CROWDS gathered and a brass band played out as a gallery championing the country's mining heritage opened its doors in County Durham.

Hundreds turned out to Bishop Auckland on Saturday for the official opening of the eagerly anticipated Mining Art Gallery – the first of its kind in the UK.

The Grade I-listed building in the town's Market Place has been developed by The Auckland Project but was made possible by its partnership with the Gemini Collection of Mining Art – founded by historians Dr Robert McManners and Gillian Wales, who have generously donated their 423-strong haul.

Chairman of The Auckland Project, Jonathan Ruffer, and his wife Jane performed the ribbon-cutting duty alongside Dr McManners and Mrs Wales.

Mr Ruffer told The Northern Echo: "What is happening in Bishop Auckland is that life is coming back to the place and the key is to have lots and lots of different types of experiences and things to do here.

"To start with an exhibition which is so routed in what the point of Bishop Auckland is, is a pleasure."

Featuring the works of prominent local artists such as Tom McGuinness and Norman Cornish, the gallery was open to the public for free during its first day.

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The occasion was marked by a performance from Ferryhill Town Band as well as singer-songwriter Gareth Davies-Jones who has been working with groups from across the region to turn mining stories into music.

Around 100 people queued at a time for the chance to cast their eyes over the gallery's offerings while The Auckland Project's engagement team kept children and families entertained with crafts, and recorded memories of former miners who turned out to share their stories.

The Mining Art Gallery allows the working life of coal mines in the North-East to be explored through the vision of more than 80 pieces of art.

It is the culmination of the ambitious vision of Dr McManners and Mrs Wales who gifted their collection to the Zurbaran Trust – giving their life's work a permanent home in their own home town of Bishop Auckland.

The pair started researching and collecting the artwork more than two decades.

Dr McManners said: "We always had an ambition to have a collection in a gallery so for it to be here in the centre of our home town is better than we could have thought."

Mrs Wales added: "This is the end of a 20 year journey and I had to pinch myself to think we would officially open this gallery.

"We feel a great pride. We've got pieces by Tom McGuinness and Norman Cornish but we've also brought the minor miner artists to the fore."

The Mining Art Gallery, which includes artwork on loan from the the National Mining Museum of England and the National Gallery of Wales, is the first in a string of major projects set to be opened by The Auckland Project which they believe signals the rebirth of the town.

It is open seven days a week from 10am until 4pm. Admission is £4 for adults and £3 for concessions.