We dip into the Journal's archives to get into the festive spirit with some Christmas images from Northumberland's recent past.

Send your seasonal images of the county to northumberland@ncjmedia.co.uk if you would like to share them on our community sites.

Stories of heroism, disaster, industrial action and sharp pit humour run through Neil Taylor's new book.

Memories Of The Northumberland Coalfields is a collection of anecdotes and eye witness stories that flesh out the historical facts and figures of the region's industrial heritage.

At the age of 69, Neil, pictured, who lives near Morpeth and is a grandfather of seven, fondly recalls his two decades in the mining industry, beginning with his 16 weeks of intensive training as a 16-year-old at the Ashington mine training centre in 1955.

For most of the last century, the village of Ellington was synonymous with its coal mine.

And that is something that is certainly reflected in The Journal's photographic archives.

Pictures from Ellington's mines date back to the 1930s, with great shots too of the workers in the decades that followed.

In the early 1970s, the mine was celebrating producing its millionth tonne of coal, but a decade later it was the scene of violent clashes during the Miners' Strike.

The Journal's photographic archives offer a fascinating collection of pictures from some of Northumberland's set-piece annual events.

The Northumberland Miners' Picnic at Bedlington is one such event, with hundreds of pictures in our files.

Many show the bands and mine banners that were the mainstay of an event that at its height - when mining was one of the main industries in south east Northumberland - attracted thousands of spectators.

When the devil went down to Cresswell, he was looking for a soul to steal. However, unlike the famous song, it was not a fiddle player but a tailor he was trying to tempt to eternal damnation. But in both cases, Satan failed.

It's one of the interesting snippets in the book Mysterious Northumberland about the supernatural, paranormal and generally spooky things going on in the region.

Author Rupert Matthews takes up the diabolical tale. He said: "The devil was seen in Cresswell in 1752 where there was a tailor who was reckoned to be the best in the county.

"The devil tried to tempt him with the sin of pride after turning up as a wealthy businessman and offering to buy one of the suits.

It's hard to imagine it, but darts commentator Sid Waddell's North East accent becomes even more pronounced when he talks about his mining roots and his pride in his parents.

Sid, a Cambridge graduate whose voice is one of the most instantly recognisable on TV, is the first to acknowledge he would not be what he is today without their selfless support.

His father, Bob, (pictured below right with Sid's mother Martha) worked down the mines at Ellington Colliery, Northumberland, a dangerous job at the best of times, but he had the most treacherous in the pit, that of coal face driller.

Colliery electrician Denis Murphy played a full part in trying to ensure victory for the miners - but 25 years on he admits to reservations about how it was handled.

Now Labour MP for Wansbeck, Mr Murphy was 35 years old and working underground at Lynemouth Colliery when he and his colleagues were picketed out as the strike gathered momentum.

Despite concerns about the lack of a national ballot by the NUM, he threw his weight behind the action and took part in picketing duties at Glasson Dock in Lancashire, as well as in Scotland, Nottinghamshire and Kent.