Remembering the Miners' Gala of 1974

Rhiwbina-based artist and designer David Hopkins recalls some of the experiences and events that have influenced and contributed towards the artworks he now produces and sells, which put a different perspective on familiar subjects.

Over 50 years ago, I was a student in Cardiff College of Art, and one element of the course I was studying was photography.

I had set myself a holiday project to cover a major event and, back then, there were few major events bigger than the Miners’ Gala.

I decided that this was the project for me, and I didn’t have to go very far.

In 1974, the South Wales Miners' Gala was a large political and cultural gathering held in Cardiff.

Thousands of miners, their families and union representatives paraded through Cardiff city centre, finishing in Sophia Gardens.

The march was followed by competitions for silver and brass colliery bands, dancing, sports and, naturally, social gatherings. So, it seemed that the opportunities for pictures were there for the taking.

I certainly hadn’t done anything like this before, and there was plenty of subject matter to consider, but it was the parade itself that held the most appeal.

Loads of brass bands, followed by representatives of the various collieries with each one led by a hugely elaborate banner encapsulating some of the history of the pit concerned.

The bands were gathering in Museum Avenue, alongside the City Hall, and crowds of people had already grabbed their place to watch the start.

This is where I began taking my pictures, there were marching bands of all kinds here. Accomplished brass bands, through to the youngsters who were just getting involved, along with all the other bits and pieces associated with a large but good-natured event.

When the lengthy column of bands and their supporting personnel had eventually made it down Kingsway and beyond, other groups followed offering an outlet for both celebration and protest.

I noticed many years later, one of the shots showed some ‘Lively Left’ protest banners which included a request to free Eric, now known as Ricky Tomlinson, who had been imprisoned for a political crime back then. He was released the year after this image was taken, and his conviction was overturned in 2021.

I’d spent much of the day following and covering the march to Sophia Gardens, snapping away, although in those days you didn’t know what you’d caught until it was printed (no quick check on screen then!).

All in all, I was pleased with the images that resulted from this project, as much for what is going on in the background as the intended subjects themselves.

Why was the dog staring at me, why were the kids with drums so suspicious of being caught on camera, what are those two guys doing outside the Angel Hotel windows?

The results have pretty much remained in a drawer since then, although last year a number of these prints and some of my other artworks were exhibited at Blackwater Gallery.

All are available on David's new website