NRO 07074/13 Colour photograph showing the front of the Ashington Federation banner, held by a group of men. 

NRO 07074/15 Colour photograph showing the back of the Ashington Federation banner, held by a group of men. 

NRO 07074/29 Colour photograph of Ashington Federation banner being carried along the streets of Ashington as part of the Miners’ Picnic. 

Trade Unions are organisations that represent a group of employees (or sometimes employers) in a particular job or profession. Trade Unions represent their members in negotiations and disagreements. Trade Unions are often involved in pay discussions as well as campaigning for better working conditions for their members. 

Northumberland Miners’ Association (NMA) was formed in 1864. Members paid a subscription (or “subs”) to become a member. In 1944 the NMA became part of National Union of Mineworkers. The motto of the NUM is “The Past We Inherit The Future We Build”. 

Banners were paraded at miners’ picnics, during demonstrations and other community events. The Woodhorn banner was created in 1916 and paraded at the miners’ picnic of that year. A few weeks later it was also paraded at the funerals of the men killed in the Woodhorn disaster. If a fatal accident happened at a colliery, the banner for that branch would be draped in black crepe (a fabric often used in mourning clothes) during the picnic parade. 

Banners were usually created to represent a union branch (sometimes called lodges) this might include one or a number of collieries. The Ashington Federation banner that can be seen here represented the mines that were owned by the Ashington Coal Company (Ashington, Ellington, Woodhorn, Linton and Lynemouth pits).  

Each banner was different, but they tended to have some common features. Banners often had a central panel with an image, a motto and the name of the branch that it represented. The image (or images) in the central panel were often of the local pit buildings but might also be of personalities from the Labour movement (Keir Hardie or Clement Atlee, for example) or scenes from mining life. 

The background cloth of the banner tended to be in strong primary colours – often royal blue and scarlet red. The banners were usually highly decorated with scrolls and stylized leaves around the central panel, titles, and mottoes. Both back and front were decorated as they were both seen when on parade. 

At least six people (women’s groups had their own banners) were needed to carry a banner. Two people held the poles of the frame that the banner was attached to and four people each held thin ropes attached to the top of the poles to help keep the banner stable. On the photographs here it looks as if two additional men are keeping hold of the corners of the banner – this might have been necessary on a windy day.