Durham Miners Gala 2026

The Durham Miners gala is a wonderful experience. This year was the 140th Gala.  I set off early to catch the first banner band to process to the racecourse. 

Here are some pictures of the day.  The first banner of the Durham Miners Association arrived at the County Hotel where it is traditional that they play to entertain the audience and always finish with the miners hymn. 

. 

The Women's Banner Group always arrive in style.

They were accompanied by other women's groups.

The first banner arrives at the Gala field.  

There were some new banners.This banner was being held and marched by only two men - quite a feat. It commemorates a previous miners strike in 1832 when miners were attacked by the militia.  As the banner legend says about the Friars Goose evictions, they were starved, blacklisted, battered, shackled, jailed, wounded, shot dead, hanged, gibbeted or transported. 

Two banners were draped in black.  This is a traditional way of remembering a death or a mining pit disaster.  In this instance both Lodges were remembering the miners who died in  mining accidents. Easington Lodge remembers the 81 miners who died on 29th May 1951.  Eppleton Lodge remembers the men who died in July 1951.

Easington Lodge banner.

Eppleton Lodge banner.

Look at these two banners from Craghead and Dean and Chapter.  The image is of Durham Cathedral but the Craghead banner has the image reversed.   Not sure why but it could be that the picture negative was developed the wrong way around when it was sent to Tuthills in London - the banner makers. 

Craghead Lodge

Dean and Chapter Lodge

 
 

At the end of the day, the banners and bands march back to their starting point to catch their coaches home.  Banners are carefully rolled up.

After completing an MA in 2020. I wrote an article from my dissertation research about these lovely treasures. 

 My article: Tradition, Change and Meaning: Textile Banners of the Durham Miners' Gala has been published in the Journal; Textile Cloth and Culture. February 2025

Here is the abstract. 

The banners of the Durham Miners’ Gala are functional and political art. They are ‘communicative textiles’ (Andrew, 2008, 35) embracing a range of meanings deriving from their form, use, and social and historical context. They are part of the visual, historical and social culture of the North East of England. The purpose of this paper is to explore the reception and responses to these banners and their images from three perspectives: the social and historical background; a contemporary craft perspective through the creation of a new textile banner with its gendered iconography; and through the parade of the annual Durham Miners’ Gala. 

These portable textile artefacts are accompanied by language, text, sound and motion. This paper will show that they have a life and significance in a variety of arenas reaching diverse audiences. An exploration of the physical context of the Miners’ Gala, with its parade and display, will reveal further dimensions to interpretation and response to these communicative textiles. 

I had a wonderful day out and so did about 200,000 other people.  If you want further information about this wonderful event, check out the Marras - Friends of Durham Miners Gala.

https://www.friendsofdurhamminersgala.org/about

Susan J Foulkes July 2026

Further information about the two mining disasters  remembered at this years Gala. The details are available here.

https://nmrs.org.uk/mines-map/accidents-disasters/durham/eppleton-colliery-explosion-hetton-le-hole-1951/

https://nmrs.org.uk/mines-map/accidents-disasters/durham/easington-colliery-explosion-west-hartlepool-1951/

The Durham Miners Gala still needs supporters to make it happen.  I am a Marra - why not join as well. Find out more from the official web site. 

https://www.friendsofdurhamminersgala.org/

Macrame Friendship Bracelets.

I was in London recently and visited one of my favourite venues, the British Film Institute. In the cafe, I noticed a young man engrossed with his lap top but he was braiding.  I went over to chat to him. He was making macrame friendship bracelets for his friends. 

I had tried macrame many years ago and had been looking recently at a pretty macrame band with a diagonal pattern.  I was thinking of trying to make one myself.  Meeting this enthusiastic and skilled young man has spurred me on to try.

He recommended a YouTube video from Masha Knots who produces very clear and numerous videos on making different patterns.  Here is the link.

Basic friendship bracelets knots. Masha Knots

 https://youtu.be/bClGNDcndMg?si=alcrIVK4dZnNcwbn

I watched a number of her videos on the train journey home and could not wait to start that evening. 

There are four basic knots that she uses for her simple braids - the forward knot, the backward knot, the forward-backward knot and the backward -forward knot. 

My first three macrame knots

I am enjoying the exploration of a different technique. I have been wondering if I could use these knot patterns to finish woven bands.  I usually plait the warp ends together then whip the ends.  

My first macrame bands.

I decided to try a flower pattern - I think that it is known as a daisy chain.  This might be promising as another decorative band end. Here is my attempt.

Daisy band

I like the pattern but I  need to practice this technique. My loops are not even.

I tried a three strand textured macrame band but I was not entirely happy with the result.

I was on a plan recently  so I had prepared some warps for practising macrame.  I was wondering if this is a craft to while away a plane journey.

Attached to the chair back

I also tried clipping it to my handbag on my lap in the airport waiting area. 

Clipped to my handbag

Here is my result. 

It is so much fun trying a different craft.  So much to learn.

Happy crafting.

Susan J Foulkes

July 2026

Plaiting: a seven strand plait.

I usually plait the warp ends together then whip the ends when I have finished weaving a band.  A simple three end plait is easy but I have also been experimenting with more strands.

Here is a 7 strand plait. I used it for the end of a band woven on a reproduction Roman heddle.

This plait is easy to do.  I have made a short YouTube video showing how to plait this band.

There is a small Roman heddle which takes only 6 warp ends.  Including the weft there are seven ends to use for a plait.  

The YouTube video shows the plaiting method and the band with its new decorated plaited ends.

YouTube Video:  https://youtu.be/DWYR1E4Itjw

The plait at the band ends and my first attempt at a 7 strand plait

Here is the heddle and the woven band.

I also tried plaiting with other  thicknesses of yarn. The thick yarn was easy but the finer yarn needed greater care to get the plait even.

I have also made two other YouTube videos about plaiting on my YouTube channel.  https://www.youtube.com/@durhamsilkweaver

Plaiting with 5 groups of threads  

https://youtu.be/SZt3p87oI68?si=tKnHpXMYrkNcvFwh

How to make a zig-zag plait with 8 groups of threads  

https://youtu.be/AZcAdQeu81Y?si=pdhRHGhY2tnhvPzk

I generally finish the plaits with West Country whipping

https://youtu.be/kp5nrA7DLAI?si=LZlAB8zDUrZJwMrq

Enjoy your own explorations 

Susan J Foulkes

June 2026

Northern Bowl Gathering 2026

 I attended the Northern Bowl 2026 last weekend.  I could only make one workshop on the Sunday morning. Last year I took Amy Leakes workshop on heddle making which I loved. The Northern Bowl Gathering brings together people with a love of greenwood working and crafts.

I arrived early so people who were staying on the camp site and the tutors were only just finishing their breakfast and starting to set up the workshop areas. 

It is a well attended gathering with people coming from around the world to attend.  I was enrolled to do a workshop on making cordage. Hannah from Finland had travelled all the way here by train and ferry.

It was very cold with a brisk breeze and although I thought that I had enough layers i was quite cold.  Fortunately there was plenty of tea and coffee to be had. 

The workshop started and was full.  Anna Corbett had prepared all the materials as cordage has to be damp to make a successful string. 

She provided all the cordage and equipment we needed.  

She had boxes of samples from various plants including dandelion stems. She is an excellent teacher and quickly showed us how to make a cord and add in new lengths. 

Skilled hands at work

Then it was up to us to practice.   A couple of young women made skipping ropes!  I was very impressed with the way they had picked up the skills so quickly.

I tried four different materials. Unfortunately I neglected to note down which was which, but I know that the light coloured sample is from the outer covering of sweet corn and one is dandelion .

My cordage - still a lot to learn

The morning went by rapidly but I was pleased with the small samples I had  made.  once you have the principle of how to make cordage it is practice that will help to develop a more even finish and tension.

An excellent workshop and I do intend to use  my new found skill.

There was a room of items for sale  -  mostly from the tutors at the gathering.

There were two interesting books for sale.

A brilliant, if very cold morning. i will definitely be going next year.

Susan J Foulkes

May 2026

Disc weaving with 15 warp threads.

 I have organised a disc weaving workshop for the members of the Durham Guild of Spinners Weavers and Dyers. I thought that it would be useful to put some of the information into my blog.

I wrote about this technique in May 2023 in this blog. I had written two articles for the Journal of the Braid Society about my research and also ran a workshop for members. 

https://thebraidsociety.wildapricot.org/

The Braid Society has an excellent group called Braids and Bands - it is well worth joining. 

braidsandbands@groups.io

I made a YouTube video to accompany the two articles :  

Disc Weaving: making a tubular filled cord 

                                 https://youtu.be/W7miDg2bix4

Weaving a filled tubular cord with a weaving disc. 

What is disc weaving?

With the warp ends arranged in a circle and a central core thread, a patterned cord can be woven in warp-faced plain weave. The weft is not visible as the warp ends are pulled tightly together. The central core thread makes the cord strong. 

The weft is entered from the same side for the whole of the weaving. The disc is rotated. This means that unlike other weaving methods, the warp is not in a static horizontal plane but moves around as the weft is entered. 

 I experimented to find out the most efficient and effective way of weaving.  I discovered that the disc itself does not need to be circular. It is the pattern of holes that need to be arranged in a circle. I had a new set of discs made with 15  holes in a square.  They are lovely.  The person who designed them for me put a depiction of the Durham Cathedral sanctuary knocker in the centre as they were for the Durham Guild.

I am using dk cotton for the pattern.  I was not sure how many core threads would be suitable.  I tried with four but that was too many.  The cord was difficult to weave evenly.  I removed two of the core threads after a couple of inches weaving as you can see.  Now the cord is weaving well.

Threading the disc.

Threading the disc.

First make the warp for the cord.  Thread the disc by putting the disc on the edge of a table so that the empty holes can be seen. For this warp I used 6/2 cotton.

Thread the 15 pattern threads first.

Threading the warp.

Now add in the  centre filling cord.

Adding the filling cord

You are now ready to start weaving.

Seizenn Loom Pattern Generator. 

This pattern has been created using the excellent software which is provided so generously.  Go to the web site.  

Go to the web site.  

https://www.raktres.net/seizenn/v2/#/

Look down the list of pattern types on the left hand side. 

 For disc weaving there is a picture of a disc. Edit pattern for disc loom.  The instructions are easy to follow.  You can change the number of holes and then add the correct colours to the loom palatte.

This pattern 

You can see the threading for this pattern. The 15 holes are numbered. You can generate your own patterns and take a screen shot to save it.

These discs can be made from cardboard so you do not have to buy a purposes made one - although they are lovely to hold. 

Here is a picture from one of my articles showing a variety of discs. 

Four discs and four types of shuttles.

Uses for filled woven cords.

Cords can be used in drawstring bags or as bag ties.  They make sturdy shoe laces.  

Lotus bag with two drawstring cords.

Bag ties

Fixing an aglet to both ends of a band for laces.

Have fun! 

If you want to know more about the Durham Cathedral sanctuary knocker, here is the link to their web site.

https://www.durhamworldheritagesite.com/learn/architecture/cathedral/intro/sanctuary-knocker

Here are two photos I took last week.

Durham Cathedral door

The replica knocker

Susan J Foulkes  April 2026

A Tasuki Cord.

A tasuki (襷/たすき) is a fashion accessory used for holding up the long sleeves of the Japanese kimono. It is a sash made from either cloth or cord that loops over each shoulder and crosses over the wearer's back.

Tasuki were traditionally worn in Japan by everyone from the samurai to the average individual as a means of tying back the long sleeves of kimono sode or sleeved garments.

The tasuki allowed the kimono wearer to work without large sleeves getting in the way of the job, and without risking damage to the garment's sleeves.

In modern Japan, tasuki were used by many people as everyday practical accessories, but in ancient Japan they were an exclusive accessory used by the Shinto clergy during ceremonies. Tasuki can be made of silk or cotton.

The length is generally about 230 cm / 89 inches. The width can be up to 4 cm approx 1.5 inches.

Here is a useful guide to tying a tasuki.

How to tie tasuki  https://youtu.be/qs6y2gOfQfI

Another way is this:

How to tie up your kimono sleeves.

https://youtu.be/S19eKA_8AW0?si=5b3kTpQ7fm9-6GXA

 How to tie a belt for men 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcitAROOg7I

I first became aware of tasuki whilst watching a Kurasawa film, Sanjuro,  many years ago. In it a group of young samurai quickly ready themselves for action. 
I have two beautiful haori jackets. I have woven a tasuki cord for both of them.

Here is the band I wove in warp faced plain weave in 16/2 cotton. 

My woven tasuki cord

This is my second haori jacket.  I designed a band in orange and brown with sufficient variation so that the band shows against the silk cloth.

This is a single layer band with 73 warp ends of 16/2 cotton. 

The weft was 16/2 cotton used triple. 

The length after washing is 240 cm. The width is 17 mm. 

This cord was too narrow so I designed a new wider cord.  It is woven in 16/2 cotton. The width is 3.7 cm.

Two tasuki cords.

Here is the drawdown

 Happy weaving 

Susan J Foulkes  July 2025

Weaving a double weave band: tubular or flat?

Weaving a tubular cord on a four shaft loom.

On a four shaft loom the sequence it is easy to weave a tubular band.  For the tubular band there are two layers; woven separately but joined by the weft at each side. 

Layer one is threaded on shafts 1 and 3 to weave plain or warp faced plain weave. Layer two is threaded on shaft 2 and 4. 

The weaving sequence is:

1. Lift shaft 1  and take the shuttle through from left to right
2. Lift shafts 134 and take the shuttle through from right to left.
3. Lift shaft 2 and take the shuttle through from left to right
4. Lift shafts 123 and take the shuttle through from right to left. 

The weft spirals through the warp ends to make a tube. If the width of the band is narrow then the finished band will be a tube.  If there are more warp ends then the finished tube will flatten out and become a flat tubular band. 

Kusti weavers use the same principle to weave their sacred tubular cord.

https://youtu.be/sXr8m4voDfk

https://youtu.be/p1enzWvB8m8

A Tasuki Band

A tasuki band is a long piece of cloth or band which  ties up the sleeves of a kimono or similar garment to ensure that the sleeves are kept out of the way when working. 

Samurai warriors also used a tasuki sash to tie up their long sleeves. These would prove a handicap when using a sword or for archery. 

I first became aware of them when watching a 1962 Kurasawa film - Sanjuro. I was fascinated by the quick automatic movements to tie up their sleeves when a group of young Samuari are about to go into action. 

Tasuki are usually about 230 - 250 cm in length and can be narrow but nowadays are more often about 4 cms in width. Usually they are a single  layer of cloth. 

I wove a tubular tasuki cord.  The cord is made from synthetic yarn, rayon, and is tubular.  Rayon is not the material that I should have used but i was interested in seeing how well it wove as a double cloth. One side is a plain white colour and the other side is stripes of green. Unfortunately I did not put a long enough warp on the loom and the cord is just too short. 

Details of my first Tasuki Cord.

Warp ends in total: 95

Layer one: 47 ends three shades of green acrylic  These are threaded on shafts 1 and 3

Layer two: 48 warp ends of white. These are threaded on shafts 2 and 4. 

Weft: 2 strands of green cotton.

Width: 14 mm

Finished length just under 200 cms   However it needs to be at least 230 cms in length. 

Top layer of warp ends. 

Here is the tubular tasuki cord.

Rayon was a difficult yarn to weave. It is very slippery and I found it hard to keep to an even tension. You can see the ridges of the weaving are uneven. 

Instructions for Tying the Cord.

Here is an elegant way of tying a tasuki cord. 

https://youtu.be/9blUgVEISgE

A more practical approach is shown here.

https://youtu.be/qs6y2gOfQfI?si=IuLBWC9DwpfyzLtC

Kusti weavers use the same principle to weave their sacred tubular cord.

https://youtu.be/sXr8m4voDfk

https://youtu.be/p1enzWvB8m8

It is particularly fascinating to know that narrow tubular bands were also woven in ancient Egypt. I saw a simple narrow tubular band around dating to the 1st century BCE in a museum recently. It was wrapped around a mummy on top of the usual close wrapping bands. It was broken in one area and it was clear that this was a woven tubular band.  It also had a twisted cord inside the tube. I suspect from the way it looked that this twisted group of fibres was added after the tube was woven. The tubular band was wide enough to see this central fibre cord inside which had plenty of room. Perhaps the centre filling was added to make the band firmer.

Happy Weaving.

Susan J Foulkes  Febrary 2025