There’s an excellent article on the late Davy Hopper on the website of the Durham Miners’ Association. Written by Dave Temple, it tells the story of Davy Hopper from his early years growing up in a working class community in Sunderland, his education and his introduction to work in the mines up to his emergence as an impressive representative of his fellow workers and his class and the unstinting work he did in fighting oppression and his perseverance in not only keeping the Durham Miners’ Gala alive but making it a vibrant and influential annual event which now attracts upwards of 150,000 people every year.
You can read Dave Temple’s tribute to Davy Hopper on the following link:- http://www.durhamminers.org/dave_hopper_1943_2016