THE stage is set for a major charity exhibition to back The Advertiser's campaign to mark the graves of the 54 men and boys who died in County Durham's worst peacetime disaster.

The exhibition is being held at the Lamplight Arts Centre, Stanley, on the anniversary weekend of West Stanley Burns Pit explosion of 1909 in which 168 miners died.

Derwentside District Council leader Alex Watson this week personally backed the campaign with a donation and promised to say a few words about the disaster during the exhibition.

The event - organised with our sister paper The Northern Echo and local organisations - takes place from 10am until 6pm during three days from Friday, February 14, until Sunday, February 16.

There will be more than 50 photographs, mementoes and other memorabilia, contemporary newspaper reports, stories about the disaster which have emerged during the campaign and a video about the disaster will be shown.

A main feature will be a full record display detailing, for the first time, exactly where each of the 168 men and boys are buried.

The display will coincide with a separate exhibition about modern-day life in County Durham's former mining communities.

A highlight will be a talk and music event on Saturday between 2pm and 4.30pm. The centrepiece be a talk and slide show, written and compiled by local amateur historian Jack Hair. Music will be provided by Consett Junior Brass ensemble and local folk artist Benny Graham as well as upcoming folk talent Dan Hands.

Admission to the exhibition costs £1. Admission to the talk and music event is also £1 and tickets for this are available from the Lamplight box office on the day. Space for the talk is expected to be limited.

A limited edition computer CD containing images from Jack Hair's talk will be available for sale for £4.99. Half of the proceeds from sales of the CD, produced by Mr Hair and the Stanley History Association, will go to campaign.

Every penny raised from the exhibition and talk event will go directly to the campaign. All participants, including Derwentside District Council who own the arts centre, have given their services free.

To help in the campaign call Chris Webber on (01642) 513346 or, to contribute directly, send cheques made payable to The Northern Echo's Stanley Pit Disaster Memorial Appeal to The Advertiser, PO Box 14, Priestgate, Darlington, DL1 1NF.