I headed across to Durham this morning to photograph the 140th anniversary of the Durham Miners Gala and it was good to catch up with a few photographer mates and to make a few new friends. Having said that I was surprised to see unexpected support for Count Binface, who is the joke candidate lined up against Nigel Farage who is the leader of Reform UK and former MP for Clacton, in the forthcoming by-election for that constituency after his resignation.

Bizarrely because MPs can’t technically resign he has been appointed as the Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead in Scarborough, which is used to circumvent a prohibition of resignation as the appointment to what is described as an an office of an office of profit under The Crown which disqualifies an individual from sitting as an MP.

Apparently in May 2008 it was reported, by me in the Scarborough Evening News, that Boris Johnson, who at the time was London’s new mayor and would later be the Prime Minister, that he may apply to be the latest steward and bailiff of the Manor of Northstead in Scarborough and he would get an invite to the town from MP Robert Goodwill if he did.

The gala is an annual fixture in the north-east political calendar but it tends to follow a well-established format. I headed across from Carlisle to Durham and I thought the best plan would be to use the Park and Ride at Belmont and get the bus into the city centre as it only costs just over a couple of quid for the whole day as parking would be tricky.

As I had press accreditation I had to report to the organiser’s reception to collect my wristband which would give me access to the balcony of the County Hotel, where the guests watch the brass and pipe bands passing by on their way to the area where the speakers make their politically charged speeches.

Having said that it was fairly crowded when I turned up but I did manage to get a few shots of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn who I first saw at the 20th anniversary of Bloody Sunday in London, but I did not recognise him at the time but I did know who he was, but in 2015 he did speak at the gala ahead of his successful bid for the Labour leadership and I did recognise him then because he was no longer a backbench MP.

But it was good to see the traditions including the bands parading through the city and the passionate speeches. And an added bonus I did manage call in on my mother-in-law before heading back to Cumbria.

Read more: Durham Miners’ Gala 2024