It was the end of an era. The days when these miners clocked off for the last time at the pits where they had worked for years.
From Wearmouth to Vane Tempest, the Echo has archive photos of the final shift at collieries in Sunderland and East Durham.
Some of the workers would move on to other pits. Others had said goodbye to the mining industry for the last time.
Re-live those moments once more.
2. A 1975 Hylton scene
The last normal working day of Hylton Colliery. Seventy five of the workers stayed on to do salvage operations. | se
3. End of the Adventure
The last shift came out of Adventure Colliery, West Rainton in July 1978. | se
4. An era ends in Houghton
Houghton Colliery, the oldest pit in the county, was closing in 1981. Workers who had not opted for voluntary redundancy were being transferred to Seaham, Vane Tempest, Eppleton and Wearmouth pits, and the Philadelphia Workshops. | se