A FAMILY man who delighted fellow history enthusiasts with his informative books about North-East mining communities has died at the age of 77.

Miner turned engineer Bernard McCormick, from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, wrote 13 history books during his retirement, travelling across the region as part of his extensive research.

The majority of the books focused on life in mining communities, especially Coxhoe, where he grew up, and the nearby village of Kelloe.

Packed full of photographs and memories all of the titles sold out and some were reprinted due to popular demand.

A review of Coxhoe & Kelloe Revisited 2, by The Northern Echo’s deputy editor Chris Lloyd in 2011 demonstrates the enthusiasm for Mr McCormick’s work within the community.

“Only three weeks after former Bowburn miner Bernard McCormick released his second volume about his home area of Coxhoe and Kelloe, local people had been in touch to lend him enough pictures and memories to create a third volume.

“Here it is, self-published, and chocker with faces from the past and their stories.”

Born in Coxhoe in 1938, Mr McCormick attended Trimdon Roman Catholic School before starting work as a miner at Bowburn Colliery.

After working down the mine for five years, he completed two years National Service in the late 1950s and then went to work as a salesman for a fruit and vegetable company.

He met his wife, Eileen, at the Rink in her hometown of Spennymoor in 1961.

The couple married at Cornforth Catholic Church in 1962 and lived in Coxhoe for a year before settling in Newton Aycliffe, where Mr McCormick had begun working as an engineer at Underground Mining Machinery.

His love of engineering and Britain’s industrial heritage inspired several books, including The Great British Mechanics and The Peases and the S&D Railway.

Aside from history, Mr McCormick was very much a family man and was devoted to Mrs McCormick; his children, Darren and Jayne; grandchildren, Simone, Daniel, Jordan and Aaron, and great-grandson, Noah.

He had strong religious faith and enjoyed weekends away in the caravan and holidays in Italy.

Following his death on Monday, September 21, his family described him as a much-loved husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother and uncle.

Mrs McCormick said: “He enjoyed life and had a good sense of humour. He was a family man and thought the world of his children and grandchildren.”

Mr McCormick’s funeral took place at St Mary’s Church in Newton Aycliffe on Wednesday (September 30).

For more information about his books, visit bermac.co.uk