Da Said "Men Don't Cry" Statue

Hand drawn pen & ink artwork by Ben Holland.

Da said "Men Don't Cry" is a statue unveiled in Hetton in 2019. It was produced by the brilliant County Durham sculptor Ray Lonsdale. 

The scene would have been a familiar one: a miner and his son on the day the boy begins work at the mine. It evokes a period around 1860 when boys as young as ten were employed at pits like Eppleton, Elemore and Hetton Lyons, the sites of which have all been reclaimed.

The verse on the plinth reads: “This is it bonnie lad, first shift down the pit. Go with your head held high, take care where you stand, take more where you sit. And don’t let the lads see you cry. Forget the classroom with it’s polished floors, some roads are not for us; there are many schools and this one’s yours”

• Available either unframed or framed.

• Giclée print on heavyweight 285gsm archival paper, initialled by the artist.

• Available in A4 (29.7 x 21cm), A3 (42 x 29.7cm) and A2 (59.4 x 42cm) size.

• Real wood frames are available in black or white.

• All frames have a smooth matt finish and come with real glass (not perspex).

• Free delivery on orders over £50 and free collection from the studio.