The Annual Miners’ Reunion will not be taking place at Radstock Museum this year, the Chair of the Somerset Miners’ Welfare Trust has announced.

Bryn Hawkins said the annual meeting, which was due to take place in September at Radstock Museum, would not be able to go ahead due to the pandemic. He told The Journal: "Last year we saw a number of former miners who had not been to the reunion before and the Trust’s committee is disappointed not to be able to build on this success.

"Making this decision to stop the wonderful miners from meeting up this year has been heartbreaking. Nevertheless, we remain hopeful that we will see them all in September 2021."

The miners also remember John Harrison, a reunion regular, who sadly passed away at the RUH on 2nd July. Reunion organiser, Julie Dexter, said: "Every year he came to find me, discretely handing over a £5 note as a ’small contribution’ to the funds by way of thanks for lunch and the opportunity to catch up with old friends.

"John was proud of his years as a Somerset miner, most of which were spent at Writhlington Colliery, and also of his time in the Royal Marines. In 2015 he was one of a number of ex-soldiers invited to Normandy, where he received the highest French accolade, the Legion d’honneur."