THE Queen will be clearing a space on the shelves in Buckingham Palace for a special gift given to her by three Easington men today.

The three surviving members of the rescue party involved in the pit disaster that shattered Easington more 50 years ago shared their experiences with Her Majesty when she visited the site where 83 men lost their lives.

George Ottowell, David Patton and Arthur Bartholemew, who presented the Queen with a bronze statuette of a mine rescue worker, were delighted to hear it would find a permanent home in the palace.

George, 78, of Browning Street, Easington Colliery, handed her the gift. "I presented her with a statuette of a miner which you usually only qualified for after 15 years' service," he said.

"She said she would find somewhere for it. I've got mine on my mantelpiece but I don't know whether she'll find a place for hers on the mantelpiece in the palace.

"It was indeed an honour to meet her and she came across just like a next-door neighbour - she was really down-to-earth."

The Queen visited Easington Memorial Garden, opened in May 2001, as a tribute to all miners who worked there between 1899 and 1993, as part of her whistle-stop tour of County Durham.

Crowds thronged the terraced streets of the village, huddling to keep warm in the cold fog and drizzle, waving flags and cheering.

Marquees were constructed throughout the garden, featuring displays of community projects undertaken by residents, and people selected to greet the Queen were grateful for the cover.

Thirty one married couples from throughout the district, who this year are celebrating their own golden wedding anniversary, spoke briefly to Her Majesty as she walked through the garden escorted by the chairwoman of Easington Council, Audrey Laing.

And the bleak weather did not cloud their view of the Queen. "She looked lovely and it was lovely to see her in real life. She is a fine lady," said Laura Smith, 70, of Blackhall who is celebrating her golden wedding anniversary this year with husband Eric, also 70.

Easington's oldest resident, Blanche Cresswell, of Wellfield House in Murton, was also pleased to see the Queen in the flesh - just months after receiving her royal telegram celebrating her 100th birthday.

A total of 26 elderly residents from East Durham were also treated to a close-up view of Her Majesty as she called into the marquee where they were seated.

Laura Ebdale, aged five, from Easington's Glendene School, presented the Queen with a posy. She was accompanied by her brothers Michael, 10, and Nathan, aged nine.

The trio were among crowds of youngsters from schools across the district who gathered to catch a glimpse of the Queen and perform a range of song and dance.