Band – juniors 12pm, full band 2.30pm
  • Desford Colliery Band Gala Concert – 7.30pm. Tickets cost £3.00 and are available from Snibston on 01530 278444.

The event is run in association with Coalville Town Centre Partnership National Union of Mineworkers and Heritage Open Days.

Snibston is set on the site of a former colliery and consists of a mulit-award-winning interactive museum, colliery buildings of national significance, the Century Theatre, a country park and nature reserve.

The museum displays a rich and diverse collection of objects, telling the story of technology and design and how it has affected everyday life from the past to the present and into the future.

**Ends**

For more details please contact Alison Clague, or Sarah Oakden-Nancarrow on 01530 278444 or see www.snibston.com/MinersGala