ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the (changing) wider political and economic context in which social infrastructure was made, unmade and remade. Sacriston owes its existence to coal and the rise and fall of the industry, and the policy responses to this is the backdrop to our story. A discussion of this wider context is often missing in contemporary discussion of social infrastructure but is crucial to our understanding. This chapter briefly explains this larger story as it pertains to development in Sacriston. The Durham Miner’s Association reached the zenith of its political power in the two decades after the Second World war. Vast crowds attended the annual Durham Miners’ Gala, which became a state occasion for the British labour movement, attracting national and international political leaders to witness the spectacle. Sacriston was allocated to Category A, which meant it would be a focus for investment in infrastructure and services, reflecting the relatively positive outlook for employment at the colliery at that time.
