The Steel Gala was a huge event in Redcar for 30 years, with commemorative mugs being issued annually. My collection has been built over a number of years from local charity shops.
1 – 27th August 1977 – Redcar Racecourse
The 1977 Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II features on the mug.
2 – 8th July 1978
The Arc Plant at the Cleveland Works features on the 1978 mug, with the reverse being the Royal Military Police Mounted Display Team who presumably performed that year.
3 – 7th July 1979
The Transporter Bridge and Redcar Blast Furnace (which has just opened that year) feature on the 1979 mug, with a rather random image of a Wild West Cowboy on the reverse, i have seen images online of variations with different Cowboy scenes.
4 – 5th July 1980
Various elements of the recently completed Teesside Works appears on the 1980 mug with the reverse showing the ‘Life Guards Mounted Review Order’
5 – 4th July 1981
The mug from 1981 returns to a Royal theme with the marriage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana a few days after the gala on 29th July 1981
6 – 3rd July 1982
In 1982 main event at the Gala must have been an appearance by the Red Arrows who feature on that years mug.
1983 begins a run of years where the mugs just feature random images, this years being a 1908 Model T Ford and 1903 Dion Bouton
8 – 7th July 1984
1984 continues the theme (or lack of it) with The Hokey Pokey Man from 1896 (an Italian Ice Cream seller) and The Milkman from 1885.
9 – 6th July 1985
Officer of the 5th Dragoon Guards 1833 and Officer of the 15th Hussars 1841 mysteriously grace the 1985 mug.
10 – 1986 – Missing from my collection
11 – 1987 – Missing from my collection
12 – 2nd July 1988 – Redcar Racecourse
I have found two variations so far on the 1988 cartoon animals mugs, which are both very jolly.
13 – 8th July 1989
1989 sees a return to some site specific information, this mug is sponsored by the Continuous Casting Plant at Lackenby (Concast) and an illustration of Kirkleatham Hall Museum and the 1989 Queens Award for Technological Achievement.
A search of the London Gazette reveals the award was won by the Continuous Casting Plant of the Teesside Works of British Steel Plc for Immersed rotary valve for quality steel
making (jointly with Thor Ceramics Ltd.)
I beleive this was the first year the Gala was held at Kirkleatham Showground rather than the traditional Redcar Racecourse.
14 – 1990 – Missing from my collection
15 – 7th July 1991
1991 appears to have seen a switch to a Sunday event from the previous years all being on a Saturday (unless that happened first in 1990 which i’m missing !)
Sponsored by the Universal Beam Mill and Skinningrove Works, there are illustrations of a yacht, submarine and bulldozer.
16 – 5th July 1992
A theme of athletics (perhaps because 1992 was the Barcelona Olympics) boasts “Through Training Comes Achievement” there a Teesside TEC Logo (which I believe was the Training and Enterprise Council) and also a logo for the “National Training Award MCMXCI (1991)”
“Ford Q1” Certification is awarded to suppliers who demonstrate excellence beyond the ISO/TS certification requirements in five critical areas: capable systems, continuous improvement, ongoing performance, superior manufacturing process and customer satisfaction.
17 – 4th July 1993
Sponsored by Steelmaking Teesside Works, the 1993 mug features a lot of popular gala events such as floats, skydivers and dog display teams,.
18 – 3rd July 1994
Sponsored by Accident Prevention, the 1994 mug is similar to the previous year showing Gala favourites such as the floats, motorbike displays and brass bands. The Fire Safety Competition also get a mention.
19 – 2nd July 1995
Environmental Services Teesside, Premier Winners of the Business Commitment to the Environment Award sponsored the 1995 mug, for the first time it seems to be based on real photographs.
20 – 1996 – Missing from my collection
21 – 6th July 1997
Clowns and a Spitfire feature on the 1997 mug, which also marks the production of 50 Million Tonnes by the Redcar Blast Furnace and the 25th Anniversary of the Concast.
22 – 5th July 1998
1998 features much more realistic images of a Spitfire, the Red Arrows and a Mountain Biker. Sponsored by the Redcar Blast Furnace it mentions a European Record Breaker of 37 Million Tonnes of Iron, this is a little confusing as the previous year mentioned 50 Million Tonnes, but perhaps we are talking about 37 million from the the 2nd campaign which started in 1986.
23 – 1999 – Missing from my collection
24 – 2000 – Missing from my collection
25 – 1st July 2001
2001 is my first mug which mentions the second switch of venue to Redcar Rugby Club and also the first to mentioned “Corus” rather than “British Steel”
Corus formed in late 1999, so the missing 2000 mug is most likely a Corus one too.
Sponsored by Teesside Cast Products it commemorated the 25th anniversary of the gala.
26 – 7th July 2002
Sponsored by Corus Northern Engineering Services and featuring the Corus website address for the first time, photos of people enjoying the gala made a come back.
I also very recently acquired a blue version of the 2002 mug with completely different images, the main one being a man with a kite.
27 – 6th July 2003
Sponsored by Teesside Cast Products, gala favorites the Cumberland Giants finally make an appearance in 2003, along with floats and aerobatic aircraft.
28 – 4th July 2004
A second year of sponsorship by Teesside Cast Products, the theme is the old favourite of people enjoying the gala.
29 – 3rd July 2005
Sponsored by Corus Northern Engineering Services, there a James Bond themed float and also come external sponsorship by 96.6 TFM Radio
30 – 2nd July 2006
30 years of fun in the sun and a float featuring “Bob the Builder”
I’ve seen conflicting reports online that 2006 was the last gala, with another saying there were 31 galas but one was cancelled due to bad weather (not sure which!)
On 18th August 2019 the ‘Ladies of Steel’ community group resurrected the Steel Gala at the Corus Sports & Social Club in Dormanstown, which used to be the British Steel Club.
Covid stopped the 2020 event taking place and it looks like nothing has happened since.
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