ON the walls of the Durham Miners' Association headquarters are many union-related photographs, paintings, posters and letters of thanks from workers in struggle – a testament to the Durham miners and their determination to help fellow trade unionists worldwide against exploitation and inequality.

However, my eyes are always drawn to two fading photographs. They are both of the Durham National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) executive committee.

The first, taken circa 1984, contains a young Davey Hopper for the most part surrounded by older men, whose political persuasion was predominantly "conciliatory". The other photograph, taken a year later, shows Davey with a group of younger men whose politics were forged in class struggle.

The reason for this sea change was the miners' strike of 1984-1985.

Davey told me that, on a picket line, workers learn about the class nature of society: the anti-trade union bias of the national newspapers, the role of the state to defend capitalism (Orgreave and the police violence on the average picket line, which I witnessed at first hand), the traitorous nature of well-heeled top Labour politicians (Lord Kinnock) and the unaccountable right-wing bureaucratic elite who control the Labour movement apparatus.

For Davey, the members of the Oxbridge elite, who dominate politics both in Westminster and in the national press, "knaa nowt". An ounce of experience, as they say, is worth a ton of theory.

I first met Davey in 1980, when I was a member of the Labour Party Young Socialists. He was always supportive of the "young 'uns". When he stood for Durham NUM general secretary in 1985 I took him to Wallsend shipyard where he addressed the redundancy-threatened workers, bringing support from the NUM.

A formidable speaker, with a dry but distinct sense of humour, Davey could hold an audience in the palm of his hand.

The cynics who bought into the illusion of Blairism called him "a dinosaur". Apparently we were "all middle class now". The pro-Corbyn movement is a testament to this tosh. Davey was one of the leaders of this resurgence.

A couple of years ago, Davey spoke to a group of young people. You could hear a pin drop. It is "young 'uns" like this who are now joining the Labour Party demanding socialist policies. As he told me recently, "this is their miners' strike" .

A deeply respected man whose accent may not have been privileged, he was an avid reader and intelligent man. A few Christmases ago I met him and some of the Wearmouth lads for a festive pint. The five-hour conversation ranged from football (Davey was a Sunderland fan, but I never held that against him) to Marxist economics, historical materialism and dialectical materialism.

A cultured man, who often spoke of his children and grandchildren, Davey helped initiate wonderful photographic and banner exhibitions and encouraged music and theatre.

Davey promoted Maggie's End, a play I wrote with Trevor Wood, as the official NUM celebration to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the strike in 2009. We played London's Shaw Theatre. Davey got other national unions on board and Maggie's End played to around 2,000 people.

I've never been so proud as the opening night when the miners and their families attended. During the play, a character sings "Solidarity Forever". To hear the crowd singing along was unforgettable. People shed tears. I am now. Davey did that.

Last year Davey and the DMA came to see my show Hadaway Harry. Before becoming a champion rower, Harry Clasper was a Durham miner involved in the bitter 1831 strike.

One of the leaders of that strike was Thomas Hepburn, later persecuted by the bosses and almost forgotten. However, 35 or so years ago Davey and the Durham NUM initiated the Thomas Hepburn Memorial at St Mary's Church, Heworth, where Hepburn was laid to rest. It is now an important date in the North East Labour Movement calendar with around 400 people attending annually.

I often heard Davey say that he wanted to retire but he couldn't because there was still so much to do to defend miners in their claims against industrial illnesses. A miner to his core, he was never, ever, going to retire.

His death is like a hammer blow but we can take consolation that he witnessed the first stirrings of the regeneration of the Labour Party. He was delighted that membership had exceeded 500,000.

During the dark days of Blairism it was the Durham Miners' Gala that helped carry the flame of socialism. Two weeks ago the gala numbered around 200,000 people and included Jeremy Corbyn, leader of the Labour Party.

Davey won't see the socialist re-birth of the Labour Party but it will happen, and it is thanks to people like Davey Hopper that our younger generations have hope for the future, a socialist future.